A song for peace - שיר לשלום

Let the sun rise	תנו לשמש לעלות
The morning to shine,	לבוקר להאיר,
The purest of prayers	הזכה שבתפילות
Won’t bring us back.	אותנו לא תחזיר.
He who extinguished their flame	מי אשר כבה נרו
And was buried in the dirt,	ובעפר נטמן,
Bitter tears won’t wake him up	בכי מר לא יעירו
Won’t bring him back here.	לא יחזירו לכאן.
No man shall return us	איש אותנו לא ישיב
From the dark and somber pit,	מבור תחתית אפל,
Here we won’t be helped	כאן לא יועילו
By neither the joy of victory	לא שמחת הניצחון
Nor the songs of praise.	ולא שירי הלל.
Therefore just sing—a song for peace	לכן, רק שירו שיר לשלום
Don’t whisper a prayer	אל תלחשו תפילה
Even better—sing a song for peace	מוטב תשירו שיר לשלום
In a loud shout!	בצעקה גדולה.
Let the sun penetrate	תנו לשמש לחדור
Through the flowers.	מבעד לפרחים.
Don’t look back,	אל תביטו לאחור,
Make peace with those who have gone.	הניחו להולכים.
Set your sights on hope,	שאו עיניים בתקווה,
Not through the scopes (of rifles)	לא דרך כוונות
Sing a song for happiness	שירו שיר לאהבה
And not for wars.	ולא למלחמות.
Don’t say ‘the day will come’—	אל תגידו יום יבוא —
Bring on that day!	הביאו את היום!
(Because it’s not a dream)	)כי לא חלום הוא(
And in all the town squares	ובכל הכיכרות
Cheer only for peace!	הריעו רק שלום!
Therefore just sing—a song for peace…	לכן, רק שירו שיר לשלום...

This song is again a song related to war, but it's written in a very different perspective. Try to guess through who's voice we're hearing this song. If you aren't sure, I urge you to go back and reread it, trying to see who is singing this song.

Spoiler below:

In any case, this song is sung by those who have already passed away. If you didn't already see that, try rereading again to see what meaning you may have missed.

This first 3 stanzas are talking about the singer(s) themselves. The key idea is that nothing and nobody can return the fallen back to life, that even if their army won the war, it doesn't have any effect on those who have fallen. This all sets the stage to the key conclusion of this song—pretty unsurprising from the song title—that the only way to end war casualties is to not have war—to have peace.

There reasonable conclusion is therefore to sing a song for peace, and they seem adamant about it. When this song is sung, it is shouted strongly and confidently, as they say, you do not whisper a prayer (peace).

The last 3 stanzas of the song direct the listeners (the living) on how to continue their lives. First, don't cry over spilt milk, let go of those who have fallen, nothing good will come from clinging on to them. Next, focus your efforts towards hope, happiness, avoid wars and conflict. And finally, it points out that many people will just hope for the day of peace to come, but won't actively do anything to bring it on. It affirms to the listeners that the days of peace are not a dream, and that it is on them to bring on that period.

This song was originally created by and for the Israeli army and was commonly sung by soldiers to soldiers. Most Israeli army songs are about the sadness of war, far fewer about the glory. Going along with the theme of this song, the Israeli army is known as the Israeli Defense Force(s), whose purpose is primarily to defend Israel against its many enemies.

