Editing Nigun (section)

{{Short description|Form of Jewish religious song or tune}}
{{about||niggunei ha-mikra|Hebrew cantillation|an overview of similar music|Religious Jewish music}}
{{JewishMusic}}

A '''nigun''' ({{langx|he|ניגון}}, 'tune' or 'melody'; pl. '''nigunim''') or '''niggun''' (pl. '''niggunim''') is a form of [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi Jewish]] [[vocal music]] sung in group settings. ''Nigunim'' are [[Melody|melodic]] tunes, often using repetitive [[non-lexical vocables in music|non-lexical vocables]] such as "bim-bim-bam", "lai-lai-lai", "yai-yai-yai", or "ai-ai-ai" rather than with formal lyrics. Sometimes, a ''nigun'' is expressed as a mystical musical form of [[Jewish prayer]] or [[glossolalia]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Nigun |url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-nigun/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |website=My Jewish Learning |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Hebrew Biblical]] verses or quotes from other [[Rabbinic literature|classical Jewish texts]] are sometimes sung repetitively to form a ''nigun''. Some ''nigunim'' are sung as prayers of [[lament]], while others may be joyous or victorious in theme.<ref>[http://www.sacredcircles.com/THEDANCE/HTML/DANCEPAG/HAIDA.HTM Haida] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991007223336/http://www.sacredcircles.com/THEDANCE/HTML/DANCEPAG/HAIDA.HTM |date=1999-10-07 }} Touchstone Sacred Dance Library, Accessed February 2014.</ref><ref>[http://www.nigun.info/kaballah.html Music In Kaballah, The Nigun's Influence on the Soul]  From the book Shirat HaLev (The Song of the Heart) by Shmuel Stern – Translated by Gita Levi. Accessed February 2014.</ref>