It’s time for another song.
This is one I just heard on the radio yesterday. It’s called Halevai – הלוואי . A direct translation is difficult for this word. It’s sort of an exclamation that means “I wish” or “I wish it were so” or “if only it were so.” The song is a series of “wishes” and the word halevai – הלוואי begins each line.
It was originally produced in the 1980s as a song for the Eurovision contest back then. And while it apparently didn’t do very well in the contest, over time it has become much more popular, so much so that it was featured in a special performance as part of Israel’s 70th year celebrations in 2018. (and is apparently still played on the radio today…)
It has many biblical references but two that I’d like to highlight are:
1) It has a reference to the famous line from Isaiah, “national shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore,” and
2) it has a reference to the last line of the Hasheveinu prayer that we say on Shabbat when the ark is closed – “Return us to you and we will return; renew our days as of old.”
The song was written by Ehud Manor. The youtube link shows the 2018 live version performed by Yehudit Ravitz.
הלוואי ומענן תרד עלינו קשת הלוואי שלעולם הזה יש תקנה הלוואי ויום יצמח מתוך סופה גועשת הלוואי ולא תאבד לעד המתנה הלוואי שהמדבר יצמיח עשב דשא הלוואי ועוד נשב בצל התאנה. הלוואי שלא נכאב ואיש אחיו יאהב הלוואי ויפתחו שוב שערי גן עדן הלוואי ויתמזגו מזרח ומערב הלוואי הלוואי ונחדש ימינו כאן כקדם. הלוואי ולא ישא עוד גוי אל גוי חרב הלוואי ולא ננטוש את דרך התקווה הלוואי והאדם יהיה רחום עד ערב הלוואי שיש סיכוי אחד לאהבה. הלוואי שלא נכאב
I wish from the cloud that has fallen on us would come a rainbow I wish this world would be repaired. I wish a [new] day would grow out of the raging storm I wish you would not lose forever the gift I wish the desert would grow a field of grass I wish we could sit in the shade of the fig tree. I wish we would not cause pain and man would love his brother I wish the gates of the Garden of Eden would open again I wish that east and west would merge I wish that we could renew our days here as before. I wish nation would not lift up sword against nation I wish we did not abandon the path of hope I wish the people would be merciful until evening I wish there was one chance for love. I wish we were not in pain…