Comments on: I love you terminal: two translated gems by Meir Ariel

By: ron

ron — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 15:58:27 +0000

very nice translation .

By: Nachliel Bamot

Nachliel Bamot — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 23:14:28 +0000

Nothing written that as Meir was liberal,free thinker & never tred the beaten path even if artists & other left wingers as himself disagreed. Meir did his 3 year army draft in the Paratroop Brigade & continued service in reserves. I was with him for a number of years in that unit. He was far from militant(!) but realized that we need an active defence force. Being loved all over Israel for his music,I never knew the name of the singer since most often the names aren’t even mentioned. It was only after a few years that I realized that our Meir in the unit was that famous artist. He was just a very humble man.

By: Aron Gutman

Aron Gutman — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:07:13 +0000

Thanks so much for this. I lived in Israel for 8 years and i love Meir Ariel. Though I don’t fully understand his poetry, his genius is apparent.

By: Yuval Ben-Ami

Yuval Ben-Ami — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:13:41 +0000

So nice. Here’s a clip for the song Osnat translated. I couldn’t find a version on youtube that satisfied me, so this is yours truly singing – my first self-produced video.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6bouXjhfZw

By: Osnat Ita

Osnat Ita — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 22:06:27 +0000

DEEP BLUE EVENING

deep blue evening

hanging reddish earring for impression

and smoking a blossom

incense of china berry

and rustly whispering

maybe this time

how blue the evening

how deep, god knows

why don’t you surprise

sharp and smooth in entrance

like on the prowl

to quench once more

all the blue blues

all the endless deeps

i wish for this time

to fall on the sword, to die for you

to die, to die for you

in memory of an evening

that won’t return

deep blue evening

hanging moon shaped earring

just stand in entrance

without any notice

like on the prowl

to quench once more

By: Paul Harris

Paul Harris — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 21:07:20 +0000

Well, I’m not even going to entertain the thought of attempting to translate one of his songs – My Hebrew at its best wouldn’t have done any justice, and these days…sigh…

Suffice to say I am so VERY grateful for this blog/post/article, it means a lot to me – especially the songs which have been highlighted here. I understood them in a very general way – but not the small nuances or the clever turns of phrase which so often are lost in translation. With a song lyric, you miss one of those, and the game’s up. So once again – many many thanks for this from the bottom of my heart. Now I must share it with my brother many thousands of miles away…

By: Ami Kaufman

Ami Kaufman — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:23:08 +0000

I don’t even pretend to be as good as you guys, but here’s a shot at my favorite Ariel tune:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2DUuI8F8Uo
.

CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU
.
Can’t take my eyes off of you
off your eyes
that look like discoveries
can’t take my eyes off of you
off your lips
that produce such pearls
.
Really, after so many years
even from morning, before you wash your face
while you sit mumbling in front of the mirror
every second,
every movement
changes
.
Can’t take my eyes off of you
just more and more
magnetized
can’t take my eyes off of you
just more and more
hypnotized
.
And when I finally think I’m on the path
that will lead me to your secret garden
right then you blind me
with the magic simplicity of it all
.
Women’s groups rebuke me
for dropping all the house and family duties on you,
which is true
but what can I do,
I have no time, I have no time
I can’t take my eyes off of you
.
And when you stay away you’re not even here,
then I’m like the floating groom in Marc Chagall’s painting
this is a sign for you: every place you go
you step
you stand
and suddenly
you will smile
.
Can’t take my eyes off of you
my beauty, my beauty, my beauty!
no, no, no, no, no
I won’t take me eyes off of you!
My beauty, my beauty, my beauty

By: Yuval Ben-Ami

Yuval Ben-Ami — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:43:22 +0000

Ok, I’ll do another one. This one was popularized by singer and actor Gidi Gov. Here’s his rendition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWD5OT1FuIA&feature=related
.
A Heatwave’s Bounty
.
The big heatwave passed
The sun returned to the blue sea
and a silent wind calms
face and neck, nostrils and blood.
.
Two painters on the beach
see the end by the light of day
and a flock of seagulls like
a grayish vail, a caress of the sea.
.
She doesn’t know how much longer
she can pull
She doesn’t know how much longer
she can bite
and she already thought
of escaping this place
That’s no big deal
But she has nowhere to go.
.
And she falls asleep while awake
With her back to the sea
her head facing there
She doesn’t care. he can come
and just pass over her
with her back to the sea
her head facing there.
.
The electric light tickles
and arouses the darkness
and people go out to seek
an event to take place
by hazard, if possible.
.
Two painters on the bar
Still can’t believe that it’s over
and the dancer’s vail hovers
on the belly of her waves
by no coincidence.
.
And on the avenues
the trembling passes, augmenting
In the yards the fear burrows, collecting.
suddenly she’s taken by excitement -
the rim of an occurence
It will happen, it did.
.
The city opens before him
With her back to the sea
Her head facing there.
She doesn’t struggle to stop
doesn’t mind going over the edge.
With her back to the sea
her head facing there.
.
And she opens up before him
with her back to the sea
her head facing there
let the painters love her
let the drunkards paint her
with her back to the sea
her head facing there.

By: Uri Sabach

Uri Sabach — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:24:42 +0000

Just wanted to note that Shir Ke’ev (Pain Song) is also about the (right of) return, if you want – Shir Ke’ev Over Vashav.

It’s the Over Vashav part which is not only “comes and goes” or the bank account, it’s also about returning the same old mistakes. The pain returns, the educated Arab returns.

By: Yuval Ben-Ami

Yuval Ben-Ami — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 09:32:05 +0000

Thank you cousin. I love this and the solutions you found for the tricky bits do the song huge justice.
.
For whoever seeks an interactive reading experience – this clip is taken from concert held a year after Ariel’s death in his memory. The singer is Ehud Banai, who was Ariel’s very dear friend. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m6dgEK52bE&feature=related
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I urge anyone else who wishes to post translations to do so. You don’t have to try and match Yaron’s semi-rhymed feat, but it would be great to have a few more of these.