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Shir Zmani Le'ashirim

Temporary Song for the Rich

by Ofra Haza

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kabetzan echad kol kach misken katan kazayit, pesik
One beggar, so pitiful, tiny as an olive, period
ratza lihyot ashir meod ratza velo hispik
He wanted to be very rich, he wanted but ran out of time
chizer, chizer kol hayamim chizer al hapetachim
He wandered, wandered all the days, begging door to door
ad shehechlit meal hagag likpotz min hachayim.
Until he decided from the roof to jump out of this life.
yashav levad al rosh migdal pitzecha lo garinim
He sat alone atop a tower, cracking sunflower seeds
et hakelipot haya zorek lemata al anashim
The shells he kept on throwing down below on people
omru lo: red... sham mesukan... ach hu rak beshelo
They told him: come down... it's dangerous... but he was in his own world
az hem holchu vehu nishar levad im retzono.
So they left and he remained alone with his desire.
pitom hifsik veal atzmo hitchil ketzat lerachem
Suddenly he stopped and began to pity himself a bit
boded, atzuv al rosh migdal, kitzan misken beli shem
Lonely, sad atop a tower, a poor beggar with no name
od kama garinim yigmor veet atzmo yizrok
A few more seeds he'd finish and then throw himself down
ad shepitom milemata kol kore lo merachok -
When suddenly from below a voice calls out to him from afar —
hay, chaver, ani raev. tamshich lizrok li et hakelipot...
Hey, friend, I'm hungry. Keep throwing me those shells...
shama kitzan umin hagag yarad bosh venichlam
The beggar heard and from the roof came down, ashamed and humbled
im yesh olam shebo echad gam beli kelipot nirdam
If there's a world where someone, even without the shells, falls asleep
ashuv samecha el beyti maher, maher achshav
I'll return happy to my home, quickly, quickly now
ki tov makom echad sheli midimyonot lashov...
For better is one place of my own than fantasies in vain...
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