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.
Speak Low
Esther Ofarim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our summer day withers away
Too soon, too soon.
Speak low when you speak, love,
Our moment is swift, like ships adrift,
We're swept apart too soon.
Love is a spark lost in the dark,
Too soon, too soon,
I feel wherever I go
That tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here
And always too soon.
Time is so old and love so brief,
Love is pure gold and time a thief.
We're late darling, we're late,
The curtain descends, ev'rything ends
Too soon, too soon,
I wait darling, I wait
Will you speak low to me,
Speak love to me and soon.
Esther Ofarim's "Speak Low" is a romantic ballad that highlights the fleeting nature of love and time. The opening lines "Speak low when you speak, love, our summer day withers away too soon, too soon" conveys a sense of urgency and desperation while encouraging the lovers to keep their relationship clandestine. The theme of evanescence is carried throughout the song with lyrics like "Our moment is swift, like ships adrift, we're swept apart too soon" and "Love is a spark lost in the dark, too soon, too soon". It evokes a sense of nostalgia and melancholy as the singer muses on the transience of the present moment and the inevitability of its end.
The lyrics also reveal an underlying fear of the future and uncertainty of what it holds. The lines "I feel wherever I go, that tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here, and always too soon" highlights the singer's anxiety that time is running out and the need to seize the moment. The verses "Time is so old and love so brief, love is pure gold and time a thief" suggest that love is a precious commodity that is easily snatched away by time's relentless march.
In conclusion, Esther Ofarim's "Speak Low" is a beautifully crafted ballad that explores the theme of love and time. Its melancholic tone and evocative lyrics are timeless and relatable.
Line by Line Meaning
Speak low when you speak, love,
When expressing your love, make sure to use gentle and subtle tones
Our summer day withers away
Our moments of joy and bliss do not last forever and slip away quickly
Too soon, too soon.
Unfortunately, this fleeting pleasure comes to an end before we expect or desire it to end
Our moment is swift, like ships adrift,
This moment is transitory and short-lived, and we are like ships on the move, constantly propelled by the currents of life
We're swept apart too soon.
We're parted too soon by the twists and turns of fate, leaving us yearning for more of this happy time together
Speak low, darling speak low,
My love, please whisper your words of love to me softly and gently
Love is a spark lost in the dark,
Love is like a small, delicate fire that can quickly disappear, especially when in the shadows of doubt and uncertainty
Too soon, too soon,
Love, like happy moments, ends all too abruptly
I feel wherever I go
Everywhere I go, I am reminded of the transience of life and the fleeting nature of happiness
That tomorrow is near, tomorrow is here
The future always comes sooner than expected and before we are prepared for it
And always too soon.
And it always seems like it is too soon to say goodbye to what we hold dear
Time is so old and love so brief,
Although time has existed for eons, the moments where we get to experience love are few and far between
Love is pure gold and time a thief.
Love is invaluable and precious like gold, but time is always stealing it away from us
We're late darling, we're late,
We have lingered too long, and now it is almost too late to act before things end
The curtain descends, ev'rything ends
Everything, including the good things, come to a natural end and curtains close
Too soon, too soon,
Unfortunately, it is always too soon for everything to end
I wait darling, I wait
I am waiting and hoping that our good times will continue for just a little while longer
Will you speak low to me,
Can we please keep our love affair a secret and not expose it to the harsh light of public scrutiny
Speak love to me and soon.
Please whisper gentle and loving words to me soon, before our moments of happiness slip away forever
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kurt Weill, Ogden Nash
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
D. P
no one can interpret this song like Esther. she is awesome
Michael James Chisholm
Don't forget BILLIE Holiday's version..
Jan Arnaud
Just beautiful.