On Monday Gerry sang…

A SONG FOR PEACE (Hebrew) Lyrics: Yaakov Rotblit (1945 - ), music: Yair Rosenblum (1944 - ). Allow the sun to rise, The morning to light up. The strength of prayers Will not bring us back. He whose candle passed away And is lying in dust, Bitter tears won't wake him up, And won't bring him back Nobody will bring us back From the deep and dark pit. Here will not help Neither the victory cheer, Nor hymns of praise. So just sing A song for peace, Don't whisper a prayer. Better sing A song for peace, In a loud shout. Allow the sun to penetrate Through the flowers. Don't look back, Let rest in peace the departed Lift your eyes with hope, Not through a rifle line of sight. Sing a song for love, Not for wars. Don't say "the day will come"*, Make this day happen! For it is not a dream, And in all the city squares Cheer for peace!

Transliteration Tenu la-shèmèsh la-`alot, La-boqèr le-ha’ir. Hazaka shè-ba-tefilot ’Otanu lo tahzir. Mi ’ashèr kava nero ’U-vè-`afar nitman, Bèkhi mar lo ya`iro, Lo yahziro le-khan. ’Ish ’otanu lo yashiv Mi-bor tahtit afél. Kan lo yo`ilu Lo simhat ha-nitsahon, Ve-lo shiréi halél. La-khén raq shiru Shir la-shalom, ’Al tilhashu tefila. Mutav tashiru Shir la-shalom, Bi-tse`aqa gedola. Tenu la-shèmèsh la-hador Mi-ba`ad la-perahim. Hanihu la-holekhim. Se’u `eynayim be-tiqva, Lo dèrèkh kavanot. Shiru shir la-’ahava, Ve-lo la-milhamot. ’Al tagidu "yom yavo", Havi’u ’èt ha-yom! Ki lo halom hu, U-ve-khol ha-kikarot Hari`u la-shalom!

* Hint to another famous song Haamini yom yavo “Believe me, the day will come…”

LYRICS IN HEBREW CHARACTERS

שיר לשלום

תְּנוּ לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לַעֲלוֹת,
לַבֹּקֶר לְהָאִיר.
הַזַּכָּה שֶׁבַּתְּפִלּוֹת
אוֹתָנוּ לֹא תַּחֲזִיר.
מִי אֲשֶׁר כָּבָה נֵרוֹ
וּבֶעָפָר נִטְמַן,
בֶּכִי מַר לֹא יָעִירוֹ,
לֹא יַחֲזִירוֹ לְכָאן.

אִישׁ אוֹתָנוּ לֹא יָשִׁיב
מִבּוֹר תַּחְתִּית אָפֵל.
כָּאן לֹא יוֹעִילוּ
לֹא שִׂמְחַת הַנִּצָחוֹן,
וְלֹא שִׁירֵי הַלֵּל.

לָכֵן, רַק שִׁירוּ
שִׁיר לַשָּׁלוֹם,
אַל תִּלְחֲשׁוּ תְּפִלָּה.
מוּטָב תָּשִׁירוּ
שִׁיר לַשָּׁלוֹם,
בִּצְעָקָה גְּדוֹלָה.

תְּנוּ לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לַחֲדֹר
מִבַּעַד לַפְּרָחִים.
אַל תַּבִּיטוּ לְאָחוֹר,
הָנִיחוּ לַהוֹלְכִים.
שְׂאוּ עֵינַיִם בְּתִקְוָה,
לֹא דֶּרֶךְ כַּוָּנוֹת.
שִׁירוּ שִׁיר לָאַהֲבָה,
וְלֹא לַמִּלְחָמוֹת.

אַל תַּגִּידוּ "יוֹם יָבוֹא",
בִיאוּ אֶת הַיּוֹם!
כִּי לֹא חֲלוֹם הוּא,
וּבְכֹל הַכִּכָּרוֹת
הָרִיעוּ לַשָּׁלוֹם!

Live rendition by Miri Aloni with the Nahal Band.
Recording by Miri Aloni and Lehakat Hanachal.
Live rendition by Shiri Maimon at the central show for Israel's 60 Independence day.
Recording of Joan Baez singing a cappella a very popular Hebrew tune, Shir La Shalom live in Cesarea, Israel - June 24th 1979

I borrowed the lyrics, transliteration and translation from lyrics.vatteville.net, a site where you can find lyrics, transliterations and translations in both English and French for songs in Hebrew, Yiddish, Greek, Polish and Russian.

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