BEFUNDAK KATAN

*aka BEPUNDAK KATAN 

Befundak katan benamal katan
Sham hayayin adom venotzetz
Befundak katan hen yashvu shloshtan
Im kvarnit lo - regel be'etz

Chorus:
Ve'amar hakvarnit: "ein davar ein davar"
Od machar tisa'eni sfina el hayam
El hayam hakachol od machar

Ha'achat nashka hashniya tzachaka
Hashlishit et sfamo tekatzetz
Kach yashvu shloshtan befundak katan
Im kvarnit lo - regel me'etz

Chorus:
Ve'amar…..

Hitka'es kvarnit az al hashlishit
Vekoso bashulchan hu nipetz
Vefundak katan az berosh murkan
Hu yashav rak im - regel ha'etz

Chorus:
Ve'amar…..

IN A SMALL TAVERN

 

In a small tavern, in a small port
Where the wine is red and sparkles
In a small tavern the three women sat
With a wooden leg captain

Chorus:
And the captain said: "no matter, no matter,
Tomorrow the boat will take me to sea
To the blue sea tomorrow."

One kissed him, the second laughed
The third cut his moustache
That's how they sat there, the three of them
With a wooden leg captain

Chorus:
And the captain said: "it doesn't matter,

The captain got angry with the third one
And smashed his glass on the table
Then in a small tavern he sat, his head down,
alone with only his wooden leg.

Chorus:
And the captain said:..................


Hebrew words
Alternative Hebrew    Alternative English   

Note:
A variety of contributors worked on this song. The original was by Chana Shuvaly with additions by Yardena Cohen, of Walnut Creek, California USA and Nathan Beit-Aharon of Montreal, Canada

* The song title and first line, according to correct Hebrew grammar, should be "Befundak" with an 'f' sound. But in modern Hebrew usage it is often sounded with a 'p'. It was pronounced with a 'p' in the the original (1959) recording by Benny Berman.

LYRICS
Achi Ya'akov / Aharon Shabtai
MUSIC
Beni Berman
SINGER
Beni Berman
Gabi Berlin
Hashafan Hanachon
Chani Nachmias, Irit Anavi & Aharon Ferera
CD
Benny Berman - Original Recordings '59-'62 (Haklatot Mekoriot) Track 3
DANCE CHOREOGRAPHER
Avi Perez 1988
DANCE FORMAT
Circle

Words transliterated and translated by Chana Shuvaly of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Alternative Hebrew translation by Danny Kolker of Los Angeles, California, USA.
Alternative English translation by Danny Kolker of Los Angeles, California, USA.
Contact the publisher of Hebrew Songs.com

Alternative Hebrew

 
*BEPUNDAK KATAN*

Bepundak katan benamal katan
Sham hayayin adom venotzetz
Bepundak katan hen yashvu shloshtan
Im kvarnit v’lo - regel me'etz.

Ve'amar hakvarnit: ‘Ein davar, ein davar
Od machar tisa'eni sfina el hayam,
El hayam hakachol od machar.’

Ha'achat nashka, hashniya tzachaka
Hashlishit et sfamo tekatzetz.
Kach yashvu shloshtan bepundak katan
Im kvarnit v’lo - regel me'etz

Ve'amar hakvarnit…

Az lakach chatan mipundak katan
Ha’achat al of’no’a me’etz.
Venotru shteihen bepundak ashen
Im kvarnit v’lo – regel me’etz.

Ve'amar hakvarnit…

Lepundak domem az nichnas kosem Vehafach hashniya lo lenetz.
Venotra batzad hash’lishit levad
Im kvarnit v’lo – regel me’etz.

Ve'amar hakvarnit…

Hitka'es k’varnit az al hash’lishit
Vekoso bashulchan hu nipetz.
Befundak katan az berosh murkan
Hu yashav rak im - regel ha'etz.

Ve'amar hakvarnit…

Alternative English

 
IN A SMALL TAVERN

In a small tavern, in a small port,
Where the wine is sparkling red
In a small tavern, the three women sat
With a captain with a wooden leg.

And the captain said, ‘No matter, no matter,
Tomorrow a ship will take me out to sea,
To the blue sea tomorrow.’

One was kissing, another was laughing,
The third one trimmed his moustache.
Thus the three of them sat in a small tavern
With a captain with a wooden leg.

And the captain said…

Then a groom took away from the small tavern
One woman on a wooden motorcycle
And two of them were left in a smoky tavern
With a captain with a wooden leg.

And the captain said…

Then a magician entered the silent tavern
And turned another woman into a hawk
And the third one was left alone on the side
With a captain with a wooden leg

And the captain said…

Then the captain got angry at the third one
And smashed his glass on the table.
In a small tavern, his head bowed,
He then sat alone with only the wooden leg.

And the captain said…

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We thank our more than 400 volunteer translators from 190 cities in 42 countries.
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