The Revolution Orchestra with Dikla and Akram Odeh - I Shall Speak to You

At a loss of words to describe the sorrow I felt upon hearing of the tragedy at Majdal Shams, and upon seeing the names and faces of the 12 young victims, aged between 10 to 16. When I woke up with a heavy heart I felt the urge to hear this song and I've been thinking about it all day. It was originally performed by Chava Alberstein a few years after the Yom Kippur War, and this version, sung beautifully by Dikla and Akram Odeh, is part of a show by The Revolution Orchestra featuring 20 love songs performed in Hebrew and Arabic for the first time. From the show's description: "Through the translation into the other language, we will get closer and farther away, move between the familiar and the foreign, hear our love songs in a different way, and create a common dialogue." 

When you, pale from sorrow,

hide yourself in your silence,

let me talk to you,

and let me walk among your shadows,

to be with you.

I will not ask you why,

I will not bother your loneliness,

careful, a bit hesitating, 

with signs of care and loving-kindness,

I shall speak to you

There is strength in me, there is strength in me,

don't pity me

don't hinder your thorns from

scratching my legs.

When you, deadly tired,

cannot fall asleep in the dark,

in the hours when your nightmares

keep pursuing your dreams,

I will remain with you.

Near you, I am wandering,

Between your sleep and your wake,

My words are fragile,

My palms are tiny,

But they are by your side.

When I will see, or you will tell me,

with a soft whisper,

that your dead are gathering together,

I will bow my head too.

I will not ask you why...

Translation taken from LyricsTranslate

Yardena Arazi - Back Home

Yardena Arazi said in an episode of "One Song" about this song that it was born after she experienced the First Lebanon War up close and performed for troops there. She found herself singing "A Song for Peace" with an enthusiastic group of reserve soldiers and asked herself, as many Israelis were asking at the time, "What are we doing here?" She asked Ehud Manor to write her a song to capture the frustration with the ongoing war and the growing list of fallen soldiers, an all too familiar feeling. "Back home" has become associated with the return of the hostages and after almost 300 days it's time to return home.

Another year has passed,

another year of madness,

the weeds have grown in the path and the garden.

The wind sighed

opening the shutter

and banging the old wall,

as if calling:

Back home, back home,

it's time to return,

from the mountains

from foreign fields.

The day is fading and there is no sign.

Back home, back home,

before the light is dimmed.

Cold nights, 

bitter nights,

closing in now.

Until the dawn

I pray for you,

bound in the grip of fear

I hear steps.

Back home, back home,

because it hasn't yet been given

as was promised a long time ago.

Beautiful translation by Dimi Chris over at LyricsTranslate.

Riff Cohen - A Hole In The Heart

Wow Riff, thank you for sharing your pain and singing from your heart. Exactly what I needed to hear ♥

Discover more about Riff here.

You can't fill it

You can't change it

You can't make up for it

Only wipe the tears

I walk here and there

With a hole in the heart

And inside it pain

You can't fill it

You can't change it

You can't make up for it

Only wipe the tears

A hole in the heart

A hole in the heart

A hole in the heart

And inside it pain

I walk around day and night

With a hole in the heart

And inside it pain

You see, this is what I live with

Ever since childhood

Being a woman is not simple!

A hole in the heart...

You're not the one in the photo!

You're not who you said you were!

You're not who you thought you were!

You're not who you are!

You're not worth

Any pain

Any tear

Any sigh

Any angst

Any denial

Any crying

Any confusion

Anything at all!

A hole in the heart...

Excellent translation taken from the Youtube description

Yehudit Ravitz - Song With No Name

There's recently been a flood of new Israeli music, a welcoming sign, but I still find myself drawn to the familiar classics which have given me comfort in the past nine months. Shalom Hanoch wrote this beautiful song in memory of his nephew who died during his military service in a training accident in 1980. While I was aware of the song in the past, the lyrics understandably resonate differently, especially on uncertain days like today.

Brilliant translation by Youtube user @Trans_Lator:

For my song's echo resonating

My own postcard for sending

Course of life in bliss

Things I miss

Prayers which I hiss

For my song as a leaf is shaken

So unstable, forsaken

It's the dimmed out light, shown so right

All through the night

It is you in and out of my sight

As I stray, have crossed my way

Some pictures inside their frames

And some names, some names

You go into and out of my sight

Oh

Darkness all around

Wishing so

You could hear my sound

Just might, just might, just might

You go into and out of my sight

On my way, have met till day

Some scenery, tune and word

Portraits sad or glad

You go into and out of my sight

Yes

Silence all around 

Just in case 

You can hear my sound

Just might, just might, just might

You go into and out of my sight

Just might, just might, just might

You go into and out of my sight

For my song is the wind that's blowing

Open window for showing

My fresh air supply, laugh or cry

End for my fight

You go into and out of my sight