BEHAR HAGILBO'A

ON MOUNT GILBOA

Yavesh hakayitz be'ito
Behar haGilboa.
Nish'an Sha'ul al chanito
Behar haGilboa.
Rak na'ar ger imo,
Rak na'ar mibnei Amalek.
Yavesh vecham, yavesh vecham
Hakayitz ba'emek*.

Ha'adama - tziv'ah pecham
Bakayitz ba'emek -
Ulai haya sharav.
Ulai zo hay'ta she'at shki'a.
Ulai shki'at zahav -
Kmo hayom be'ota hasha'ah.

Nifras ha'emek le'raglav
Behar haGilboa.
Haya hakayitz kmo achshav
Behar haGilboa.
Mineged haTavor
Vehar haChermon bamerchak.
Ke'ilu lo avru shanim
Behar haGilboa.

Otam sela'im - sela'im shchunim
Behar haGilboa.
Ulai haya sharav.
Ulai zo hay'ta she'at shki'a.
Ulai shki'at zahav -
Kmo hayom be'ota hasha'ah

Summer was dry in its time
On Mount Gilboa.
King Saul leaned on his spear
On Mount Gilboa.
Only a foreign boy was with him,
Only a boy of the Amalek people.
Dry and hot, dry and hot,
Was the summer in the valley*.

The earth - its color is charcoal
In the summer in the valley -
Perhaps there was a hot, dry heatwave.
Perhaps it was at sunset.
Perhaps a golden sunset -
Like today at the same hour.

The valley spread out at his feet
On Mount Gilboa.
The summer was then as it is now
On Mount Gilboa.
Opposite is Mount Tavor
And Mount Chermon is in the distance.
As though no years have passed
On Mount Gilboa .

Those same cliffs - very dry and hot cliffs
On Mount Gilboa.
Perhaps there was a hot, dry heatwave.
Perhaps it was at sunset.
Perhaps a golden sunset -
Like today at the same hour.

בהר הגלבוע