"Im Nin'alu" () (English: ''If the gates are locked'') is a

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

poem by 17th-century

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

Shalom Shabazi Rabbi Shalom ben Yosef ben Avigad Shabazi of the family of Mashtā (1619 – c. 1720), also Abba Sholem Shabazi or Saalem al-Shabazi ( he, שלום שבזי; ar, سالم الشبزي), was a Jewish poet who lived in 17th century Yemen. He i ...

. It has been placed to music and sung by

Israeli Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli ...

singer

Ofra Haza Bat-Sheva Ofra Haza ( he, בת-שבע עפרה חזה; 19 November 1957 – 23 February 2000), known as Ofra Haza (), was an Israeli singer, songwriter, actress, and Grammy Award-nominated recording artist commonly known in the Western world as ...

and others. Haza first performed this song with the Shechunat Hatikva Workshop Theatre, appearing on television on IBA's General Television in 1978. The original version was included on the 1984 album ''

Yemenite Songs ''Yemenite Songs'' ( he, שירי תימן) is a 1984 album by Ofra Haza, in which the Israeli pop star returned to her roots interpreting traditional Yemeni Jewish songs with lyrics coming from the poetry of 16th century Rabbi Shalom Shabazi. ...

'', also known as ''Fifty Gates of Wisdom''. The remixed version was part of her international debut ''

Shaday ''Shaday'' is an album by Israeli singer Ofra Haza, released in 1988. ''Shaday'', recorded in both Tel Aviv and England, became Haza's international breakthrough album and includes the Hebrew-English language remix singles " Im Nin'alu" and "Galb ...

'' of 1988. "In Nin'alu" went on to become famous in Europe when a

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

ed version of the song, produced by

Izhar Ashdot Izhar Ashdot ( he, יזהר אשדות; born 23 November 1958) is an Israeli singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He is a co-founding member of the Israeli rock band T-Slam. Early life When he was eleven, Ashdot started to play t ...

, reached the top 10 in many countries. The single reached number one in Finland, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and West Germany, where it stayed nine weeks atop the singles chart in mid-1988. In the United Kingdom, the track was a top-20 hit, peaking at number 15, and in the United States, it reached number 15 on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

''s

Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...

chart and number 18 on the

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...

chart. The single reportedly sold some three million copies worldwide, making it one of the first world music recordings to extend over to mainstream pop chart success. London-based duo

Coldcut Coldcut are an English electronic music duo composed of Matt Black and Jonathan More. Credited as pioneers for pop sampling in the 1980s, Coldcut are also considered the first stars of UK electronic dance music due to their innovative style, ...

produced a remix of Eric B. & Rakim's " Paid In Full", which heavily samples "Im Nin'alu". Even though Haza's version of the song shows her own interpretation, and its reception was present-day and popular, it still fits in with the Yemenite tradition that she represented. In 1997, Haza re-recorded the track for her eponymous album ''

'', produced by

Frank Peterson Frank Peterson (born 29 December 1963) is a German music producer known for his work with Enigma and artists such as Sarah Brightman, Ofra Haza, Gregorian, Princessa, and Andrea Bocelli on his first international album, ''Romanza''. Peters ...

Enigma Enigma may refer to: *Riddle, someone or something that is mysterious or puzzling Biology *ENIGMA, a class of gene in the LIM domain Computing and technology * Enigma (company), a New York-based data-technology startup * Enigma machine, a family ...

and Gregorian. The German promo 12-inch for the album's lead single "Show Me" also featured two remixes of "Im Nin'Alu". And in 2008 two new remixes were included on the greatest hits compilation '' Forever Ofra Haza – Her Greatest Songs Remixed''. The international follow-up single to "Im Nin'Alu (Played In Full)" in 1988 was a remix of the track "

Galbi ''Galbi'' * (), ''galbi-gui'' (), or grilled ribs, is a type of ''gui'' (grilled dish) in Korean cuisine. "''Galbi''" is the Korean word for "rib", and the dish is usually made with beef short ribs. When pork spare ribs or another meat is us ...

", also originally from the ''

'' album.

Poem "Im Nin'alu"

The poem begins with the words

Official versions and remixes

1984 * Original recording, ''

'' album a.k.a. Traditional Version - 5:18 1988 * ''

'' Album Mix (Played In Full 7" Mix - English Vocal - Edited) - 3:29 * Played In Full Edit (

Ariola Records Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international media conglomerat ...

7", West Germany) - 3:53 * Played In Full 7" Mix - 4:05 * Played In Full 7" Mix - English Vocal - 4:05 * Played In Full - 7" Yemen Vocal (

Teldec Teldec (Telefunken-Decca Schallplatten GmbH) is a German record label in Hamburg, Germany. Today the label is a property of Warner Music Group. History Teldec was a producer of (first) shellac and (later) vinyl records. The Teldec manufacturing ...

