Balkan Beat Box is a world music group consisting of ex-Gogol Bordello memb… Read Full Bio ↴Balkan Beat Box is a world music group consisting of ex-Gogol Bordello member Ori Kaplan and Tamir Muskat of Firewater and Big Lazy. As a musical project they often cooperate with a host of other musicians, both in the studio as well as on stage. Their current live crew consists of Tomer Yosef, Billy Levy, Ben Hendler, Itamar Ziegler, Dana Leung, Eyal Talmudi, Jeremiah Lockwood, and Peter Hess. Amongst their other collaborators are Victoria Hannah, the Bulgarian Chicks,Uri Kinrot, Dessislava Stefanova and gnawa player Hassan Ben Jaffar.

Balkan Beat Box established their own unique sound by fusing the musical styles of Jewish, Mediterranean and Balkan traditions as well as the cultural influences of their home turf of New York City with electronica.

They cite Boban Markovic, Rachid Taha, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Manu Chao, and Charlie Parker amongst their musical influences.

Adir Adirim
Balkan Beat Box Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bridge):

adir adirim barukh
gadol g'dolim dagul
hadur hadurim vatik
zakai zaka'im hanun
tahor t'horim yashar
kabir kabirim la'ad

melekh m'lakhim nora
somekh som'khim 'ozer
podeh p'duyim tzadik
kadosh k'doshim rahum
shomer shom'rim takif

Hallelu adir adirim barukh u-m'hullal Adonai
Hallelu u-m'hullal, Hallelu u-m'hullal, Hallelu u-m'hullal Adonai

Hallelu gadol g'dolim dagul u-m'hullal Adonai
Hallelu u-m'hullal, Hallelu u-m'hullal, Hallelu u-m'hullal Adonai

Hallelu hadur hadurim vatik u-m'hullal Adonai
Hallelu u-m'hullal, Hallelu u-m'hullal, Hallelu u-m'hullal Adonai

Hallelu zakai zaka'im hanun u-m'hullal Adonai
Hallelu u-m'hullal, Hallelu u-m'hullal, Hallelu u-m'hullal Adonai

(Bridge):

adir adirim barukh
gadol g'dolim dagul
hadur hadurim vatik
zakai zaka'im hanun
tahor t'horim yashar
kabir kabirim la'ad
melekh m'lakhim nora
somekh som'khim 'ozer
podeh p'duyim tzadik

kadosh k'doshim rahum
shomer shom'rim takif

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Balkan Beat Box's song Adir Adirim are a celebration of the greatness and holiness of God. The song is full of praise and reverence for the divine, using a series of adjectives to describe different aspects of God's nature. The chorus of the song opens with the phrase "Hallelu adir adirim barukh u-m'hullal Adonai," which can be translated as "Praise the most majestic and exalted one, blessed and praised be God."

Throughout the song, the adjectives used to describe God become more and more grandiose, culminating in the assertion that God is "melekh m'lakhim nora" or "the king of kings, awesome." The repetition of the phrase "Hallelu u-m'hullal" emphasizes the importance of praising God, and encourages listeners to join in the song of adoration.

In addition to praising God, the song also celebrates the idea of community. The repeated use of plural nouns and adjectives in the bridge, such as "g'dolim" (great), "hadurim" (glorious), and "shom'rim" (watchful), suggests that the individual singers are part of a larger group of believers. The communal nature of the song reinforces the idea that praise and worship are not just individual acts, but are part of a larger spiritual community.

Line by Line Meaning

adir adirim barukh
Mightiest of the mighty, blessed be

gadol g'dolim dagul
Greater than the greatest, splendid

hadur hadurim vatik
Majestic than the majestic, ancient

zakai zaka'im hanun
Purest of the pure, gracious

tahor t'horim yashar
Cleaner than the clean, righteous

kabir kabirim la'ad
Mightier than the mightiest, everlasting

melekh m'lakhim nora
King of kings, awe-inspiring

somekh som'khim 'ozer
Supporter of supporters, helper

podeh p'duyim tzadik
Redeemer of the redeemed, righteous

kadosh k'doshim rahum
Holy of holies, merciful

shomer shom'rim takif
Guard of guards, omnipotent