happy? - July 6 ('HaTikvah')

Subject: happy? - July 6
From: Abby Sale
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 07:20 AM

Jews have lived continuously in The Land since Biblical times, but the first real Zionist group, the Biluim, arrived there from Russia on 7/6/1882.

          So long as within the inmost heart 
            A Jewish spirit still sings,
          So long as the eye looks eastward,
            Gazing toward Zion,
  
          Our hope is not lost—
            That hope of two millennia,
          To be a free people in our land,
            The land of Zion and Jerusalem.
          To be a free people in our land,
            The land of Zion and Jerusalem. 

"HaTikvah" ("The Hope"), original Hebrew words by English/Bohemian poet, Naftali Herz Imber (1856-1909) in about 1894. Samuel Cohen arranged the melody, probably based on the theme in Smetana's "Moldau." The much-used tune first appeared in 1608 in Mantua and Playford includes it in English Country Dances.

Copyright © 2005, Abby Sale - all rights reserved
What are Happy's all about? See Clicky

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Wolfgang
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:27 AM

6th of July 1415: Jan (Johannes) Hus is burned in Constance for heresy.

A German song about Hus (is there an English one about him?):



    Als der Hus, der brave Böhme, musst zum Scheiterhaufen gehen,
    Liefen alle guten Christen, wollten ihn verbrennen sehen:
    Alle frommen Pfaffen liefen, quälten ihn auf dem letzten Gange —
    Aber Hus bestieg die Scheiter festen Schrittes mit Gesange.

    Noch einmal der großen, klaren Welt sah er ins Angesichte,
    Labte noch die kerkermüden Augen an dem heilgen Lichte.
    Als er sah ins Ewighelle, schon umzuckt vom roten Strahle,
    Brach aus ihm des Strebens Flamme also noch zum letzten Male!

    "Muss dies Herz in Asche sinken, trieb es tausend junge Ranken;
    Mag dies Hirn im Wind verlodern, nicht verbrennen die Gedanken!
    Wenn ihr das Gefäß zerschlagen, wird der Geist von dannen sausen,
    Fessellos auf Flammenzungen durch die Welt im Sturme brausen.

    Meines Glaubens Asche in den Wind gestreut nach allen Enden,
    Wird, ein Saatkorn, niederfallen, tausendfältig Keime senden.
    Mögt ihr blinden Blender meine Lehre nur mit Feuer taufen!
    Neuverjüngt, ein Phönix, steigt die Wahrheit aus dem Scheiterhaufen.

    Eine Gans wohl mögt ihr braten, die Euch heut ins Netz gegangen,
    Doch ein Schwan in hundert Jahren kommt, den werdet Ihr nicht fangen.
    Der wird in gewaltgen Tönen euer Schwanenlied euch singen;
    Und kein Kaiser wird es wagen, ihm zu rupfen seine Schwingen."

    Als die hundert Jahr verflossen, kommt die Zeit mit mächtgem Pralle,
    Kommt der Schwan und beißt den Pfaffen kecklich ab die eine Kralle;
    Hat die Welt schon halb gewonnen — wenn die Vögel sich besinnen,
    Wird, woll's Gott! ein Strauß jetzt kommen und uns noch den Rest gewinnen.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Brendan Cool
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 08:47 AM

Which land is this?

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Hand-Pulled Boy
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 09:51 AM

Today is my birthday. I saw Coldplay last night at Bolton. It were right good like!

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Abby Sale
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 02:04 PM

Israel. The song went into tradition immediately among the farmers, processed, changed and became the national anthem. In Hebrew, of course.

Wolfgang. Ok, but no way you can get away with that. (I'm sure you knew it, too.) Now you have to give the provenance (more or less) of the song and a translation. Preferably literal. Now, don't make me go Babel Fish on you!

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Wolfgang
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 02:34 PM

Abby, I won't forget, but it might take close to a week.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Jul 05 - 07:27 PM

King Edward died today in 1453, at the age of 15, probably of tuberculosis. It heralded the start of a new reign of 'terror', as Bloody Mary ascended the throne (after a brief hiatus of 9 days when Lady Jane Grey was forced to take it), and tried to turn England back from Protestantism to Catholisism. Most of Britain's religious martyrs are from this period.

LTS

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: GUEST,Joe_F
Date: 07 Jul 05 - 09:44 AM

IIRC the last two lines originally went (in translation)

To return to the land of our fathers,

To the city where David encamped.

Were they changed at the time of statehood? And why?

--- Joe Fineman    [e-mail]

||: Don't worry. It won't last. Nothing does. :||

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 07 Jul 05 - 12:38 PM

Actualy, I think it's from 1886, published by Imbar in his book of nationalist songs, "Barka'i". The very first draft was written in 1877 and by the time the poet arrived in Palestine five years later he would always read it aloud with great gusto when a guest in the Moshavot. He would add verses as the mood took him, until there were nine. The site where it was officialy composed has been bitterly contested ever since by several moshavot. Worth noting that he polished it up in a Jersualem hotel room, the walls of which he covered with scribbles!
The original title was Our Hope, later changed to The Hope. If the conflicting stories regarding it's origin, history and indeed words, are anything to go by, it's a true folk song.
Strangely enough, it was unpopular with the elite, who considered it lyricaly and melodicaly inferior, as well as a bit of a cliche.
Joe F, the change was made in 1905 by Dr Y. L. Matman Cohen. I think it scans better and is a lot less archaic.