7", West Germany) - 4:50 * Played In Full Mix (12") - 5:45 * Instrumental Dub (U.S. 12") - 5:49 * Extended Mix (12") - 6:40 * Gates of Heaven Mix (

Mark Kamins Mark Kamins (April 13, 1955 – February 14, 2013) was an American record producer, remixer, and disc jockey famous for his role in the New York club scene. He is best known for helping launch the career of singer Madonna by bringing her to Sire ...

and Frank Inglese, U.S. 12") - 6:54 1997 * "Im Nin'alu 2000" - 1997 re-recording, album ''

'' - 3:38 * 1997 Re-Recording - Ofra Goes To Hollywood Mix ("Show Me" Promo 12", Germany) - 5:15 * 1997 Re-Recording - Some Skunk Funk Remix ("Show Me" Promo 12", Germany) - 7:30 2008 * 2008 Version, album '' Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed'' * Unplugged Mix, album '' Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed'' * Bridge Mix, album '' Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed'' * Brixxton Squad Mix, album '' Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed''

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Samples and other versions

The song was prominently sampled in the chorus of the 'Seven Minutes of Madness' remix of the rap duo Eric B. & Rakim's 1987 single "Paid In Full" and

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

used the same sample on his re-recorded version of "Paid In Full" titled "Paper'd Up" from his album '' Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$''. Canadian band

Delerium Delerium is a Canadian new-age ambient electronic musical duo that formed in 1987, originally as a side project of the influential industrial music act Front Line Assembly. Throughout the band’s history, their musical style has encompassed a ...

sample the lyrics in their song "Hidden Mask", from the 1989 album ''

Faces, Forms & Illusions ''Faces, Forms & Illusions'' is the debut studio album by the Canadian ambient/electronic music group Delerium that was released on January 6, 1989 on the Dossier label. The album was re-issued in 1997 on Cleopatra Records with the bonus track "D ...

''. American rap group

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe p ...

also sampled the opening few seconds of the song (which are

a cappella ''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...

) on the track "Can't Truss It", featured on the 1991 album '' Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes Black''. In 1998 Swedish DJ team C&N Project included a sample of the opening line "Im nin'alu" on their single "The Queen of Tel Aviv", which was credited to C&N Project Featuring Ofra Haza. Israeli singer Michal Cohen performs "Im Nin'alu" on ''La Kahena'' (2005) by DJ

Cheb i Sabbah Cheb i Sabbah"Jewish DJ Captivates Arab Ears"
''

Confessions on a Dance Floor ''Confessions on a Dance Floor'' is the tenth studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 9, 2005, by Warner Bros. Records. A complete departure from her previous studio album '' American Life'' (2003), ...

'' and in ''

The Confessions Tour The Confessions Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna, launched in support of her tenth studio album, ''Confessions on a Dance Floor'' (2005). The tour began in Inglewood on May 21, 2006, and ended in Tokyo on ...

'' by

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

(2007) the track "

Isaac Isaac; grc, Ἰσαάκ, Isaák; ar, إسحٰق/إسحاق, Isḥāq; am, ይስሐቅ is one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He was the ...

" includes a portion of the poem. "Im Nin'alu" is the opening track on Eliyahu & The Qadim Ensemble's album ''Eastern Wind'' (2009), with lead vocals by Rachel Valfer. In 2009

Panjabi MC Rajinder Singh Rai (Punjabi language, Punjabi: ਰਜਿੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ), better known by his stage name Panjabi MC, is a British Indians, British-Indian recording artist, rapper, producer and DJ. He is best known for the worldwide 2002 ...

remixed this song on his album named ''Indian Timing''. In 2012, Jazz quartet Third World Love performed a version of Im Nin'alu on their album ''Songs and Portraits''. In 2014,

Ishay Ribo Ishay Ribo ( he, ישי ריבו, born February 3, 1989) is an Israeli singer-songwriter. An Sephardic Orthodox Jew, he has gained popularity in Israel among Haredi, national-religious, and secular Jewish audiences. He has released four studio ...

released a version of the song on his debut album. In 2018 the song was recorded by Israeli pop artist

Harel Skaat Harel Skaat ( he, הראל סקעת, born 8 August 1981) sometimes known by the mononym Harel is an Israeli singer and songwriter. He represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song " Milim" ("מילים", "Words"). Skaat h ...

. In 2021, the song was recorded by Israeli singer Narkis.

References

External links

"Im Ninalu" by Aharon Amram

{{Authority control 1984 songs 1987 singles 1988 singles Ariola Records singles European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles Number-one singles in Germany Number-one singles in Greece Number-one singles in Norway Number-one singles in Finland Number-one singles in Portugal Number-one singles in Spain Number-one singles in Switzerland Yemeni songs Ofra Haza songs