Horshat ha-eqaliptus

The Eucalyptus Grove

חורשת האיקליפטוס

The Nahal singers

Adi Cohen

Ishtar

When Mother came here,

Kshè-’Ima ba’a héna,

כְּשֶׁאִמָּא בָּאָה הֵֽנָּה,

Pretty and young,

Yafa u-tse`ira,

יָפָה וּצְעִירָה,

Then Father, on a hill,

’Az ’Aba `al giv`a

אָז אַבָּא עַל גִּבְעָה

Built for her, a house.

Bana lah bayit.

בָּנָה לָהּ בַּֽיִת.

The springs went by,

Halfu ha-’avivim,

חָלְפוּ הָאֲבִיבִים,

Half a century passed away

Hatsi mé’a `avra,

חֲצִי מֵאָה עָבְרָה,

And her curls have turned white, meanwhile.

Ve-taltalim hafkhu séva béyntayim.

וְתַלְתַּלִּים הָפְכוּ שֵׂיבָה בֵּינְתַֽיִם.

But on the Jordan bank,

’Aval `al hof Yardén

אֲבָל עַל חוֹף יַרְדֵּן

It's as if nothing had changed,

Kemo me’uma lo qara,

כְּמוֹ מְאוּמָה לֹא קָרָה,

Same silence,

’otah ha-dumiya

אוֹתָהּ הַדּוּמִיָּה

Same scenery too:

Ve-gam otah ha-taf’ura:

וְגַם אוֹתָהּ הַתַּפְאוּרָה:

The eucalyptus grove,

Horshat ha-’èqaliptus,

חֹרְשַׁת הָאֶקָלִיפְּטוּס,

The bridge, the boat,

Ha-gèshèr, ha-sira

הַגֶּֽשֶׁר, הַסִּירָה

And the fragrance of aroche* on the waters.

Ve-réyah ha-maluah `al ha-mayim.

וְרֵיחַ הַמַּלּוּחַ עַל הַמַּֽיִם.

On this path ran

Ba-shvil hiné yorèdèt

בַּשְּׁבִיל הִנֵּה יוֹרֶֽדֶת

All the babies,

`Adat ha-tinoqot,

עֲדַת הַתִּינוֹקוֹת,

With their feet

Hém ba-Yardén

הֵם בַּיַּרְדֵּן

Splashing in the Jordan.

Yeshakhshekhu raglayim.

יְשַׁכְשְׁכוּ רַגְלַֽיִם.

The children have grown

Gadlu ha-yeladim

גָּדְלוּ הַיְּלָדִים

And quickly learned to swim.

u-khvar lamdu li-sehot.

וּכְבָר לָמְדוּ לִשְׂחוֹת.

And [now] the young people are swimming two by two.

U-vnéy ha-ne`urim hoterim bi-shnayim.

וּבְנֵי הַנְּעוּרִים חוֹתְרִים בִּשְׁנַֽיִם.

Over the Jordan

Mé-`évèr la-Yardén

מֵעֵֽבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּן

The cannons thundered

Ra`amu ha-totahim

רָעֲמוּ הַתּוֹתָחִים

And peace returned

Ve-ha-shalom hazar

וְהַשָּׁלוֹם חָזַר

At the end of the summer.

B-sof ha-qayits.

בְּסוֹף הַקַּֽיִץ.

And all the infants

Ve-khol ha-tinoqot

וְכָל הַתִּינוֹקוֹת

Where grown-up

Hayu la-’anashim

הָיוּ לָאֲנָשִׁים

And, again, on the hill, have built houses.

Ve-shuv `al ha-giv`a héqimu bayit.

וְשׁוּב עַל הַגִּבְעָה הֵקִימוּ בַּֽיִת.

* aroche is a plant with a salty taste, also known as French spinach.

Lyrics & music: Naomi Shemer