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Agadat 21

Legend of 21

by Shlomo Artzi

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at hayit kevar bat esrim veachat
You were already twenty-one
bashamayim nitznetz lecha kochav
In the sky a star twinkled for you
baleylot gavar hasevel shelecha
At night your suffering grew
beyamim lavashta masecha
By day you wore a mask
ilu yadanu lichyot
If only we knew how to live
betochi, ani mode, lo yadanu eych
Inside me, I confess, we didn't know how
amar avi: "raiti bachayim et hazeman cholef"
My father said: "I've watched time pass by in my life"
at hayit kevar bat esrim veachat
You were already twenty-one
nichtevu al ze harbe kelishaot
Many cliches were written about it
"ani rotze leehov, rotze leehov!"
"I want to love, I want to love!"
shavarta im ze et kol hakirot
You broke down all the walls with that
hitpateyta bekalut linshikot
You were easily tempted by kisses
ki beleylot hakor at bikashta lach chom
Because on cold nights you sought warmth
velifamim keshehayita, bivdidut olamit
And sometimes when you were, in cosmic loneliness
shichvat im mi?
Who did you lie with?
regesh ba li regesh baerev, lihyot bemakom katan
Emotion comes to me emotion in the evening, to be in a small place
zugot ovru li borchov mul haeynayim
Couples passed me on the street before my eyes
shearach haya muzhav
Your hair was golden
im yesh od baeynayim demaot
If there are still tears in the eyes
barachti leveyt horay kedey lashevet livkot
I fled to my parents' house to sit and cry
nirdamti lavush
I fell asleep fully dressed
uvshalosh bediuk
And at three exactly
hitorarti misiut
I woke from a nightmare
hazeman over
Time passes
avi hazaken amar: "hazeman over betisa"
My old father said: "Time passes in flight"
lu hayiti chozer
If I could go back
al otam hadevarim sheasiti mitechilatam
Over the same things I did from start
ad sofam
To finish
ba li lakachat tarmil velinsoa,
I feel like taking a backpack and traveling,
od paam achat
Just one more time
berakevet meofefet, gavoha gavoha
On a flying train, high high
lean sheat nasat
To where you traveled
keshehayita kevar bat esrim veachat
When you were already twenty-one
aremot ahava hayu bachutz
Heaps of love were outside
lo nagata bahen matzata lecha terutz
You didn't touch them you found yourself an excuse
ani nizkar bishneychem betoch hatzefifut
I remember both of you in the crowd
becha uvaachi heharug
You and my fallen brother
ilu yadati tefilot
If I knew prayers
heyitem po veze haya ozer
You'd be here and that would help
aval atem nishartem
But you remained
beney esrim veachat
Twenty-one years old
ad hayom haze
Until this very day
regesh ba li regesh baerev lihyot bemakom katan
Emotion comes to me emotion in the evening to be in a small place
hayit tofeset ahuv umvateret al ahuv yashan
You would grab one love and let go of an old love
ilu yadata leehov
If only you knew how to love
beemtza hamin, yesh bedidut pitomit
In the middle of sex, there's sudden loneliness
amar avi hacholem: "ahava lo nigmeret beyom
My dreaming father said: "Love doesn't end in a day
rak haberakim nigmarim"
Only the lightning ends"
hazeman over
Time passes
avi hazaken amar: "hazeman over betisa"
My old father said: "Time passes in flight"
lu hayiti chozer
If I could go back
al otam hadevarim sheasiti mitechilatam
Over the same things I did from start
ad sofam
To finish
ba li lakachat tarmil velinsoa,
I feel like taking a backpack and traveling,
od paam achat
Just one more time
berakevet meofefet, gavoha gavoha
On a flying train, high high
kemo sheat nasat
Like you traveled
keshehayita kevar bat esrim veachat
When you were already twenty-one
esrim veachat esrim veachat
Twenty-one twenty-one
shearach haya zahav amiti
Your hair was real gold
bediuk nigmera milchama achat
One war had just ended
ushni techef tatchil
And a second is about to begin
ma meaz dome lehayom?
What's the same from then to now?
otah ofnat searot otah bedidut kiumit
Same hairstyle same existential loneliness
"lo mitarev" amar avi hazaken
"I don't interfere" my old father said
"hazeman miyimla cholef"
"Time passes anyway"
regesh ba li regesh baerev lihyot bemakom katan
Emotion comes to me emotion in the evening to be in a small place
ani nichnas ani yotze laderech
I enter I head out on the road
shearach haya muzhav
Your hair was golden
ilu yadati tefilot
If I knew prayers
lifamim mitpalel betochi bamita
Sometimes I pray inside in bed
arbaa beney adam, yesh li baolam
Four human beings, I have in this world
shemor li otam!
Keep them safe for me!
vehazeman over
And time passes
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