The text of the prayer
The five stanzas that the printed editions give in the same words. A sixth stanza, which some siddurim print, is not on this page.
The English under each line is Israel.com's own plain-English meaning, not a printed translation.
First stanza
מָעוֹז צוּר יְשׁוּעָתִי לְךָ נָאֶה לְשַׁבֵּחַ.
Mighty Rock of my salvation, it is right to praise You.
תִּכּוֹן בֵּית תְּפִלָּתִי וְשָׁם תּוֹדָה נְזַבֵּחַ.
May my house of prayer be established, and there we will offer thanks.
לְעֵת תָּכִין מַטְבֵּחַ מִצָּר הַמְנַבֵּחַ.
When You prepare the destruction of the enemy who barks,
אָז אֶגְמוֹר בְּשִׁיר מִזְמוֹר חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ.
then I will complete, with a song and a psalm, the dedication of the altar.
Second stanza
רָעוֹת שָׂבְעָה נַפְשִׁי בְּיָגוֹן כֹּחִי כִּלָה.
My soul has had its fill of troubles, and grief has used up my strength.
חַיַּי מָרְרוּ בְּקוֹשִׁי בְּשִׁעְבּוּד מַלְכוּת עֶגְלָה.
My life was embittered by hardship, in slavery to the kingdom of the calf (Egypt).
וּבְיָדוֹ הַגְּדוֹלָה הוֹצִיא אֶת הַסְּגֻלָּה.
But with His great hand He brought out the treasured people.
חֵיל פַּרְעֹה וְכָל זַרְעוֹ יָרְדוּ כְאֶבֶן בִּמְצוּלָה.
Pharaoh’s army and all his offspring sank like a stone into the deep.
Third stanza
דְּבִיר קָדְשׁוֹ הֱבִיאַנִי וְגַם שָׁם לֹא שָׁקַטְתִּי.
He brought me to His holy sanctuary, but there too I found no rest.
וּבָא נוֹגֵשׂ וְהִגְלַנִי. כִּי זָרִים עָבַדְתִּי.
A taskmaster came and sent me into exile, because I had served strangers.
וְיֵין רַעַל מָסַכְתִּי כִּמְעַט שֶׁעָבַרְתִּי.
I had mixed a wine of poison and nearly perished.
קֵץ בָּבֶל, זְרֻבָּבֶל, לְקֵץ שִׁבְעִים נוֹשָׁעְתִּי.
With the end of Babylon, Zerubbabel, at the end of seventy years I was saved.
Fourth stanza
כְּרוֹת קוֹמַת בְּרוֹשׁ, בִּקֵּשׁ אֲגָגִי בֶּן הַמְּדָתָא.
The Agagite, son of Hammedatha (Haman), sought to cut down the tall cypress (the Jewish people).
וְנִהְיָתָה לוֹ לְפַח וּלְמוֹקֵשׁ וְגַאֲוָתוֹ נִשְׁבָּתָה.
It became a snare and a trap for him, and his pride came to an end.
רֹאשׁ יְמִינִי נִשֵּׂאתָ וְאוֹיֵב שְׁמוֹ מָחִיתָ.
You raised up the head of the Benjaminite (Mordechai) and wiped out the name of the enemy.
רֹב בָּנָיו וְקִנְיָנָיו עַל הָעֵץ תָּלִיתָ.
You hanged his many sons and his possessions on the gallows.
Fifth stanza
יְוָנִים נִקְבְּצוּ עָלַי אֲזַי בִּימֵי חַשְׁמַנִּים.
The Greeks gathered against me then, in the days of the Hasmoneans.
וּפָרְצוּ חוֹמוֹת מִגְדָּלַי וְטִמְּאוּ כָּל הַשְּׁמָנִים.
They broke through the walls of my towers and made all the oils impure.
וּמִנּוֹתַר קַנְקַנִּים נַעֲשָׂה נֵס לַשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים.
And from the last of the flasks a miracle was done for the lilies (the people of Israel).
בְּנֵי בִינָה יְמֵי שְׁמוֹנָה קָבְעוּ שִׁיר וּרְנָנִים.
The people of understanding set eight days for song and joyful praise.