Shir agid

Shir agid. I will sing a Song. Performed by hazzan Halevi [from Aleppo] accompanied by several singers on July 16, 1913. Cylinder # 632.       1:58

A piyyut by Sasson Bekhar Moshe included in the pizmonim collection of the Aleppo community.  The melody is from the march known as “Affandina” composed by the Italian trumpet player Giuseppe Puglioli around the time of the opening of the Suez Canal. It became the anthem of Egypt in 1876. The song was sanctioned as anthem by the Khedive (Ruler) of Egypt Isma’il Pasha. The poet set his song about the ten sefirot of Kabbalah to this melody that he called “Salam al-Khdawi” (Peace upon the Ruler). The melody of this Egyptian anthem was extremely popular among Levantine Jews. It was adapted to other pizmonim, such as “Ro’e ne’eman hu” by Refael Antebi Tabush as well as for prayers, most notably Psalm 150 that is sung to this melody until the present in Sephardi synagogues of Jerusalem.