Showing posts with label Arik Einstein. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arik Einstein. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

He didn't know her name - הוא לא ידע את שמה

He walked one day on the way to Be’er Sheva,
הלך הוא יום אחד בדרך לבאר שבע,
The ocean breeze pet the bushes,
הרוח מן הים את השיחים ליטף,
Next to an old tree she averted her gaze,
ליד אילן זקן היא את ראשה הסבה,
And her braid hung from her shoulder.
וצמתה ירדה ירוד מן הכתף.


The troop continued to march, and he marched with them
הגדוד המשיך לצעוד, ועם הגדוד הלך הוא
And both the wind and the sun met his face.
ואת פניו נשקו גם רוח, גם חמה.
But when they stopped for the night he realized-
אבל בחניה לילית אחת נוכח הוא -
He realized that he forgot to ask for her name.
נוכח הוא כי שכח לשאול אותה לשמה.


He didn’t know her name,
הוא לא ידע את שמה,
But the same braid
אבל אותה צמה
Went with him along his whole journey,
הלכה עמו לאורך כל הדרך,
And he knew, that one day
והוא ידע, יש יום
They’ll suddenly meet again,
בו יפגשו פתאום,
With the break of dawn, or the evening sun.
עם שחר של טללים או שמש ערב.


Another summer changed shade and color,
הקיץ השני החליף גוונים וצבע,
The military patrol returned after a night of Sivan
פטרול סיור חזר מלילה של סיון
The ambulance hurried on the way to Be’er Sheva
מיהר האמבולנס בדרך לבאר שבע
And she waited for it/him in a white gown.
והיא חיכתה חיכתה לו בחלוק לבן.


And he asked, “Do you?”, and he answered “I remember”
והוא שאל "האם?", והיא ענתה "זוכרת"
And then they talked for hours, nobody knows what about
וכה דיברו שעות, איש לא ידע על מה
And when left forever, and she remained pale
וכשהלך בלי שוב והיא נותרה חיוורת,
She remembered that he forgot to ask for her name.
זכרה היא כי שכח לשאול אותה לשמה.


He didn’t know her name…
הוא לא ידע את שמה...

This is just a very beautiful song (in Hebrew), about a man and woman who met each other in the army, and don't know if they'll ever meet each other again. It's considerably less sad than some of the other songs I analyzed.

"Sivan" is a Jewish month that falls around the start of summer.


In case you didn't understand, she was a nurse (she waited for the ambulance wearing a white gown). And he was injured (the ambulance was coming from Be'er Sheva, where he was stationed). Note that in Hebrew, it's ambiguous whether she was waiting for the ambulance, or whether she was waiting for the man in the ambulance, since they are both masculine (and it doesn't assume she knew he was in the ambulance).

It does say that he left with no return, which in a typical army song might hint that he died, I don't think that's the case in this song. The song ends with the chorus, where he's going on his way thinking about this girl and hoping that they'll meet again.

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

White City - עיר לבנה

From the foam of waves and from clouds
מקצף גל ועננה
I build myself a white city
בניתי עיר לי לבנה
Like them it foams, like them it washes (over)
כמותם קוצפה, כמותם שוטפה
Like them it’s pretty
כמותם יפה
With a lighthearted morning, a window opens
עם בוקר צח חלון נפקח
And you are a girl watching it
ואת ילדה צופה בו כך
Like a dove preparing to take flight
כמו יונה הנכונה למעופה


Because the dawn came, and the light
כי בא השחר והאור
And all my city will start its commerce
וכל עירי תצא לסחור
And she is packed with tasks
ועמוסה היא משא
Too many
לעיפה
For my city is as large as light
הנה עירי גדולה כאור
And you’re a gray speck of dust
ואת גרגר אבק אפור
A speck of dust that stuck
גרגר אבק שדבק
To her scarf
לצעיפה


From the foam of waves and from clouds
מקצף גל ועננה
I build myself a white city
בניתי עיר לי לבנה
Like them it foams, like them it washes (over)
כמותם קוצפה, כמותם שוטפה
Like them it’s pretty
כמותם יפה
With a soft evening, a window opens
עם ערב רך חלון נפקח
And you are a girl watching it
ואת ילדה צופה בו כך
Like a queen waiting for her charmer
כמו מלכה המחכה לאלופה


Because the black night came
כי בא הלילה השחור
My city is lit, trade as you please
עירי מוארת סחור סחור
And her lights are a necklace
ואורותיה רביד לך
On your neck.
על צוואר.
For my city is as large as night
הנה עירי גדולה כליל
And she’s a huge dark castle
והיא ארמון ענק אפל
And my daughter rules it
וילדתי בו מולכת
Until tomorrow.
עד מחר.

Tel Aviv is referred to as the white city, and this song was written to commemorate it. Literally, it reflects the city—it's by the beach, there is a lot of natural white, it's beautiful, there is heavy commerce all day and all night (from dawn to dusk).

This song comes from the unusual point of view of a spectator, who's 'daughter' is watching the city from her window. In the morning, the girl is ready to take flight like a dove, but she's not noticed in the busy city, and is compared to a speck of dust on a scarf. However, as the day progresses, she's a beautiful queen waiting for her prince charming, the city is now compared to a beautiful necklace (I used the word 'necklace' but the real word used רביד (ravid) is prettier but doesn't have an English analog). And the song ends with the girl ruling over the city, until tomorrow.

I'm not entirely sure what these analogies are supposed to represent, but my best guess is that it is easy to be overwhelmed by this bustling city, and seem insignificant in it, but once you get used to it you can get the feeling that you own it and have it compliment you, and view it as a great home.