​Why I translated the title of “Unetanneh Tokef” as “Let us Cede Power”
 
“Let us Cede Power” is an interpretive translation of the title of this poem. Though not literal, I think it is true to the nuance of the Hebrew words.  Hebrew prayers and poems are typically called by their first words, not by a crafted title. For people who are not already intimate with the language of Hebrew prayer, calling this poem by its first two words in Hebrew, Unetanneh Tokef, contributes to its inaccessibility. There is value in finding a translation that gives the words content without straying far from their meaning.

In context, the words “unetanneh tokef” are part of a four-word phrase. It’s difficult to translate the first two words on their own for two reasons.
  • First, cutting off the last two words of the phrase breaks the grammar and changes the meaning of the first two words. The four word phrase  is “Unetanneh tokef kedushat hayom.” A relatively uncontroversial translation might be "Let us proclaim the power of the holiness of the day." But applying that translation to just the two words “unetanneh tokef” would yield "Let us proclaim power." That is not a meaningful title for this prayer; in fact it may express the opposite of the prayer's intention.
  • Second, the word “unetanneh” is rare and its meaning is obscure. It is a verb, in a form that means “let us [do something].” The verb root is one that occurs very rarely outside the context of this prayer, so the “something” is not 100% certain. Most people think it has to do with speaking or proclaiming. I understand it here to refer to speaking out, with the particular nuance of admitting, acknowledging, conceding. 
What does it mean to say "Let us proclaim the power of the holiness of the day?" I interpret it to mean "Let us acknowledge and concede that this day's holiness has power beyond our own." This reading allows the chopped-off two-word phrase to be understood coherently as "Let us cede power."


How others translate the opening phrase of the poem

Here are several translations of the four-word phrase “Unetanneh tokef kedushat hayom” taken from popular high holiday prayer books. (Most prayer books offer no translation of the two-word title and simply call it "Unetaneh Tokef.")
  • “Let us voice the power of this day’s sanctity…” --- Jonathan Sacks, The Koren Yom Kippur Mahzor, 2012 
  • “We shall ascribe holiness to this day...” --- Reuven Hammer, Entering the High Holy Days: A Complete Guide to the History, Prayers, and Themes, 2005.
  • “Let us proclaim the sacred power of this day...” --- Chaim Stern, The New Union Prayerbook for the Days of Awe, Gates of Repentance, 1999.
  • “Let us now relate the power of this day’s holiness…” --- Nosson Scherman, The Complete Artscroll Machzor, Yom Kippur, 1986
  • “Let us tell how utterly holy this day is…” --- Philip Birnbaum, High Holiday Prayer Book, 1979.
  • “We proclaim the great sanctity of this day...” --- Sidney Greenberg, et al., The New Mahzor, 1977.
  • “We will observe the mighty holiness of this day...” --- Morris Silverman, High Holiday Prayer Book, 1951.
 

More about the verb Unetanneh and its root

The root is ת.נ.ה, in binyan pi’el, in a form that means “let us.”
  • This root is thought by some to be etymologically related to a root in Aramaic (ש.נ.ה) that means “repeat, do again.” Based on this possible etymology, many people think unetanneh means to repeat or rehearse. But this not certain, since in binyan pi’el that Aramaic root means “to change,” not “to repeat.”
  • The root ת.נ.ה, in binyan pi’el, occurs twice in the Bible, both in the Book of Judges. In Judges 5:11 it means to chant in a celebratory way. In Judges 11:40 it means to chant dirges in mourning.
  • The root ת.נ.ה is used in another binyan in Hosea 2:14 to mean something like “pay the fee of a prostitute.” This usage may be related etymologically to the root נ.ת.ן – to give.
  • Many Hebrew speakers, when hearing the word Unetanneh, find it unfamiliar and connect it with נ.ת.ן – to give.
  • Modern Hebrew dictionaries show three definitions of ת.נ.ה in binyan pi’el: to speak, to mourn, and, in the expression tina ahavim, to make love.
  • There is another medieval prayer-poem, also associated with Yom Kippur, that uses ת.נ.ה, in binyan pi’el in its first line: “Mi yetanneh tokef tehillatekha? – Who will [ת.נ.ה] the power of your prayer?” This example is very helpful because it is an alphabetical acrostic with 21 other verbs following in parallel with yetanneh. They are almost all related to saying, singing, speaking, and many are compatible with the nuance of admitting, acknowledging, conceding.

​
​ - Helen Plotkin