First Shabbos

It’s Friday afternoon and there’s excitement in the air,

People rushing all about, all I can do is stare,

Is this really happening or is it just a dream,

Chaos all around me can this be the routine,

It’s my first Shabbos, and I’ve never understood,

The idea of a day of rest, can it really be that good,

Isn’t it a hardship to sacrifice so much,

Things we work with during the week today I cannot touch,

The candles have been lit and the warmth from the flame,

Fills me with emotion, feelings just the same,

The house has settled down, all work has been done,

A new frame of mind is born with the setting of the sun,

It’s my first Shabbos, and I’ve never understood,

The idea of a day of rest, can it really be that good,

Isn’t it a hardship to sacrifice so much,

Things we work with during the week today I cannot touch,

Who do I ask, to whom can I turn, What should I feel how can I learn,

When should I stand up, When should I sit down, What do I do, what do I do?

Benchers on the table, zmiros are being sung,

I haven’t read any Hebrew since 1971,

How do all these people say it with such ease,

Speaking Divrei Torah, in English if you please,

It’s my first Shabbos and I finally understand,

The idea of a day of rest, it makes me feel so grand,

It would be a hardship, I’d sacrifice so much,

If I didn’t have my Shabbos, the week would be so rough.

It’s our first Shabbos and we finally understand,

The idea of a day of est, it makes us feel so grand,

It would be a hardship, we’d sacrifice so much,

If we didn’t have our Shabbos, the week would be so rough.