I was a young boy - הייתי נער

The targets have been neutralized	היעדים מטוהרים והרוסים
The snow on mount Hermon is melting in the sun	שלגים על החרמון מול שמש נמסים
And in a ghost-town in its heights	ובעיירת רפאים על הרמה
A lone donkey strays as a sign that war is over.	חמור בודד תועה כבטרם מלחמה.
The summer returns to its old ways.	הקיץ שב למשלטיו הישנים
But your face, my sweetheart, remains changed.	אבל פניך, נערי, נותרו שונים.
The curtains were removed, and the tape scraped	הוילונות הוסרו והנייר גורד
The town chief locked the bomb shelter	פקיד העירייה נעל את המקלט
The grass lawns are climbing and growing	שלוחות הדשא מטפסות ומעלות
Fresh green on the scars of trenches.	ירוק טרי על צלקות התעלות.
The grenades returned to the market stands.	הרימונים חזרו לשוק לדוכנים.
But your face, my young boy, remains changed.	אבל פניך, נערי, נותרו שונים.
I had a sweetheart, in love, I had a sweetheart,	היה לי נער מאוהב היה לי נער,
Clear was his voice, and clear were his eyes	צלול היה קולו צלולות היו עיניו
The war ceased, and again he’s close to the gate	הקרב נדם ושוב קרב הוא אל השער
But his stature is heavy, and his face is marked	אך הילוכו כבד וחתומות פניו
We shaved our faces and folded our uniforms	גילחנו הזקן קיפלנו המדים
We sat silently with friends in coffee shops	שתקנו סביב ספלי קפה עם ידידים
Our way of life is slowly returning to normal	העניינים שבים אט, אט למסלולם
We learn not to mention those who have fallen.	לומדים לא להזכיר את אלה שאינם.
We learn to get back to our old habits.	לומדים לחזור להרגלים הישנים.
But your face, my sweetheart, remains changed.	אבל פניך, נערי, נותרו שונים.
Again electricity sparkles in the streets at night	שוב החשמל בוהק בלילה ברחובות
Neon lights sell falafel and hopes	שלטי האור מוכרים פלאפל ותקוות
In the sidewalks, between market tables	על מדרכות בין שולחנות בירידים
The mini-skirt takes back control of the uniform.	המיני שב להשתלט על המדים.
Tunes are again playing on the radio waves.	על גל האתר צועדים הפזמונים.
But your face, my sweetheart, remains changed.	אבל פניך, נערי, נותרו שונים.
I had a sweetheart, in love, I had a sweetheart…	היה לי נער מאוהב היה לי נער…
Stand at the gate, my young girl, stand at the gate	עימדי בשער נערה עימדי בשער
I’m returning to you from the dirt paths	אני חוזר אלייך בדרכי עפר
I was a young boy, my young girl, I was a young boy,	הייתי נער, נערה, הייתי נער,
Now smile at me, familiar and beautiful.	עכשיו חייכי אלי מוכרת ויפה.
But his stature is heavy, and his face is marked…	אך הילוכו כבד וחתומות פני...
Now smile at me, familiar and beautiful…	חייכי אלי מוכרת ויפה...

This song highlights a different, sad aspect of war, one that is not always considered. Many war songs are centered around those who passed, but this war song is centered about someone who survived, but even their life is forever different.

The song fundamentally follows a young soldier who survived a war, and is now trying to return back to his previous life. While many of the physical aspects of his life are slowly returning, and it seems like life is returning back to the way it used to be, it's clear to the listeners that things are not going to get back to the way they used to be.

Sure, the soldiers shaved, took of their uniforms, visually look the same way as they did before the war. The shelters are closed, songs are playing again in the radio, and the grass has started to grow where the fighting happened. The soldier is hopeful, saying they are learning to avoid mentioning those who have lost—but it's clear to us, and the soldier, that avoiding their names won't make them come back. The neon lights are lit up again, preaching hope, but the soldier is skeptical, his stature is heavy.

The girl can see the changes that happened to the boy. In the song, the boy sings the lines where he says how everything is returning to how it used to be, and the girl is saying that the boy has changed. The boy is trying to convince the girl, and himself, to see how everything has returned back to normal, that life is returning back to its old ways, but the girl looks at the boy and sees that his face has not returned back to the way it was. His face remains different. She explains to us about how things were, about how they used to be in love, how innocent and carefree the boy was, and how the war is finally over, and the boy is finally returning home—but the boy has come back marked by the war.

What causes me personally to tear up a little bit is how adamant the boy is. He argues again and again, how everything is coming back to normal, trying to convince the girl, trying to convince himself, despite him knowing that his life is not the same as it was before. 

But his final plea is so sad. He gives up trying to say that everything is the same. He knows it's different. But he pleads to the girl to still stand at the gate, that he's coming back home. He knows he might not be a boy now, but he pleads to the girl to remember that he used to be a boy, he used to be a boy. All he wants is for her to stand there at the gate, smiling at him familiarly, as though nothing has changed.

