Many Israeli poets expressed their love for Israel through poems. Some show their love through pain, through pure love, through constant hope – and all that in their poems, and I believe that these poets showed their nationality in the most wonderful way.
Here is my own translation of one of these amazing songs. Of course it sounds much better in the original Hebrew, so you can hear the songs on the youtube videos.
I Have No Other Land / Ehud Manor
I have no other land,
even if my land is on fire.
Just one word in Hebrew penetrates
my veins – my soul.
In an aching body,
In a starving heart,
This is my home.
I will not be quiet, because my land
has changed its face.
Will not relinquish her, will remind her
and sing here in her ears,
until it opens its eyes.
I have no other land,
until it renews its days,
until it opens its eyes.
Ninet Tayeb sings the song in a memorial ceremony for Yizhak Rabin (from ron123432123 on youtube.com)
I listen to Linkin Park, and Tokio Hotel, Evanescence, and many more bands and songs, which many people around the world probably listen to as well, but no matter how much I like them, this song was always more special in a way for me, and I think it expresses the special love to Israel which Israelis feel.
Another song which expresses its love toIsrael focuses on Jerusalem, our capital city. This is a translation by Chaya Galai (as posted on the official site of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
Jerusalem of Gold / Naomi Shemer
The mountain air is clear as water
The scent of pines around
Is carried on the breeze of twilight,
And tinkling bells resound.
The trees and stones there softly slumber,
A dream enfolds them all.
So solitary lies the city,
And at its heart — a wall.
Oh, Jerusalem of gold, and of light and of bronze,
I am the lute for all your songs.
The wells ran dry of all their water,
Forlorn the market square,
The Temple Mount dark and deserted,
In the Old City there.
And in the caverns in the mountain,
The winds howl to and fro,
And no-one takes the Dead Sea highway,
That leads through Jericho.
Oh, Jerusalem of gold, and of light and of bronze,
I am the lute for all your songs.
But as I sing to you, my city,
And you with crowns adorn,
I am the least of all your children,
Of all the poets born.
Your name will scorch my lips for ever,
Like a seraph’s kiss, I’m told,
If I forget thee, golden city,
Jerusalem of gold.
Oh, Jerusalem of gold, and of light and ofbronze,
I am the lute for all your songs.
The wells are filled again with water,
The square with joyous crowd,
On the Temple Mount within the City,
The shofar rings out loud.
Within the caverns in the mountains
A thousand suns will glow,
We’ll take the Dead Sea road together,
That runs through Jericho.
Oh, Jerusalem of gold, and of light and of bronze,
I am the lute for all your songs.
This is one of the most beautiful songs, which expresses much more emotion than I could explain in words. After all that Jerusalem has gone through, when it was ours again, Naomi Shemer just let her feelings show through the words.
Ofra Haza sings the song (from davy1031 on youtube.com)
The Tikvah is Israel’s national anthem, and is one of the dearest songs we have in Israel. It expresses our hope for peace, for a quiet life, so all that will be left is us living in harmony in our own beloved country. This is, again, my own translation.
The Hope
As long as there is in the heart,
the soul of a Jew yearning,
and to the edge of the east – ahead,
an eye looks forward to Zion.
Our hope isn’t lost yet,
The hope of two thousand years,
To be a free people in our land,
The land of Zion and Jerusalem.
The National Israeli Anthem (from alphajos85 on youtube.com)
This isn’t really a poem, but without it Israel wouldn’t have been Israel, and in ceremonies (happy or sad), while we all sing it together, we are all united as one.
These are only a few examples of how our love to our tiny country is expressed through words and songs.
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