Lyr Add: Hebrew Shepherd Songs (Shirei Ro'im)

Subject: Lyr Add: Hebrew Shepherd Songs (Shirei Ro'im)
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 04 Feb 08 - 05:57 AM

Apart from the Russian-based ones, shepherd songs have to be my favourite style of Hebrew folk music. It's sort of a grass-roots thing.
There was a search for an Israeli national identity, which, of course, involved music too. They hearkened back to the Old Testament, not in a religious sense, as an example of how the ancient Hebrews lived and how the new Hebrew nation should. They also looked to the Bedouin, to see how a modern people lived a similar lifestyle to the Bible.
The shepherd was a very romantic figure. Out alone, among the rocks and hills, like King David, it was a life fraught with danger. Apart from wild animals (which threat diminished with time), a shepherd had to worry about robbers. Need I say that a solitary shepherd with a large flock is very vulnerable?   
Of course this romantic figure wasn't faint-hearted, but he wasn't grim and gloomy either. He would dance and play music on his flute for the sheep.
So far as the music goes, it was either based on Bedouin folk tunes, dabkehs and airs, etc., or used the actual tunes. The lyrics were in a rich, Biblical vein, very poetic.
Two of the leading figures in this music were Emanuel Zamir and Yosef Hadar. More about the former later.
Anyone who has heard more than just Hava Nagila probably knows a Yosef Hadar song. He composed some of the best folky pop, like Erev Shel Shoshanim (an evening of roses).
I love this song, 'Shuva Elai' (Return unto me). How can you keep from singing along?
The performers here are the Amranim.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6VTUAFr8cQ
The ho, ho, in the song should be sung not like a Santa Claus would, but longer. Hard to explain, but listen to the clip.
^^
Lyrics: Amos Ettinger
Music: Yosef Hadar

ùåáä àìé

áéöåò: äòîøðéí
îéìéí: òîåñ àèéðâø
ìçï: éåñó äãø


äàåøåú ùåá ëáå ëúîåì
áùáéìéí îäãäã:
÷åì ôøñåú ñåñé ùàáã áçåì
÷åì ôøñåú ñåñé äàåáã.

äå, äå, ùåáä àìé
ùåáä àìé îï äîãáø
äå, äå, ùåáä àìé
éçã ðöàä åðãäø.

ä÷åìåú ðùîòå ëúîåì
÷åì ùì éøé å÷øá:
àæ äìê àáé áò÷áåú äçåì
åàáé òãéï ìà ùá.

äå, äå, ùåáä àìé
ùåáä, äøé çìôå ùðéí
äå, äå, ùåáä àìé
ôä ëáø ôåøçåú äùåùðéí.

äìéìåú ùâìùå ìëàï
ìà äáéàå çìåí:
éìãúé äìëä ìà àãò ìàï
áìé ìåîø, ìåîø ìé ùìåí.

äå, äå, ùåáé àìé
ùåáé, äøé ëáø øã äéåí
äå, äå, ùåáé àìé
ùåáé, åìå ìåîø ùìåí.

äøåçåú ùðùáå ëúîåì
ìçùå ùåá åùåá:
òì ñåñé éçæåø àáà îï äçåì
áñéøä àæ éìãúé úùåá.

äå, äå, ùáå àìé
ùáå àìé éçãéå ëúîåì
äå, äå, ùáå àìé
ùáå äí îãøëí áçåì.

Shuva Elai

Ha'orot shuv kavu chitmol
bashvilim mehadhed:
Kol parsot susi she'avad ba'chol
kol parsot susi ha'oved.

Ho, ho, shuva elai
shuva elai min hamidbar
ho, ho, shuva elai
yechad netze ve'nidhar.

Hakolot nishm'eu chitmol
kol shel yeri ve'krav:
az halach avi cgecu, hachol
ve'avi adain lo shav.

Ho, ho, shuva elai
shuva, harei chalfu shanim
ho, ho, shuva elai,
po k'var porchot hashoshanim.

Haleilot shegalshu lechan
lo hevi'u chalom:
yaldati halcha lo eda le'an
bli lomar, lomar li shalom.

Ho, ho, shuvi elai
shuvi, harei k'var rad hayom
ho, ho, shuvi elai
shuvi, ve'lu lomar shalom.

