English translationTransliterationHebrew Verse 1:
If He had brought us out from Egypt, Ilu hotzianu mimitzrayim, אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם‬
and had not carried out judgments against them v'lo asah bahem sh'fatim, וְלֹא עָשָׂה בָּהֶם שְׁפָטִים‬
— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! dayeinu! דַּיֵּנוּ‬ Verse 2:
If He had carried out judgments against them, Ilu asah bahem sh'fatim אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בָּהֶם שְׁפָטִים‬
and not against their idols v'lo asah beloheihem, וְלֹא עָשָׂה בֵּאלֹהֵיהֶם‬
— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! dayeinu! דַּיֵּנוּ‬ Verse 3:
If He had destroyed their idols, Ilu asah beloheihem, אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בֵּאלֹהֵיהֶם‬
and had not smitten their first-born v'lo harag et b'choreihem, וְלֹא הָרַג אֶת בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם‬
— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! dayeinu! דַּיֵּנוּ‬ Verse 4:
If He had smitten their first-born, Ilu harag et b'choreihem, אִלּוּ הָרַג אֶת בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם‬
and had not given us their wealth v'lo natan lanu et mamonam, וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם‬
— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! dayeinu! דַּיֵּנוּ‬ Verse 5:
If He had given us their wealth, Ilu natan lanu et mamonam, אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת מָמוֹנָם‬
and had not split the sea for us v'lo kara lanu et hayam, ןלא קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם‬
— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! dayeinu! דַּיֵּנוּ‬ Verse 6:
If He had split the sea for us, Ilu kara lanu et hayam, אִלּוּ קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם‬
and had not taken us through it on dry land v'lo he'eviranu b'tocho becharavah, וְלֹא הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה‬
— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! dayeinu! דַּיֵּנוּ‬ Verse 7:
If He had taken us through the sea on dry land, Ilu he'eviranu b'tocho becharavah, אִלּוּ הֶעֱבִירָנוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ בֶּחָרָבָה‬
and had not drowned our oppressors in it v'lo shika tzareinu b'tocho, וְלֹא שִׁקַע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ‬
— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! dayeinu! דַּיֵּנוּ‬ Verse 8:
If He had drowned our oppressors in it, Ilu shika tzareinu b'tocho, אִלּוּ שִׁקַע צָרֵינוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ‬
and had not supplied our needs in the desert for forty years v'lo sipeik tzorkeinu bamidbar arba'im shana, וְלֹא סִפֵּק צָרַכֵּנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה‬
— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! dayeinu! דַּיֵּנוּ‬ Verse 9:
If He had supplied our needs in the desert for forty years, Ilu sipeik tzorkeinu bamidbar arba'im shana, אִלּוּ סִפֵּק צָרַכֵּנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה‬
and had not fed us the manna v'lo he'echilanu et haman, וְלֹא הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן‬
— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! dayeinu! דַּיֵּנוּ‬ Verse 10:
If He had fed us the manna, Ilu he'echilanu et haman, אִלּוּ הֶאֱכִילָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן‬
and had not given us the Shabbat v'lo natan lanu et hashabbat, וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת‬
— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! dayeinu! דַּיֵּנוּ‬ Verse 11:

If He had given us the Shabbat,

Ilu natan lanu et hashabbat, אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת‬
and had not brought us before Mount Sinai v'lo keirvanu lifnei har sinai, וְלֹא קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי‬
— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! dayeinu! דַּיֵּנוּ‬ Verse 12:
If He had brought us before Mount Sinai, Ilu keirvanu lifnei har sinai, אִלּוּ קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי‬
and had not given us the Torah v'lo natan lanu et hatorah, וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה‬
— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! dayeinu! דַּיֵּנוּ‬ Verse 13:
If He had given us the Torah, Ilu natan lanu et hatorah, אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה‬
and had not brought us into the land of Israel v'lo hichnisanu l'eretz yisra'eil, וְלֹא הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל‬
— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! dayeinu! דַּיֵּנוּ‬ Verse 14:
If He had brought us into the land of Israel, Ilu hichnisanu l'eretz yisra'eil, אִלּוּ הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל‬

and not built for us the Holy Temple

v'lo vanah lanu et beit hamikdash, וְלֹא בָּנָה לָנוּ אֶת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ‬
— Dayenu, it would have sufficed! dayeinu! דַּיֵּנוּ‬

Customs associated with Dayenu[edit]

Jews in Afghanistan and Iran hit each other over the head with green onions during the refrain beginning with the ninth stanza (Even if you had supplied our needs in the desert for 40 years but not provided us with manna). This may be due to a passage in Numbers 11:5–6, where the Israelites see manna and recall Egypt. "We remember the fish that we used to eat in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions and the garlic. Now our gullets are shriveled. There is nothing at all. Nothing but this manna to look at." It is thought that by beating each other with the onions they taught themselves not to yearn for Egypt or to forget Egyptian slavery.[2]

Other versions


haggadah Section: -- Cup #2 & Dayenu