Piyutim

Piyutim are Jewish liturgical poems, traditionally chanted or sung during religious services or celebrations. Piyutim have been written since the fifth century. Adon Haselichot (Lord of forgiveness) and Adon Olam (Lord of the world) are two of the most well-known Piyutim, both very ancient and of unknown origin. They have been traditionally sung, in countless different melodies, by various Jewish communities around the globe. In both poems, the author praises the Lord, yet this praise comes from two very different states of mind. In Adon Haselichot, the poet is begging God for forgiveness. The mood is ridden with guilt, fear and unrest. Adon Olam, on the other hand, exudes a feeling of peacefulness and calm with its vast, almost philosophical descriptions of infinity and continuity. While Adon Haselichot emphasizes the troubled, menacing relation between man and God, Adon Olam fuses them into one, complete entity of trust and acceptance.