AT CHAKI LI VE'ECHZOR

At chaki li ve'echzor,
ach chaki heitev.
At chaki li gam bik'dor
misag'rir halev.
At chaki le'et kipurim,
at chaki bechom,
at chaki et acherim
yish'takchu ad tom.

At chaki, chaki, velu
lo yavo michtav.
At chaki im gam yila'u
hamechakim lashav.

At chaki li ve'echzor,
ve'arur hasach
bevitchah g'murah le'emor:
"met hu...venish'kach..."
ya'aminu em va'av,
ki eineni chai,
ye'afu chakot lashav
kol re'ai, echai

Veyish'tu kos yayin mar
zecher nishmati...
At chaki vechos nim'har
al na, al tishti!

At chaki li ve'echzor,
chai ech'zorah, chai!
Hemah yishta'u le'emor:
"nes hu bevadai!"
Hemah lo yad'u/chiku, ve'eich
bein tavin nafsham
ki rak at bechakotech
hitzal'tini sham.

Eich nitzalti, - zot neda
rak ani ve'at:
ki yoter mikol adam
lechakot yad'at.

YOU WAIT FOR ME AND I'LL COME BACK

Wait for me and I'll return
But wait well.
Wait for me even in gloom
From the clouding of the heart.
Wait for me in the time of frost,
Wait for me in heat,
Wait for me while others
Are forgotten altogether.

Wait for me, wait, and though
No letter comes.
Wait even if they weary
Those who wait in vain.

Wait for me and I'll return,
And be damned he who says
With perfect assurance:
"He is dead... and Forgotten..."
Mother and father will believe
That I am not alive,
All my mates, my brothers
Will tire of waiting in vain.

And they will drink a glass of bitter wine,
In memory of my soul...
You, wait for me and from that rash glass
Please don't, don't drink!

Wait for me and I'll return,
Alive I'll return, alive!
They will be astounded, saying:
"It is a miracle, for certain."
They did not know/wait, and how
Might their soul fathom
That you alone in waiting
Saved me there.

How I was saved--this we will know
Only I and you
For more than any other
You knew to wait.


Hebrew words
Russian   

Note:
Translations adapted with thanks to Zemerl website.

The music and the words exactly match the words in Russian, during the war the soldiers wrote and rewrote the words.
This poem sounds in Stalingrad, Kursk and final battle for Berlin in 1945.
Video

LYRICS
hebrew: Avraham Shlonski orig. Konstantin M. Simonov
MUSIC
Shlomo Drori
SINGER
Arik Lavi
Arik Sinai
Shimshon Bar Noy

Words transliterated and translated by George Jakubovits of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Russian translation by George Jakubovits of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Contact the publisher of Hebrew Songs.com

Russian

 
ZHDI MENYA I YA VERNUS

Zhdi menya, i ya vernus'.
Tol'ko ochen' zhdi,
Zhdi, kogda navodyat grust'
Zheltye dozhdi,
Zhdi, kogda snega metut,
Zhdi, kogda zhara,
Zhdi, kogda drugih ne zhdut,
Pozabyv vchera.

Zhdi, kogda iz dal'nih mest
Pisem ne pridet,
Zhdi, kogda uzh nadoest
Vsem, kto vmeste zhdet.

Zhdi menya, i ya vernus',
Ne zhelai dobra
Vsem, kto znaet naizust',
Chto zabyt' pora.
Pust' poveryat syn i mat'
V to, chto net menya,
Pust' druz'ya ustanut zhdat',
Syadut u ognya,
Vyp'yut gor'koe vino
Na pomin dushi...
Zhdi. I s nimi zaodno
Vypit' ne speshi.

Zhdi menya, i ya vernus',
Vsem smertyam nazlo.
Kto ne zhdal menya, tot pust'
Skazhet: - Povezlo.
Ne ponyat', ne zhdavshim im,
Kak sredi ognya
Ozhidaniem svoim
Ty spasla menya.
Kak ya vyzhil, budem znat'
Tol'ko my s toboi,-
Prosto ty umela zhdat',
Kak nikto drugoi.

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