Small Gifts - Matanot Ktanot
This song is very popular in Israel. It describes the winding down of the week, and the "small gifts" of the beauty and peace of Shabbat.
Lyrics written by poet and songwriter Noam Horev, originally performed by Rami Kleinstein
This video is the cover by The Boy Duo
LYRICS:
Zeh od yom shishi, noshem et ha-avir
It’s another Friday, breathing the air
Ha-or v’ha-tzel mesachakim shuv tofeset
Light and shadow are playing “tag” again
Ha-shulchan aruch, tmunot yaldut al ha-kir
The table is set, childhood photos on the wall
Shayarot levanot chozrot mi-beit knesset
Processions in white are returning from synagogue
V’ha-re’ach ha-zeh shesoret li et ha-lev
And that smell which scratches at my heart
Mitganev mitganev v’pote’ach dlatot
Stealthy, sneaking in and opening doors
El osher ktan, el oto shir yashan
To a small joy, to the same old song
She’over etzlenu b’meshech dorot
Which is passed along to us for generations
Chorus
Matanot ktanot
Small gifts
Mishehu shalach li matanot ktanot
Someone has sent me small gifts
Resisim shel kavana, igulim shel emuna
Shards of intention, rings of belief
Matanot ktanot
Small gifts
Mishehu shalach li matanot ktanot
Someone has sent me small gifts
Kmo hako’ach l’kabel et ma she’ein, et ma she’yesh
Such as the strength to accept what there isn’t, what there is
Ma od efshar kvar l’vakesh?
What more can one ask for?
Zeh od yom shishi, mirpeset v’iton
It’s another Friday, balcony and newspaper,
Ha-shemesh kmo ha-de’agot l’at nimcheket
The sun, like worries, is slowly being erased,
Manginot pshutot zochalot me’ha-chalon
Simple melodies creep through the window
V’shum se’ara kvar lo tastir po et ha-sheket
And no storm is able anymore to hide the quiet here
Chorus
Ki banu bacharta, v’otanu kidashta
For Thou hast chosen us and sanctified us
Baruch ata Hashem m’kadesh ha-shabbat
Blessed art Thou, G-d, Sanctifier of the Sabbath.
V’ha-re’ach ha-zeh shesoret li et ha-lev
And that smell which scratches at my heart
Mitganev mitganev v’pote’ach dlatot
Stealthy, sneaking in and opening doors
El osher ktan, el oto shir yashan
To a small joy, to the same old song
She’over etzlenu b’meshech dorot
Which is passed along to us for generations
Chorus
Ma od efshar kvar l’vakesh?
What more can one ask for?
Matanot ktanot
Small gifts
10 Hebrew Words to Know
gifts - matanot - מתנותtable - shulchan - שולחןchildhood - yaldut - ילדותgenerations - dorot - דורותheart - lev - לבsomeone - mishehu - מישהוfragments - resisim - רסיסיםnewspaper - iton - עיתוןmelodies - manginot - מנגינותquiet - sheket - שקט