Haruchot she'nashvu chitmol
lachashu shuv ve'shuv:
al susi yech'zor aba min hachol
ba'sira az yaldati tashuv.

Ho, ho, shavu elai
shavu elai yach'dav chitmol
ho, ho, shavu elai
shavu hem midarkam ba'chol.

Return Unto Me

The lights have gone out as they had yesterday
down the path rings:
the sound of my horse's hooves who'd gone lost in the sands
the sound of the hooves of my lost horse.

Ho, ho, return unto me
return unto me from the desert
ho, ho, return unto me
together we shall ride.

The sounds are of yesterday
the sound of shooting and battle:
so my father has followed the sand
and my father has yet to return.

ho, ho, return unto me
return, for it has been years
ho, ho, return unto me
here the roses are in bloom.

The nights which have come here
haven't brought a dream:
my girl has gone I know not where
without saying, without saying farewell.

Ho, ho, return unto me
return, for the day has gone down
ho, ho, return unto me
return, if but to say farewell.

The winds which have blown like they have yesterday
they've whispered again and again:
on my horse shall father return from the sands
and by boat shall my girl return.

Ho, ho, they've returned unto me
returned together like yesterday
ho, ho, they've returned unto me
returned from their path in the sands.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hebrew Shepherd Songs (Shirei Ro'im)
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 04 Feb 08 - 08:39 AM

One of the funnest is 'Debka B'not Ha'kfar' (The village girls' debka). Debkas (or dabkas) are an Arab line dance, where the guys put their arms across each other's shoulders and the leader has a handkerchief which he twirls around, plus a lot of stamping and clapping.
http://www.hebrewsongs.com/?song=debkabnothakfar
I'll try and find a sample of the Parvarim singing this song, it's definitive.


ãá÷ä áðåú äëôø

äôøáøéí

îéìéí: àáøäí áï æàá
ìçï: éò÷á ùâéà

ùîù öäåá îëä
îëä ëçøá
åæîø ùá ìå
îåùëðé ôúò
àì îùòåì äòøá

òì âá òðï àá÷
éðåñ äòøá
åìéìä áà ìå îåùëðé ôúò
àì áðåú äëôø

ìéì éñòø ëîåðé
ëåëáéå éáøé÷å
òì ëðó øåç ôøà
éòì òîãé

ìéì éöäì ëîåðé
åôðéå éñîé÷å
ëúéøåù áëøí
ëøí ìááé

^^
Debka B'not Ha'kfar

Shemesh tzahov makeh
makeh ka'cherev
ve'zemer shav lo
mosh'cheni feta
el mish'ol ha'erev

Al gav anan avak
yanus ha'erev
ve'laila ba lo moshcheni feta
el benot ha'kfar

La'il yis'ar kamoni
kochavav yavriku
al knaf ru'ach pereh
ya'el imadi

La'il yitzhal kamoni
u'fanav yasmiku
che'tirosh ba'kerem
kerem levavi


The Village Daughters' Debka

The yellow sun strikes
strikes like a sword
and the song returns
pulls me sudden
to the paths of night

On the back of a cloud of dust
the evening shall flee
and night coming shall pull me swiftly
to the village daughters (or girls, whatever)

The night shall storm even as I
his stars shall shine
on wings of a wild wind
he shall rise with me

The night shall rejoice even as I
and his face shall blush
as the new wine in the vineyard
the vineyard of my delight

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hebrew Shepherd Songs (Shirei Ro'im)
From: artbrooks
Date: 04 Feb 08 - 09:18 AM

Volgadon, the Ivrit doesn't work on this site - at least unless a person has Hebrew characters programmed in, and I'm not sure if it does even then.

As far as dances go, Haroa Hakatana has always been my favorite "shepherd" dance.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hebrew Shepherd Songs (Shirei Ro'im)
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 04 Feb 08 - 02:32 PM

The Hebrew works if you change the encoding.
By Haroa Haktana, I assume you mean this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X5ALkkqvik

Lyrics: Rafael Eliaz.
Music: Moshe Vilansky.


äøåòä ä÷èðä îï äâéà

îéìéí: øôàì àìéòæ
ìçï: îùä åéìðñ÷é


ëàùø úòöîðä òéðé
åàùëç àú òãøé åéåðé,
òåã àæëåø, òåã àæëåø, éãéãé,
äøåòä ä÷èðä îï äâéà.

