SAPANEI SHLOMO HAMELECH

Ken, hayah zeh chaver az me'ein kamohu
yamaim hayu halalu! Ish vaish
tsor vakhush yad'u tivam ashdod vehodu
yam eylot veyam kaftor veyam tarshish.

Gam mashot gam kos heitivu le'echoz hem
gam pigyon yad'u litfos behidrasham
hem nas'u agil gadol bitnuch ha'ozen
umitsnefet mu'ademet lerosham.

Ve'el mul merchak ha'ofek hanagol
kach hayu hem mezamrim yachdav bekol:
Etsion gever, etsion gever
etsion gever yam eylot
besirot hayam ye'aver
uve'oniyot gedolot
ach rachav mi'yam lev gaver
mi ovro be'ein mashot?
na'arah me'etsion gaver
etsion gaver yam eylot.

Zot amru hem achar kach bekol atsevet
arukah haderech letarshish
achar kach lekol pkudah beru'ach tsevet
lamelachah kaftsu bin rega ish vaish.

Ad shom'am pkudah litkof...ve'az besha'at
bise'arah hem ba'oyev hayu portsim
vekim'at haytah ha'oniyah nivka'at
bekoram: yechi shlomo veychi hatsi.

Ube'odam ovrim kesa'ar ve'alol.
Kach hayu hema nos'im beyachad kol:
Etsion gever, etsion gaver
etsion gaver yam eylot
she'ikeh otanu daver
im nisog ve'im nimot
yivad'a hayom mi gaver
vetishma et po'alo
na'arah me'etsion gaver
etsion gaver yam eylot.

Ubeshuvam ba'oniayh lachtsot yamim bah
hi noset otsrot kol eretz ve'iyim.
Almogim bah vezahav bah ubesamim bah
shenhavim bah vekofim vetuki'im.

Hi choteret umekuteret mor upele
metsuleket misufot veza'af krav.
Veyoda'ah hi: yama'ei shlomo hamelech
nifla'u me'almogim umizahav.

Shar haruach, shar mifrats kachol
kol vechol sharim yachdav bekol:

Etsion gever, etsion gaver
etsion gaver yam eylot
besirot hayam ye'aver
ube'oniyot gedolot
ach rachav miyam lev gaver
mi ovro be'ein mashot?
na'arah me'etsion gaver
etsion gever yam eylot.

KING SOLOMON'S MARINERS

Yes, they were an extraordinarily fierce company
Sailors they were, each and every one
Tyre and Kush were known to them, and so were Ashdod and India
The Eylot, Kafotr and Tarshish seas

They knew their way with an oar as well as with a pint
When in need they could wield a dagger too
They bore a large earring on their lobe
And a crimson miter on their head

And facing the distant unfolding horizons
So they would sing aloud together:
Etzion Gever, Etzion Gaver,
Etzion Gaver, Sea of Eylot
Traversed by the boats of the seas
And by enormous ships
But wider than the ocean is a man's heart
Who could cross it with no oar?
A maiden of Etzion Gaver
Etzion Gaver, Sea of Eylot

This they chanted later in mournful voices
Long is the path to Tarshish
Later at the sound of command with team spirit
The duties were being done by all

Until they heard the order "Charge" ... then
Like a storm they would breach the enemy lines
And the ship's hull nearly cracked
At their shouts "Long live King Solomon" and "Hooray to the fleet"

And as they passed like gale and storm
So they would raise their voices together:
Etzion Gever, Etzion Gaver,
Etzion Gaver, Sea of Eylot
May the plague be upon us
If we shall retreat or withdraw
Today the victor will be known
And his doings will be told
To a maiden of Etzion Gaver
Etzion Gaver, Sea of Eylot

And as their vessel returns, sailing across the open seas
It carries the treasures of every land and isle
It is packed with corrals and gold and perfumes
Ivories and monkeys and parrots

And it rows foreword, scented with Moore and wonder
Scarred of tempests and the wrath of battles
And it knows: King Solomon's mariners
Are more marvelous than corrals or gold

The winds, and a blue harbor sing
Everyone and everything sing aloud as one

Etzion Gever, Etzion Gaver,
Etzion Gaver, Sea of Eylot
Traversed by the boats of the seas
And by enormous ships
But wider than the ocean is a man's heart
Who could cross it with no oar?
A maiden of Etzion Gaver
Etzion Gaver, Sea of Eylot


Hebrew words

Original clip - Ilana Rovina

LYRICS
Natan Alterman
MUSIC
Naomi Shemer
SINGER
Ilana Rovina

Words transliterated and translated by Gadi Herzlinger of Jerusalem, Israel.
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