Hareut Explained

Hareut (friendship, fellowship, comradeship in English, here esp. brotherhood in arms) is a Hebrew poem written by Haim Gouri and set to music by Sasha Argov. The song was written a year after the outbreak of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and commemorates those who fell in the war. The song is often performed at memorial ceremonies.

The song was originally performed by the Chizbatron with Gideon Singer as a soloist. Other well-known performances of the song have been by the NAHAL Entertainment Troupe, and popular singers Shoshana Damari and Yehoram Gaon. Prior to Israel's 60th Independence Day, the song was elected by IDF soldiers on the Army Radio, as their favourite Hebrew song, ranking ahead of the popular Jerusalem of Gold. The song was highly ranked in other competitions.

The song represents the social ideals of the period of the 1947–1949 Palestine war including one's sacrifice for the homeland, the individual's concern for all, and the sanctity of the memory of the fallen.

In the 1990s the song also became identified with the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. Yitzhak Rabin admitted that this was one of his favourite songs, and it was performed by Shoshana Damari at the Peace Rally at which he was later assassinated. It is regularly performed at ceremonies commemorating the memory of Yitzhak Rabin.

Lyrics

Original

הרעות

על הנגב יורד ליל הסתיו

ומצית כוכבים חרש חרש

עת הרוח עובר על הסף

עננים מהלכים על הדרך.

כבר שנה לא הרגשנו כמעט

איך עברו הזמנים בשדותינו

כבר שנה ונותרנו מעט

מה רבים שאינם כבר בינינו.

אך נזכור את כולם

את יפי הבלורית והתואר

כי רעות שכזאת לעולם

לא תיתן את ליבנו לשכוח

אהבה מקודשת בדם

את תשובי בינינו לפרוח.

הרעות נשאנוך בלי מילים

אפורה עקשנית ושותקת

מלילות האימה הגדולים

את נותרת בהירה ודולקת.

הרעות כנערייך כולם

שוב בשמך נחייך ונלכה

כי רעים שנפלו על חרבם

את חייך הותירו לזכר.

ונזכור את כולם...

English translation

The friendship

An autumn night descends on the Negev

And gently, gently lights up the stars

While the wind blows on the threshold

Clouds go on their way.

Already a year, and we almost didn’t notice

How the time has passed in our fields

Already a year, and few of us remain

So many are no longer among us.

But we'll remember them all

The elegant, the handsome

Because friendship like this will never

Permit our hearts to forget

Love sanctified with blood

will once more bloom among us

Friendship, we bear you with no words

Gray, stubborn and silent

Of the nights of great terror

You remained bright and lit

Friendship, as did all your youths

Again in your name we will smile and go foreword

Because friends that have fallen on their swords

Left your life as a monument

And we'll remember them all…

External links