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Abby Sale
Date: 07 Jul 05 - 03:36 PM

And, true or not, it's been suggested that women being equalized had a lot to do with changes.

Reminds me of the dreidle (that top thing played by children at Chanukah). When I was about 8 (? that would be just at Independence) the given meaning of the four Hebrew letters on it changed from "A Great Miracle Happened There" to "A Great Miracle Happened Here." This greatly puzzled me as all my life (!!!) it had been one way and now the adults seemed to be getting it wrong. How can folk-formulas change? It bothered me enough that I remembered it at some level but never asked anyone.

Sam Hinton - lovely man that he is - casually mentioned it to me 50 years later. And that is was generally changed to acknowledge the presence in Israel - "here." The penny dropped suddenly how obvious that was but me at 8 couldn't figure it out. Some (most?) outside Israel still say it the old way. You don't want to go rushing these changes, you know.

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 07 Jul 05 - 04:16 PM

Growing up in Israel, we always thought it odd when taught in school about the way people abroad had their dreidels!

Anyway, do have more stuff about it and other early songs, if anyone's interested drop me a PM.

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Wolfgang
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 06:31 AM

I've lived for a long time in the town in which Hus was burned so the man of course is familiar to me. They even have a memorial stone at a place where he might have been burned (or not). Just in case you naver have heard that name read

Jan Hus Wikipedia article.

HUS
(Ludwig Pfau (1821 - 1894))

When Hus, the brave Bohemian, walked to the stake
all the good Christians came running to see him burn
all the clerics (the German 'Pfaffe' is a derogatory term for a catholic priest; don't you have such a word in English?) came running to torture him on his last way
but Hus climbed the stake with singing joyously.

One last time he looked into the face of the great clear world
delighted his eyes tired from the prison with the holy light
When he looked into the eternal bright though already engulfed by the red flame
one last time the flame of his strive flared up.

�Even if this heart will turn to ashes, it will put forth thousands young tendrils
even if this brain blazes in the wind the thoughts do not burn
if you smash the vessel the spirit will flow freely
will stormlike on the wings of flames race throughout the world.

�The ash of my faith scattered by the wind to all directions
will fall down like a seed and bring forth many thousands shoots
even if you blind phoneys baptise my teaching with fire
like Phoenix renewed the truth will rise again from the stake.

�You may roast a goose* that has fallen into your trap
but a swan** will come in hundred years that you won�t be able to catch
he will sing in mighty words your swan song
and no emperor will dare to pluck his wings.�

When hundred years were gone the time came with a mighty crash
The swan came and boldly bit off the claw of the (derogatory term fro catholic) priest
The world being already half won*** - and if the birds take courage
Then, if God wills, an ostrich**** will come now and win for us the other half.





*   play of words: �Hus� means �goose� (the goose/swan comparison is said to be made by Hus himself)
** alludes probably to Luther
*** written ca. 1850 in the time of strife between the two Christian religions in Germany (�mixed marriage� then and even 50 years ago meant protestant/catholic while today it means marriage between people from different countries or races)
**** untranslatable triple word play: �Strau�
(1) ostrich
(2) fight
(3) David Friedrich Strauß, protestant radical theologian (1808-1874)


Wolfgang

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Abby Sale
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 08:10 AM

Wolfgang; Thanks very much for all the trouble & the interesting material. I was not aware of Huss. Something for me to brush up on.

Have you any knowledge if the song was transmitted orally?

a derogatory term for a catholic priest; don't you have such a word in English?

All I can think of right now is 'papist.' Of course that refers to all Catholics. Maybe 'papist priest.' I've never actually come across that phrase, though. Hmmm. Seems that in all of Scotish folksong there must be one.

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 08:31 AM

Papist priest was used once. In fact, priest itself was damning enough. Romish is another word.

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Wolfgang
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 08:44 AM

The relation, in German, of 'Pfaff(e)' to 'Priester' is roughly that of 'moggy' to 'cat'.

BTW, if a German looks to this thread, I only know Pfaffe used for Catholic clerics, but someone just told me he also knows it being used for protestant clerics. How do you use it?

Abby, I've no information at all if that song was much in circulation. I even didn't know it before I thought when that day came along that there should be a song about Hus.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Abby Sale
Date: 14 Jul 05 - 08:51 PM

OK. Of course, Episcopalians (etc) also have priests but are certainly not papists.

Subject: RE: happy? - July 6
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 15 Jul 05 - 10:45 AM

Priestcraft was once a very dirty word among the various Protestant denominations.