She met Abi Ofarim, a guitarist and dancer, in 1959 and subsequently married him. With her husband and without him she began to sing Hebrew and international folk songs.
In 1960 Esther got a small role in the film Exodus. In 1961 Esther won the Song Festival in Tel Aviv, where she sang "Saeni imcha bemachol" and "Neama". Two years later, Esther made the 2nd place at the Eurovision Song Contest with "T'en vas pas", representing Switzerland.
From then on, her duo with her then husband Abi Ofarim began take off. In 1966 they had their first hit in Germany with "Noch einen Tanz". Their greatest success in Germany was "Morning of my Life" in 1967, which was written by the Bee Gees. In 1968 the Ofarims had their international breakthrough with "Cinderella Rockefella", which hit the top of the charts in a number of countries including the UK. They played many live concerts in New York and London, and in 1969 they toured around the world.
As result of problems in both business, and personal relations, they divorced in 1970 [1] (in German).
Esther started her solo career with several albums and concerts. In 1984 she played in Joshua Sobol's piece "Ghetto", produced by Peter Zadek in Berlin (Germany). There she sang some songs, including "Frühling" and "Unter deinen weissen Sternen". The play was extremely successful, which was attributed in part to Esther's strong presence.
Since 1998, Esther Ofarim has been performing several concerts each year, especially in Israel and Germany. This includes annual concerts in the Hamburger Kammerspiele.
Ofarim's songs were prominently featured in the 2004 Israeli film, Walk on Water.
Hu Lo Yada Et Shma
Esther Ofarim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Haruach min hayam et hasichim litef
Le'yad ilan zaken hi et rosha heseva
Vetzamata yarda yarod min hakatef
Hagdud himshich litzod
Ve'im hagdud halach hu
Ve'et panav nashku
Aval bechanaya leilit achat nochach hu
Nochach hu ki chachach lishol ota lish'ma
Hu lo yada et sh'ma
Aval ota tzama
Halcha imo le'orech kol haderech
Vehu yada yesh yom
Bo yipagshu pitom
Im shachar shel tlalim o shemesh erev.
Hakayitz hasheni hechlif gonim vatzeva,
Patrol si'ur chazar milayla shel Sivan.
Miher ha'ambulas, baderech liVersheva
Vehi chikta chikta lo bechaluk lavan.
Vehu sha'al: "ha'im?" vehi amra: "zocheret"
Vekho dibru sha'ot, ish lo yed'a al ma.
Ukshe halach bli shuv, vehi notra chiveret,
Zachra hi ki shachach lish'ol ota lishma.
Hu lo yada et sh'ma
Aval ota tzama
Halcha imo le'orech kol haderech
Vehu yada yesh yom
Bo yipagshu pitom
Im shachar shel tlalim o shemesh erev
The song "Hu Lo Yada Et Shma" by Esther Ofarim tells the story of two people walking on a journey together. The lyrics describe the landscape they are walking through and the emotions that they are experiencing. The first verse talks about the wind blowing over the sea and shaking the trees. The old tree knows the secrets of the desert and the dryness of the land, and its branches sway in the wind. The couple walking together reaches out to touch the tree, feeling the wind and sun on their faces. They kiss in the wind and warmth of the sun. The second verse describes the second season of the year - summer. The heat of the day is so intense that it seems to be stuck in place. The patrol car drives by, the summer night sky is black, and the woman says that they should take this path to Versheva because it is cooler. They walk through the night, only stopping to drink water and enjoy the silence. They kiss again as they continue walking.
The repeated phrase "Hu Lo Yada Et Shma" means "He didn't know how to listen," which repeats the key message of the song. The man in the song is unaware of the world's beauty and importance until the woman he walks with points it out to him. He only understands the power of the world's beauty when he is with her. Although he can hear the song of the wind and the rustle of the trees, he doesn't understand its significance. Still, he acknowledges that this woman is essential to him, and he wants to be with her. The song's final lines suggest that he is slowly beginning to notice and appreciate the world around him because she has opened his eyes.
Line by Line Meaning
Halach hu yom echad baderech mibeer-sheva
He walked one day on the road from Beersheva
Haruach min hayam et hasichim litef
The wind from the sea brushed the bushes gently
Le'yad ilan zaken hi et rosha heseva
Aged tree’s top touched the desert sky with its fingers
Vetzamata yarda yarod min hakatef
And its shadow descended down from its shoulder
Hagdud himshich litzod
The regiment continued to march
Ve'im hagdud halach hu
And if the regiment walked, he too did
Ve'et panav nashku
And they kissed his face
Gam ruach gam chama
Both wind and sun
Aval bechanaya leilit achat nochach hu
But in a certain inn, he stayed one night nearby
Nochach hu ki chachach lishol ota lish'ma
He was nearby because he wanted to ask her something
Hu lo yada et sh'ma
He did not know the name
Aval ota tzama
But he thirsts for it
Halcha imo le'orech kol haderech
He walked with her for the entire way
Vehu yada yesh yom
And he knew that a day would come
Bo yipagshu pitom
That suddenly they will meet again
Im shachar shel tlalim o shemesh erev.
Whether at the morning of dew or at the evening of the sun
Hakayitz hasheni hechlif gonim vatzeva,
The second summer swapped colors and shades
Patrol si'ur chazar milayla shel Sivan.
A dove squadron returned one night of the month of Sivan
Miher ha'ambulas, baderech liVersheva
From the bus station, on the way to Beersheva
Vehi chikta chikta lo bechaluk lavan.
And she hesitated, hesitated, not in a white dress
Vehu sha'al: "ha'im?" vehi amra: "zocheret"
And he asked: "Are you here?" and she said: "I remember"
Vekho dibru sha'ot, ish lo yed'a al ma.
And they spoke for hours, no one knows about what
Ukshe halach bli shuv, vehi notra chiveret,
When he walked away but forgot a handkerchief,
Zachra hi ki shachach lish'ol ota lishma.
She remembered that he forgot to ask her something.
Hu lo yada et sh'ma
He did not know the name
Aval ota tzama
But he thirsts for it
Halcha imo le'orech kol haderech
He walked with her for the entire way
Vehu yada yesh yom
And he knew that a day would come
Bo yipagshu pitom
That suddenly they will meet again
Im shachar shel tlalim o shemesh erev.
Whether at the morning of dew or at the evening of the sun
Contributed by Caleb O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
QQueenQQful
אחד הביצועים היפים לשיר העצוב והיפיפה הזה