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  • Ishay Ribo

    Ishay Ribo

    לא נפסיק לחלום → English translation→ English

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We Will Not Stop Dreaming

Click to see the original lyrics (Hebrew)
What is the good of you, copper,
amongst weapons and ammunition?
Be so kind and become a chandelier
to banish the darkness within you
 
What is the good of you, metal,
from being squeezed and cocked?
Surely place upon1 yourself some sign
with which you demand a bit of quiet
 
And we will not stop dreaming
 
What is the good of you, flame, amongst cedars high on treetops?
Permit yourself! Be a dweller-in-bases2
on candlesticks of gold and silver, Sabbaths and holidays
 
And we will not stop dreaming
 
And they shall beat their swords into plowshares
And their spears into pruning hooks:
Nation shall not take up sword against nation;
They shall never again know war.3
 
And don't tell me that we are discussing the far future
That it is preferable for me to be silent, to not awake
the bear4 or Gog and Magog5
And do not rush to comfort me
[by saying] tomorrow will be good
I am sick of pushing off the end [of days]
with logical answers
I want, dream, demand
[The] Messiah today
 
Only to not deflect the conversation
from the Messianic king
 
  • 1. The language of שום תשים is a reference to Deuteronomy 17:15 where the Israelite are given permission to place a king over themselves. The double language often serves an emphasis. Thus, the "Surely"
  • 2. I believe this is a reference to Song of Songs 8:13: "הַיוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת בַּגַּנִּ֗ים"
  • 3. Isaiah 2:4
  • 4. A reference to Russia
  • 5. The name of the war that supposedly will occur at the beginning of the Messianic era. See Rambam Laws of Kings and Wars 12:2
Original lyrics

לא נפסיק לחלום

Click to see the original lyrics (Hebrew)

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Ishay Ribo: Top 3
1.הלב שלי (Halev Sheli)
2.סיבת הסיבות (Sibat Hasibot)
3.לשוב הביתה (Lashuv Habaita)
Comments
WilliamKWilliamK    Wed, 16/03/2022 - 13:25

Great translation and footnotes, thanks! Would add: Dov could be a reference to Iran as well (mesurbalim basar k'dov etc, Kiddushin 72b); Yoshevet bakanim is most certainly a play on yoshevet baganim as you say but more likely refers to kan as a base for something (i.e. a candlestick as he mentions in the next line), like the kiyor v'kano.

Goes without saying as well that the wordplay is incredible as usual- al taitzu/lemachar, katzti/et haketz, lhasiach/et hasiach.

IsraeliMusicIsraeliMusic    Fri, 18/03/2022 - 16:05

As it is with all Ishay Ribo songs, the full beauty and poetry of the song cannot by fully appreciated without reading the original Hebrew. Nevertheless, from this translation and others of his songs (Re: my profile) one can just about approach the intended import of the song and it's message. Hopefully it will encourage others to study the Hebrew language and it's contextual history and culture, leading one to discover the beauty of the spirituality and Judaism that inspires these compositions.

Meir SommerMeir Sommer    Fri, 18/03/2022 - 17:25

In line 22 where it says "shemachar yiheye tov," it should say "sheyom echad hu yavo." Those are the actual lyrics that he sings and can be read onscreen when he does in the official video he released. Interesting that in the description of the video on youtube, it said "shemachar yiheye tov," but that has since been changed to match the lyrics in the video and that he actually sings... Perhaps an earlier version they changed?

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