I knew nothing about the Hebrew song my mother spontaneously sang as a thank you to everyone who entertained her during the welcome party at her pen pal Suzue's home in Kyoto in May of 1960.
When Shelagh Shapiro interviewed me for her radio program Write the Book, she said she had been moved when reading about this in the book. She asked permission to play the precious recording of my mother's a capella singing at the very end of her November 4th program. A link to Shelagh's program can be found on my last post.
As of today, the Hebrew song is no longer a mystery. Judy A. sent the following to me:
"the song your mom sang is a very beautiful old song called Ve'ulai, sung by Esther Ofarim, a very famous Israeli singer. Here's a link on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sokC2Vo0YY
It means 'if only' or in this case, perhaps.
And perhaps - these things never happened
And perhaps - I never rose at dawn to plant
the fields with my own hands...
Never - on the long days
(long) of harvest
I did not give my voice to sing.
Never did I purify myself in your azure waters
with innocence
Chorus
Of my Kinneret,
oh my Kinneret.
Perhaps it was a dream. "
Thank you so much, Judy, for the wonderful information. Friends, here in South Burlington we awoke this morning to the first snow of the year. Judy, your news about the beautiful song, arriving as it did on this cold, gray Vermont day—with the fallen snow still clinging to the house roofs and dying grass—warmed my heart like a cup of hot chocolate in front of a blazing fire.
Keep warm everyone and sleep tight. Susan
When Shelagh Shapiro interviewed me for her radio program Write the Book, she said she had been moved when reading about this in the book. She asked permission to play the precious recording of my mother's a capella singing at the very end of her November 4th program. A link to Shelagh's program can be found on my last post.
As of today, the Hebrew song is no longer a mystery. Judy A. sent the following to me:
"the song your mom sang is a very beautiful old song called Ve'ulai, sung by Esther Ofarim, a very famous Israeli singer. Here's a link on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sokC2Vo0YY
It means 'if only' or in this case, perhaps.
And perhaps - these things never happened
And perhaps - I never rose at dawn to plant
the fields with my own hands...
Never - on the long days
(long) of harvest
I did not give my voice to sing.
Never did I purify myself in your azure waters
with innocence
Chorus
Of my Kinneret,
oh my Kinneret.
Perhaps it was a dream. "
Thank you so much, Judy, for the wonderful information. Friends, here in South Burlington we awoke this morning to the first snow of the year. Judy, your news about the beautiful song, arriving as it did on this cold, gray Vermont day—with the fallen snow still clinging to the house roofs and dying grass—warmed my heart like a cup of hot chocolate in front of a blazing fire.
Keep warm everyone and sleep tight. Susan