ëåëáéí éãòëå îòìé
åäçåùê éëñ àú çéé,
àê àðé òåã àøàä ìôðé
äøåòä ä÷èðä îï äâéà.

áàéìï éàìîå öéôåøéí
åäøåç éãí áäøéí
éçøéù çìéìé åæîøå,
àê àùîò àú öéìä áòáøå.

åäéä ëé àô÷ç àú òéðé,
åäðä äøåòä îï äâéà.
ëâãéä ùçîçîä áéï âãéé
äéà ôåòä åùåàìú: îúé?

ëåëáéí éãòëå îòìé
åäçåùê éëñ àú çéé,
àê àðé òåã àøàä ìôðé
äøåòä ä÷èðä îï äâéà.

^^
Haro'a Ha'ktana Min Ha'gai

Ka'asher te'atzemna einai
ve'eshkach et edri ve'yoni
od ezkor, od ezkor, yedidi
haro'a ha'ktana min ha'gai.

Kochavim id'achu me'alai
ve'hachoshech yechas at cha'yai
ach ani od er'eh le'fanai
haro'a ha'ktana min ha'gai.

Ba'ilan ye'almu tziporim
veharu'ach yedam be'harim
yachrish chalili vezimro
ach eshma et tzila be'evro.

Ve'haya ki efkach et ei'nai
ve'hineh haro'a min ha'gai
ke'gdiya sh'chamchama bein gda'yai
hi po'a vesho'elet: matai?

Kochavim id'achu me'alai
ve'hachoshech yechas et chayai
ach ani od er'a lefanai
haro'a ha'ktana min ha'gai.

The Little Shepherdess of the Valley

When my eyes shall shut
and I shall forget my flock and yoni (I can't remember what that archaic word is)
I'll still remember, I'll still remember, my friend,
the little shepherdess from the valley.

The stars shall go out above me
and darkness cover my life,
but I shall still see before me
the little shepherdess from the valley.

In the tree the birds shall fall silent
the wind shall die down in the mountains
my flute shall cease to play,
but I shall hear her shadow as it passes.

And it was that as I opened my eyes
here is the sheperdess of the valley.
As a dark kid among my kids (goats not humans)
she bleats and asks: when?

The stars shall go out above me
and darkness cover my life,
but I shall still see before me
the little shepherdess from the valley.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Hebrew Shepherd Songs (Shirei Ro'im)
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 04 Feb 08 - 04:18 PM

Now a word about the master of the genre, Emanuel Zamir.
He was very worried about Israeli culture becoming Westernised. He wanted to keep it closer to the roots. Emanuel studied the music of the Bedouins very intently, as well as their culture. Some of his songs, such as Debka Ha'chamor (The donkey's debka) were based on melodies and words he heard them sing, others, entirely original compositions, written in the same style. The lyrics are very biblical and very poetic. Zamir was a virtuoso on recorder, so most of the songs were composed on that instrument and it features in most of the performances. He had a band which he would travel the country with, giving free performances. Sadly, he died in 1962 in a car accident.
Here is a recent collection, with free samples.
http://mooma.keshet-tv.com/Discs.asp?ArtistId=29&AlbumId=40092
The first song, Megadim Lere'i (fruit for my friend), is arguably his most famous one.
Megadim (sing. meged) are mentioned in the Song of Songs 4:13, translated as precious fruits. "Thy shoots are a park of pomegranates, with precious fruits; henna with spikenard plants"


îâãéí ìøòé áöðòä îé öôï?
ùçå÷ òìéí âùåîéí îä éøå÷ äåà?
åèøåôä ùîçúé îééðä ëé ùëø
åøåâòä - òéðåú áä éù÷å...

àçæå ìé, ìéìåú åéîéí áøåëéí
îùòåìé áùîéí - àçæå ìé
áåà øòé, áåà ãåãé, âùåîéí äòìéí
äï ìê îùìê åàúä ìé.

Megadim Lere'i

Precious fruit for my friend who has hid modestly?
How green is the laughter of leaves in the rain?
My joy is mad from her heady wine
Her repose - fountains kissing the shores...

Hang on for me, blessed nights and days
my path in the heavens - hold for me
come my friend, come my lover, the leaves are moist
They are for you and you are for me.