The Prayer of the Mothers
From the north to the south,
From the west to the east,
Hear the prayer of the mothers.
Bring them peace, bring them peace.
The beautiful song below, Prayer of the Mothers, is an alliance between singer-songwriter Yael Deckelbaum and a group of courageous women leading a movement called Women Wage Peace.
This movement emerged the summer of 2014 amidst an escalation of violence, military operation Tzuk Eitan, between Israel and Palestine.
In 2016, October 4, Jewish and Arab women began the March of Hope.
Thousands of women marched from the north of Israel to Jerusalem — a call for peace — that reached it’s peak October 19th with 4,000 women, half Palestinian and half Israeli, in Qasr el Yahud on the northern Dead Sea.
That very same evening 15,000 women protested in front of the Prime Minister’s house in Jerusalem.
The marches were joined by Nobel Peace Prize winner, Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian activist responsible for leading the women’s movement, Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, that helped bring an end to the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003.
In this song, Prayer of the Mothers, Yael combines a recording of Leymah, sampled from a youtube video in which Leymah sends her blessings to the Women Wage Peace movement.
Prayer of the Mothers
Music: Yael Deckelbaum
Lyrics: Yael Deckelbaum, Lubna Salame, Miriam Toukan
HEBREW/ ARABIC/ ENGLISH LYRICS
Rechishat Ruach yam
menashevet me ey sham
oochvisa mitnafnefet
letziley hachoma
bainil ard wisamam
nashiktir baishu sawa
matchafu tahlemu
bisalam wilaman
matai yimsoo chomot hapachad
veshavti migalooti
yipatchoo shearai
el hatov haamiti
yalla tnam – od zricha
yalla tnam – boker ba
tanetbhela (em sholachat) tairil hamam (bitfila)
ruhia hamam (et yalda)
la tzadik (lebeit hasefer)
bihak aaa tifil taimam (letzliley milchama)
Od yimsoo chomot hapachad
veshavti migalooti
yipatchoo shearai
el hatov haamiti
first layer, English:
from the north to the south
from the west to the east
hear the prayer of the mothers
bring them peace
bring them peace
second layer, English and Arabic:
from the north – mnishamaaaal
to the south – lal januuuuub
from the west – min el raaaaaarb
to the east- saub isharQ
together:
hear the prayer of the mothers – ismaussulat el ummahaaaat
bring them peace, bring them peace – assalam assalam
third layer English and Hebrew:
Or ole
from the north – mnishamaaaal
to the south – lal januuuuub
min hamizrach – from the west – min el raaaaaarb
to the east- saub isharQ
together:
hear the prayer of the mothers – ismaussalat el ummahaaaat – mool tfilat haimahot
bring them peace, bring them peace – assalam assalam – leshalom, leshalom
Translation:
HEBREW/ ARABIC/ ENGLISH
A whisper of ocean wind
Is blowing from far away
And laundry is flapping
To the shadow of the wall
Between the sky and the land
There are people who want to live in peace
Don’t give up, keep dreaming
Of peace and prosperity
When will the walls of fear melt
When will I return from exile
And my gates will open
To what is truly good
Hebrew / Arabic (the Arabic lyrics are taken from a children song, performed by Feiruz)
Come on Sleep! – Another sunrise
Come on Sleep – And morning is here
We will slaughter – A mother sends
A pigeon for you – Along with a prayer
Fly pigeon, Don’t believe – Her child to school
We will laugh with the child – to the sound
So that he may sleep – of war
The walls of fear will some day melt
And I will return from exile
My gates shall open
To what is truly good
(English and Arabic are the same)
from the north to the south
from the west to the east
hear the prayer of the mothers
bring them peace
bring them peace
Light is rising from the east to the prayer of the mothers for peace
Yael Deckelbaum, Jan 22, 2017
“I believe in the power of women to lead to positive change and in the power of music to connect people. I have decided to initiate Women of the World Unite, an ongoing musical project, that will carry the message of organic women’s movements through musical collaborations between female musicians and leaders across the globe.”
More How Things Work in the Higher Realms,
Compassion Road and Forgiveness Road posts here.
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