SingHebrew

Lo Ozev Et Ha'ir

Not Leaving the City

by Shlomo Artzi

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hu lifney sium
He is before the end
soger kevar et hashaar.
Already closing the gate.
marpe min hainyan,
Letting go of the matter,
chomek el toch hashir.
Slipping into the song.
vehi lifney sium shoelet:
And she, before the end, asks:
"haim ata nishar?
"Are you staying?
haim hashir yimna mibaadenu lehamshich?"
Will the song keep us from moving on?"
"lo ozev et hair!"
"I am not leaving the city!"
hu omer lah,
He tells her,
"avur af echad.
"For anyone.
anachnu shenayim tamid,
We are two, always,
beynenu elohim echad.
Between us one God.
veat avuri
And you, for me,
kemo shetika daka,
Are like a thin silence,
vechach o kach
And either way
lo ozev gam otach".
I am not leaving you either."
veachar kach mishum shetechelet,
And then, because of some blue,
haradyo meoded,
The radio encourages,
rak simaney hachof
Only the signs of the shore
meorrim safek.
Raise doubt.
vehi mitoch sium shoelet:
And she, from within an ending, asks:
"haim yihye miday?"
"Will it be too much?"
im hi pitom tifrotz bivchi lo mitapek.
If she suddenly breaks into unrestrained weeping.
lo ozev et hair...
I am not leaving the city...
shemot lifney sium,
Names before the end,
vehu pitom mavticha,
And he suddenly promises,
mitoch chalom zahir
From within a careful dream
hem nishanim el yam.
They lean against the sea.
lamut lifney sium,
To die before the end,
vehi al kav rakia,
And she on the skyline,
metucha kemo ir ketana -
Stretched like a small city —
demuyat sharav.
Shaped like a mirage.
lo ozev et hair...
I am not leaving the city...
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