How will I bless him - מה אברך

What will I bless him, with what will he be blessed?	מה אברך לו, במה יבורך?
This child, asked the angel.	זה הילד? שאל המלאך.
What will I bless him, with what will he be blessed?	מה אברך לו, במה יבורך?
This child, asked the angel.	זה הילד? שאל המלאך.
And he blessed him a smile, as bright as light	וברך לו חיוך שכמוהו כאור
And he blessed him eyes, large and observing	וברך לו עיניים גדולות ורואות
Catching with them every flower, creature, and bird	לתפוס בן כל פרח וחי וציפור
And a heart to feel all which he has seen.	ולב להרגיש בו את כל המראות.
What will I bless him, with what will he be blessed?	מה אברך לו, במה יבורך?
This teenager, asked the angel.	זה הנער? שאל המלאך.
What will I bless him, with what will he be blessed?	מה אברך לו, במה יבורך?
This teenager, asked the angel.	זה הנער? שאל המלאך.
And he blessed him legs, to dance endlessly	וברך לו רגליים לרקוד עד אין סוף
And a soul to remember all the tunes	ונפש לזכור בה את כל הלחנים
And a hand that collects shells along the beach	ויד האוספת צדפים עלי חוף
And an ear attentive to adults and to children.	ואוזן קשובה לגדולים וקטנים
What will I bless him, with what will he be blessed?	מה אברך לו, במה יבורך?
This young adult, asked the angel.	זה העלם? שאל המלאך.
What will I bless him, with what will he be blessed?	מה אברך לו, במה יבורך?
This young adult, asked the angel.	זה העלם? שאל המלאך.
And he blessed that his hands, learned in flowers	וברך כי ידיו הלמודות בפרחים
Will also succeed to learn the might of steel	יצלחו גם ללמוד את עוצמת הפלדה
And his dancing legs, the march through the paths	ורגליו הרוקדות את מסע הדרכים
And his singing lips, the military commands.	ושפתיו השרות את מקצב הפקודה
What will I bless him, with what will he be blessed?	מה אברך לו, במה יבורך?
This man, asked the angel.	זה הגבר? שאל המלאך.
What will I bless him, with what will he be blessed?	מה אברך לו, במה יבורך?
This man, asked the angel.	זה הגבר? שאל המלאך.
Pause (Instrumental)	רוח
I gave him all that I could	נתתי לו כל שאפשר לי לתת
Song, smile, legs to dance with	שיר, וחיוך, ורגליים לרקוד
A gentle hand, a quivering heart	ויד מעודנת, ולב מרטט
What else will I bless you?	ומה אברך לך עוד?
What will I bless him, with what will he be blessed?	מה אברך לו, במה יבורך?
This child, young adult, gentle person.	זה הילד? העלם הרך.
What will I bless him, with what will he be blessed?	מה אברך לו, במה יבורך?
This child, young adult, gentle person.	זה הילד? העלם הרך.
This teenager is now an angel.	הנער הזה - עכשיו הוא מלאך.
No one will bless him, no more will he be blessed.	לא עוד יברכוהו, לא עוד יבורך.
God, God, God	אלוהים, אלוהים, אלוהים
If only you had blessed him with – life.	לו אך ברכת לו – חיים.

This song is a classic, being amongst the most well-known Israeli Army songs. I had difficulty translating a lot of this text in a way that stays true to the meaning, so feel free to give me suggestions or comments on how to improve.

In this story, and angel blesses a young boy throughout all the stages of his life, giving him all of what he needs, tools and all, to live an innocent and sweet life.

He is an honest fellow, and ideal, caring boy, who fits in wherever he is placed.

Eventually, the angel blesses the kid to be able to use his peaceful features even in the military, yet even in the military the boy remains spirited and seemingly happy / content.

Then the angel reflects on the boy, who was fully blessed with everything he could ever need, and is unsure on how to bless his ideal position.

And then the boy dies (becomes an angel).

Now the last line can have two possible interpretations that I can think of (“If only you blessed him - life.”).

The first, and more commonly accepted one is that the ‘only’ in that sentence (or ‘just’) being kind of like in addition to everything, so the singer says:

You blessed this boy everything, but you forgot to bless him life. You can be the most talented and gifted person on the talent, but life is still the most important, and is not a given.

The other interpretation that I thought of could be that the singer is asking G-d why he didn’t just give the kid life instead of all the other things. I personally prefer the first interpretation, but this one also kinda works so there.