Esther Ofarim (Hebrew: אסתר עופרים‎, born Esther Zaied, 13 June 1941 in Saf… Read Full Bio ↴Esther Ofarim (Hebrew: אסתר עופרים‎, born Esther Zaied, 13 June 1941 in Safed) is an Israeli female vocalist.

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.

Leil Galil
Esther Ofarim Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Kol hakfar schoket rogea
Schavu adarim
EI haderech li etze'a
Ve enai el beharim
Al harim schochen ha'lail
Arafel male hagai
Schar haruach Abigail
Bo'i, bo'i aharai

Leil Galil leil Galil
Ruach ba kai kalil
Leil Galil laila leil
Ruach ruach ruach leil
Me alai schmey Meróm
Le raglai mey Meróm
AI hahar schochen anan
Schwil bahar molich le Dan
Arafel bagai schochen
Schwil molich es ha Jarden

Schar haruach laila lail
Mi iotzé el heharim
Lo hagdi ve lo ha'ayl
Lo ro'e va'adarim
Ve ona lo Abigail:
Lo yatza baleil hagdi

Rag libi yotze balail
E dodi e jehidi

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Esther Ofarim's song "Leil Galil" describe a night in Galilee, a region in northern Israel, where the singer is surrounded by silence and darkness. The mountains are the dwellers of the night, and the air is filled with a gentle breeze. The singer then speaks of ascending to the mountains, but not in a physical way. Rather, they are going on a journey of the soul, seeking a deep understanding of the world around them. They call out to the wind to guide them and invite their beloved to come along.

The chorus, which repeats throughout the song, speaks of the night in Galilee and the spirit that is present. The singer speaks of their feet being in the waters of Merom, a lake in Galilee, and the clouds covering the mountains. The wind is blowing in the valley and carries on to Dan, another city in the area.

Overall, the song speaks of a sense of longing and a search for spiritual guidance. The night in Galilee represents a moment of introspection and reflection, with the mountains acting as silent witnesses to the singer's journey. The presence of the wind and the clouds suggests a certain mystical quality to the experience, as if something beyond the physical world is being sought.

Line by Line Meaning

Kol hakfar schoket rogea
All of the village is hushed, trembling with anticipation

Schavu adarim
The fields are calm and quiet

EI haderech li etze'a
Where the path leads, I will follow

Ve enai el beharim
My eyes are fixed on the mountains

Al harim schochen ha'lail
The mountains dwell in the night

Arafel male hagai
The valley is full of mist

Schar haruach Abigail
Abigail is the reward of the wind

Bo'i, bo'i aharai
Come, come after me

Leil Galil leil Galil
Night in Galilee, night in Galilee

Ruach ba kai kalil
The gentle wind blows

Leil Galil laila leil
Night in Galilee, night, night