All of them shapen to comeliness, shimmering as pearls, Transcendent creatures, Angels of the outer courts, or angels of the Presence, Watching Thy movements.
And each troop of them all bows itself down "To Him who rideth the highest heavens." And in the supreme sphere of the universe they stand in thousands and tens of thousands,
מִי יַעֲמִיק לְמַחְשְׁבוֹתֶיךָ בַּעֲשׂוֹתְךָ מִזִּיו הַשְּׁכִינָה זֹהַר הַנְּשָׁמוֹת. וְהַנְּפָשׁוֹת הָרָמוֹת.
Who shall descend as deep as Thy thoughts? For from the splendour of the sphere of Intelligence Thou hast wrought the radiance of souls,
הֵם מַלְאֲכֵי רְצוֹנֶךָ. מְשָׁרְתֵי פָנֶיךָ:
And the high angels that are the messengers of Thy will, The ministers of Thy presence,
הֵם אַדִּירֵי כֹחַ וְגִבּוֹרֵי מַמְלֶכֶת. בְּיָדָם לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת.
Majestic of power and great in the Kingdom of heaven, "In their hand the flaming sword that turneth every way,"
וְעוֹשֵׂי מְלֶאכֶת. אֶל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה שָׁמָּה הָרוּחַ לָלֶכֶת:
Performing their work whithersoever the spirit wafteth them,
כֻּלָּם גִּזְרוֹת פְּנִינִיּוֹת וְחַיּוֹת עִלִּיּוֹת. חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת וּפְנִימִיּוֹת. הֲלִיכוֹתֶךָ צוֹפִיּוֹת:
All of them shapen to comeliness, shimmering as pearls, Transcendent creatures, Angels of the outer courts, or angels of the Presence, Watching Thy movements.
מִמָּקוֹם קָדוֹשׁ יְהַלֵּכוּ. וּמִמְּקוֹר הָאוֹר יִמָּשֵׁכוּ:
From a holy place are they come, And from the fount of light are they drawn.
נֶחֱלָקִים לְכִתּוֹת. וְעַל דִּגְלָם אוֹתוֹת.
They are divided into companies, And on their banner are signs graven
בְּעֵט סוֹפֵר מָהִיר חֲרוּתוֹת. מֵהֶם נְסִיכוֹת וּמֵהֶם מְשָׁרְתוֹת:
of the pen of the swift scribe. There are superior and attendant bands,
מֵהֶם צְבָאוֹת. רָצוֹת וּבָאוֹת.
And hosts running and returning,
לֹא עֲיֵפוֹת וְלֹא נִלְאוֹת. רוֹאוֹת וְלֹא נִרְאוֹת:
But never weary and never faint, Seeing but invisible.
מֵהֶם חֲצוּבֵי לֶהָבוֹת. וּמֵהֶם רוּחוֹת נוֹשְׁבוֹת: מֵהֶם מֵאֵשׁ וּמִמַּיִם מֻרְכָּבוֹת:
And there are some wrought of flame, And some are wafted air, And some compounded of fire and of water,
מֵהֶם שְׂרָפִים. וּמֵהֶם רְשָׁפִים:
And there are Seraphim in burning rows,
מֵהֶם בְּרָקִים. וּמֵהֶם זִיקִים:
And winged lightnings and darting arrows of fire,
וְכָל כַּת מֵהֶם מִשְׁתַּחֲוָה לְרוֹכֵב עֲרָבוֹת. וּבְרוּם עוֹלָם נִצָּבִים לַאֲלָפִים וְלִרְבָבוֹת:
And each troop of them all bows itself down "To Him who rideth the highest heavens." And in the supreme sphere of the universe they stand in thousands and tens of thousands,
נֶחֱלָקִים לְמִשְׁמָרוֹת. בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה לְרֹאשׁ אַשְׁמוּרוֹת.
Divided into watches, That change daily and nightly at the beginning of their vigils,
לַעֲרוֹךְ תְּהִלּוֹת וְשִׁירוֹת. לַנֶּאְזָר בִּגְבוּרוֹת:
For the ritual of psalms and songs, "To Him who is girt with omnipotence."
כֻּלָּם בַּחֲרָדָה וּרְעָדָה כּוֹרְעִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לָךְ. וְאוֹמְרִים מוֹדִים אֲנַחְנוּ לָךְ:
All of them with dread and trembling bow and prostrate themselves to Thee, Saying: To Thee we acknowledge
שֶׁאַתָּה אֱלֹהֵינוּ. אַתָּה עֲשִׂיתָנוּ.
That Thou art He, the Lord our God;
וְלֹא אֲנַחְנוּ. וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדְךָ כֻּלָּנוּ:
Thou hast made us, and not we ourselves, And the work of Thy hands are we all.
וְכִי אַתָּה אֲדוֹנֵינוּ וַאֲנַחְנוּ עֲבָדֶיךָ. וְאַתָּה בוֹרְאֵנוּ וַאֲנַחְנוּ עֵדֶיךָ:
For Thou art our Lord, and we are Thy servants, Thou art our Creator, and we are Thy witnesses.