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  • Shlomo Artzi

    אהבתיה → English translation

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I Loved Her

She is in my heart now, inside my heart
like many shadows
like many paths
like smoke
she is only mine now, she is in my heart,
like a landscape of many leaves
like the blue waters of a river
now she is here.
 
I loved her
i realized this suddenly
i loved her
suddenly now, suddenly today
yes, she is mine now
like the song
rising from within me
erupting with all my strength
like the song.
 
I call out with my voice, humans here
and the distant lands
and all the sea winds and waves
hear on the city roofs, hear in the streets
houses and people
silence and sound
hear my voice
 
I loved her...
 
And where are you?
where are you, where?
i don't call out your name
i am just waiting for your answer
if you hear me
and my song, that bursts out like the sea
screaming to the world
if you'll hear...
 
I loved her
i realized this suddenly
i loved her
suddenly now, suddenly today
 
Make a sound, child, make a sound
speak, explain everything
say: he is a great fool
he didn't know...
he didn't know...
he didn't know...
 
Original lyrics

אהבתיה

Click to see the original lyrics (Hebrew)

Comments
Thomas222Thomas222
   Tue, 27/10/2020 - 23:00

The source lyrics have been updated. Please review your translation.

Moshe KayeMoshe Kaye
   Tue, 27/10/2020 - 23:54
Thomas222 написал(а):

The source lyrics have been updated. Please review your translation.

Thank you sir. Can you please look at the translation and give me feedback as needed.

All the best,
~Moshe

Thomas222Thomas222
   Tue, 27/10/2020 - 23:54

I have just one minor comment, if I may.

I admit, I had to look it up first, but the word "בחובי" (first verse, 5th line) is a very flowery way of saying "within" / "inside" / "the interior (of someone or something)".

It can be found in the Book of Job, chapter 31:33: "אִם-כִּסִּיתִי כְאָדָם פְּשָׁעָי--לִטְמוֹן בְּחֻבִּי עֲוֺנִי"
Examples of English translations:

  • "If after the manner of men I covered my transgressions, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom--"
  • "If I have concealed my sin as men do, by hiding my guilt in my heart..."

So basically he's saying she's in his heart.

Moshe KayeMoshe Kaye
   Tue, 27/10/2020 - 23:57

Thank you. You are always welcome to make suggestions!
~Moshe

An Cat DubhAn Cat Dubh    Thu, 30/11/2023 - 20:27

Hey, the translation is mostly good, but:
1. You missed the capitalization—I don’t think it makes much of a difference in the beginning of lines, but ‘I’ is left uncapitalized a few times.
2. You mistranslated שִמעו ‘hear! masc. pl.’ as שָמעו ‘[they] heard’.
3. In prescriptivist English, we don’t use ‘will’ in the condition, only the result—thus, ‘if you hear’, or ‘should you hear’, not ‘if you will hear’.
4. You missed the word גדול in כסיל גדול—‘he is a great fool’, hah.
5. In general, the lyrics are fairly literary in their vibe, so the language could be made a bit fancier, e.g., ‘he knew not’ rather than ‘he didn’t know’.
Also, the song’s name is פתאום עכשיו, פתאום היום, not אהבתיה, although it is commonly known as such.

Moshe KayeMoshe Kaye
   Thu, 30/11/2023 - 21:21

Thank you for your thoughts. I'll review.