Tanna DeVei Eliyahu, ch. 21; Dan. 9; Eccl. 3
Hebrew
לְעוֹלָם יְהֵא אָדָם יְרֵא שָׁמַיִם בְּסֵתֶר וּבְגָלוּי, וּמוֹדֶה עַל הָאֱמֶת, וְדוֹבֵר אֱמֶת בִּלְבָבוֹ, וְיַשְׁכֵּם וְיֹאמַר: רִבּוֹן כָּל הָעוֹלָמִים וַאֲדוֹנֵי הָאֲדוֹנִים, לֹא עַל צִדְקוֹתֵינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ מַפִּילִים תַּחֲנוּנֵינוּ לְפָנֶיךָ כִּי עַל רַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים. מָה אָנוּ, מֶה חַיֵּינוּ, מֶה חַסְדֵּנוּ, מֶה צִדְקוֹתֵינוּ, מַה יְשׁוּעָתֵנוּ, מַה כֹּחֵנוּ, מַה גְּבוּרָתֵנוּ, מַה נֹּאמַר לְפָנֶיךָ, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ. הֲלֹא כָּל הַגִּבּוֹרִים כְּאַיִן לְפָנֶיךָ וְאַנְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם כְּלֹא הָיוּ, וַחֲכָמִים כִּבְלִי מַדָּע, וּנְבוֹנִים כִּבְלִי הַשְׂכֵּל, כִּי רֹב מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם תֹּהוּ, וִימֵי חַיֵּיהֶם הֶבֶל לְפָנֶיךָ, וּמוֹתַר הָאָדָם מִן הַבְּהֵמָה אָיִן, כִּי הַכֹּל הָבֶל.
English
A person should always be God-fearing, privately and publicly, acknowledging the truth and speaking it in his heart. He should rise early and say: Master of all worlds, LORD of lords, not because of our righteousness do we lay our pleas before You, but because of Your great compassion. What are we? What are our lives? What is our loving-kindness? What is our righteousness? What is our salvation? What is our strength? What is our might? What shall we say before You, LORD our God and God of our ancestors? Are not all the mighty like nothing before You, the men of renown as if they had never been, the wise as if they know nothing, and the understanding as if they lack intelligence? For their many works are in vain, and the days of their lives like a fleeting breath before You. The pre-eminence of man over the animals is nothing, for all is but a fleeting breath.
Sephardi
Leolam yehe adam yere shamayim beseter uvgaluy, umodeh al haemet, vedover emet bilvavo, veyashkem veyomar: ribon kal ha-olamiym vaadoney haadoniym, lo al tzidkoteynu anachnu mapiyliym tachanuneynu lefaneycha kiy al rachameycha harabiym. mah anu, meh chayeynu, meh chasdenu, meh tzidkoteynu, mah yeshuatenu, mah kochenu, mah gevuratenu, mah nomar lefaneycha, Adonai Eloheinu velohey avoteynu. halo kal hagiboriym keayin lefaneycha veanshey hashem kelo hayu, vachachamiym kivliy mada, unvoniym kivliy haskel, kiy rov maaseyhem tohu, viymey chayeyhem hevel lefaneycha, umotar haadam min habhemah ayin, kiy hakol havel.