SingHebrew

Shfuyim

Sane

by Shlomo Artzi

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vechama nishar lach bakis? shaal oti shechter, velo aniti
"How much do you have left in your pocket?" asked Shechter, and I did not answer
veachar kach hu nasa lechapes et atzmo sham, baderachim
And afterward he drove off to search for himself there, on the roads
veyom echad keshehofanu bemiluim, pitom raiti
And one day when we performed in reserve duty, I suddenly saw
eych hu shar bamizrachit
How he sang in Mizrahi style
im chayalim semechim
With happy soldiers
sim lach bacheder amar, gitara vetana"ch
Put in your room he said, a guitar and a Bible
ze yashir otach tamid meuzan umunach
That will always keep you balanced and upright
el hakefarim amar nisa, nimtza shalva shel elohim
Let's go to the villages he said, we'll find God's peace
lo haya lanu motza, harey ratzinu lehishaer shefuyim
We had no choice, we wanted to stay sane after all
ani yachol kevar lehistakel al hakol merachok
I can already look at everything from a distance
mi shenishar shafuy yoter, umi nishar pachot
Who stayed saner, and who stayed less so
ani merim rosh lifamim, veshomea shir ahava bisfaradit
I raise my head sometimes, and hear a love song in Spanish
o nichnas leeyzo chanut mamtakim beeyzo ir
Or walk into some candy shop in some city
veomer lamocheret haketana keshenifradim,
And say to the little salesgirl when we part,
motek haikar tachaziki maamad,
Sweet one, the main thing is hold on,
haikar shenishar kan eychshehu shefuyim
The main thing is that we stay here somehow sane
vechama nishar lach bakis? shaal oti shechter, az halovati lo elef
"How much do you have left in your pocket?" Shechter asked, so I lent him a thousand
vehu bizbez otam al isha vachomarim
And he squandered it on a woman and substances
uvishvil lehishaer shafuy ani kotev lach od michtav echad meele
And to stay sane I write you one more letter of those
sheata kotev rak kesheata ohev,
That you write only when you love,
rak kesheata tzair
Only when you are young
uvacheder yashan lo ish katan minesuay harishonim
And in a room sleeps a small man from my first marriage
ani mabit bo uvdam zoremet elayv haahava sheli
I look at him and love for him flows in my blood
uchshehu menagen veshar rap tov uma naim
And when he plays and raps well and how sweet it is
ani omer lo ben yakar, rak shenishaer shefuyim
I say to him dear son, if only we can stay sane
vaani yachol kevar lehistakel al hakol merachok
And I can already look at everything from a distance
mi shenishar shafuy yoter, umi nishar pachot
Who stayed saner, and who stayed less so
ani merim rosh lifamim, veshomea shir ahava bisfaradit
I raise my head sometimes, and hear a love song in Spanish
o nichnas leeyzo chanut mamtakim beeyzo ir
Or walk into some candy shop in some city
veomer lamocheret haketana keshenifradim,
And say to the little salesgirl when we part,
motek haikar tachaziki maamad,
Sweet one, the main thing is hold on,
haikar shenishar kan eychshehu shefuyim
The main thing is that we stay here somehow sane
et shechter motzu met befariz beli ahava uvli kesef,
Shechter was found dead in Paris without love and without money,
ani okef et hamasait shebaa mimuli
I swerve around the truck coming toward me
choshev al elohim shenihya zaken veayef, ki haolam shelo nihya lehefech
Thinking of God who grew old and weary, because his world turned inside out
ze ma shehu hitkaven keshehu bara oto bishvilchem uvishviley
That is what he meant when he created it for you and for me
uvacheder hakatan sheney sinim avudim
And in a small room two lost Chinese
hem mesayedim oto lavan kemo hashamayim shel pakin
Are painting it white like the skies of Beijing
uchvar chodshayim sheanachnu lo beyachad tagidi li ma ze omer
And it's already two months since we've been apart tell me what does it mean
ani nosea latzad hasheni shel haolam lishmoa et pol sayemun shar
I am going to the other side of the world to hear Paul Simon sing
veshuv ani omer
And again I say
ani yachol kevar lehistakel al hakol merachok
I can already look at everything from a distance
mi shenishar shafuy yoter, umi nishar pachot
Who stayed saner, and who stayed less so
ani merim rosh lifamim, veshomea shir ahava bisfaradit
I raise my head sometimes, and hear a love song in Spanish
o nichnas leeyzo chanut mamtakim beeyzo ir
Or walk into some candy shop in some city
veomer lamocheret haketana keshenifradim,
And say to the little salesgirl when we part,
motek haikar tachaziki maamad,
Sweet one, the main thing is hold on,
haikar shenishar kan eychshehu...
The main thing is that we stay here somehow...
ken ani yachol kevar lehistakel al hakol merachok
Yes I can already look at everything from a distance
mi shenishar shafuy yoter, umi nishar pachot
Who stayed saner, and who stayed less so
ani merim rosh lifamim, veshomea shir ahava bisfaradit
I raise my head sometimes, and hear a love song in Spanish
o nichnas leeyzo chanut mamtakim beeyzo ir
Or walk into some candy shop in some city
veomer lamocheret haketana keshenifradim,
And say to the little salesgirl when we part,
motek haikar tachaziki maamad,
Sweet one, the main thing is hold on,
haikar shenishar kan eychshehu shefuyim
The main thing is that we stay here somehow sane
shefuyim...
Sane...
shefuyim...
Sane...
shefuyim...
Sane...
shefuyim...
Sane...
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