HATZTRIF HAKATAN
THE LITTLE SHACK
 

Hateid'u et hatzrif hara'u'ah
Hanitzav al hachof ko bodeid?
Hateid'u, chevraya, l'saper, biglal mah?
Ko azuv v'atzuv hu omed?

Zeh shanim lo darkah bo kaf regel,
Rak sh'chafim mitkansim bis'arah;
Ach omrim ki mizman, batzrifon hakatan
Gar malach v'ito na'arah.

Heim chayu b'simcha u'v'osher,
Hayarei'ach hei'ir et leilam,
V'hashemesh zarach al yaldah u'malach -
Ad asher shuv karah lo hayam.
Hu amar: Ha'ali neir kawl erev
V'hatzivi oto bachalon,
V'haya ki echzor v'er'eh et ha'or
V'eidah: At batzrif hakaton!

Hu hiflig basfinah el ha'ofek
M'chakah na'arah ad ein keitz;
Uvatzrif habodeid, eit ha'erev yoreid,
Neir katan bachalon m'natzneitz.
Kach avru hashanim b'tochelet,
Ad b'lailah gashum v'so'eir
Nird'mah hayaldah, v'haneir l'yadah -
V'haru'ach kibah et haneir!


Bo balailah sfinah mitkarevet
V'aleha nitzav hamalach:
Ach lashav hu mashkif,
Ki ein or sham batzrif'
Hu chazar el hayam v'halach.
Yeish omrim, hu matzah lo acheret,
Yeish omrim, bam'tzulot hu tavah;
Hayaldah al hachof od chiktah ulvasof
Da'achah kmo haneir shekava.

Umei'az reik hatzrif hara'u'ah,
Rak sh'chafim bo tzorchim b'yagon;
Ach b'leil s'arah, eit haru'ach karah,
Or shel neir m'havhev bachalon...

Do you know the rundown shack
That stands on the shore so alone?
Can you tell me, friends, the reason
It stands so sad and deserted?

For years no one has set foot inside,
Only seagulls gather inside from a storm,
But they say a long time ago, in the little shack,
Lived a sailor, and with him, a girl.

They lived in joy and happiness,
The moon lit their nights,
And the sun shone on the girl and sailor
Until the sea called him again.
He told her: Put up a candle every evening
And place it in the window,
And when I return, and see the light
I'll know: You're in the little shack!

He sailed in the ship to the horizon
The girl waited endlessly;
And in the lonely shack, as evening would descend
A small candle sparkled in the window.
Thus the years passed in expectation
Until one rainly, stormy night
The girl fell asleep, the candle by her side -
And the wind extinguished the flame!

That same night a ship approached
On it, the sailor stood:
In vain he looked,
For there was no light there in the shack
He returned to the sea, and left.
Some say, he found another;
Some say, he drowned in the depths;
The girl on the shore still waited, and finally
Expired like the candle that went out.

And since then the rundown shack is empty,
Only seagulls within it cry out in sorrow;
But on a stormy night, when the wind is cold,
The light of a candle flickers in the window...

   


Hebrew words



LYRICS Yehuda Paradis
MUSIC Moshe Wilenski
SINGER Ofra Haza
CD Shirey Moledet A & B (Folk Songs)   Hatzrif Hakatan - Track 8
DANCE CHOREOGRAPHER Shmulik Gov Ari  1985
DANCE FORMAT Partner

Words transliterated and translated by Malka Tischler of New York
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