Erev Shel Shoshanim
Erev Shel Shoshanim (English: Evening of Lilies or Evening of Roses; the Hebrew word shoshana has been identified with both flowers[1]) is a poetic Hebrew love song. Its melody is often used as wedding music in Jewish weddings as a replacement for Here Comes the Bride (Bridal Chorus). It is well known not only within Israeli and Jewish music circles, but known throughout the Middle East, and it is often used as a song belly dancers dance to. The song has also been translated into Armenian, in which language its title is "Yarus (O, Rose!)".
The music is by Yosef Hadar and the lyrics are by Moshe Dor. The song was first recorded in 1957 by singer Yafa Yarkoni, and a year later by the duo HaDuda'im. Their version became a smash hit in Israel. The Dudaim toured the world extensively in the '60s, and "Erev shel Shoshanim" became one of their international signature songs. During the '60s and '70s the song was recorded by various international singers, including Harry Belafonte, Olivera Katarina, Nana Mouskouri, Daliah Lavi, Martin Simpson and Miriam Makeba. In 1974, Yugoslav progressive rock band Dah recorded their hit song "Šošana", which featured melody based on "Erev Shel Shoshanim".[2] In 1975, after moving to Belgium and changing the name to Land, the band recorded an English-language version of "Šošana" (entitled "Shoshana"), which became an international hit.[3]
In 1966, the Israeli folk dancing choreographer Zvi Hillman created the first folk dance based on the song.
Juhani Forsberg used the melody, which he thought to be an Israeli folksong, in his song Tiellä ken vaeltaa, which has since ended up in the hymnbook of Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
Lyrics
English translation
Evening of Roses
Let us go out to the grove
Myrrh, Spices, and Frankincense
Is the carpet under your feet
Night falls slowly
And a wind of rose blows
Let me whisper a song for you slowly
A song of love
Dawn and the dove coos
Your hair is full of dewdrops
Your lips are as roses unto the morning
I will pick them for myself
English transliteration
Erev shel shoshanim
Netzeh na el habustan
Mor besamim ulevona
Leraglech miftan
Layla yored le'at
Veru'ach shoshan noshvah
Havah elchash lach shir balat
Zemer shel ahava
Shachar homa yonah
Roshech maleh telalim
Pich el haboker shoshana
Ektefenu li
Original Hebrew
ערב של שושנים
נצא נא אל הבוסתן
מור בשמים ולבונה
.לרגלך מפתן
לילה יורד לאט
ורוח שושן נושבה
הבה אלחש לך שיר בלאט
.זמר של אהבה
שחר הומה יונה
ראשך מלא טללים
פיך אל הבוקר, שושנה
.אקטפנו לי
Notes
- ↑ "שושנה". Milon.co.il. 2007-05-14. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
- ↑ "Šošana" at Discogs
- ↑ Janjatović, Petar (2007). EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960-2006. Belgrade: self-released. p. 54.
External links
- Hebrew Lyrics
- A singable (rhyming) English translation
- The song in the "Israelidances" database
- Lebanese belly dancing to "Erev Shel Shoshanim" on YouTube
- "The song in the web hymn book of Evangalical Lutheran Church of Finland"