"Hayu Zmanim" (, literally 'There Were Times', sometimes translated as 'In Those Days'
Israeli Cultural Icon Haim Hefer Dies at 86
''Haaretz
''Haaretz'' (; originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , , ) is an List of newspapers in Israel, Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel. The paper is published in Hebrew lan ...
'', September 18, 2012) is a song with lyrics by Haim Hefer
Haim Hefer (; 29 October 1925 – 18 September 2012) was a Polish-born Israeli songwriter, poet, columnist, translator and writer. He wrote for numerous composers and musical artists, as well as for military bands. Several of his songs are consi ...
and music by Moshe Wilensky
Moshe Wilensky (, also, "Vilensky"; 17 April 1910 – 2 January 1997) was a Polish-Israeli composer, lyricist, and pianist. He is considered a "pioneer of Israeli song" and one of Israel's leading composers, and was a winner of the Israel Prize, ...
written in 1948. It was first performed by the Chizbatron band of Palmach
The Palmach (Hebrew: , acronym for , ''Plugot Maḥatz'', "Strike Phalanges/Companies") was the elite combined strike forces and sayeret unit of the Haganah, the paramilitary organization of the Yishuv (Jewish community) during the period of th ...
.[היו זמנים אז במשלט ישבנו]
/ref>
History
It was first published in ''Beshaar'', the literary supplement of ''Al HaMishmar
''Al HaMishmar'' (, ''On Guard'') was a daily newspaper published in Mandatory Palestine and Israel between 1943 and 1995. The paper was owned by, and affiliated with Hashomer Hatzair as well as the Hashomer Hatzair Workers Party of Palestine, ...
'' on July 22, 1948, and its first performance by Chizbatron with soloist Naomi Polani
Naomi Polani (; 4 August 1927 – 15 April 2024) was an Israeli musical director, theater director, singer, producer, actress and dancer. She was the Israel Prize laureate for Theater and Dance in 2019.
Music career
Polani founded the singing g ...
was on July 20.Eli Eshed
Eli Eshed () is an Israeli researcher of popular culture.
Literary criticism
Eli Eshed writes about Israeli pulp magazines and paperbacks of the 1950s and 1960s with a special focus on the pirated Tarzan books popular among Israeli youth at the ...
'היו זמנים' – שירו של חיים חפר בגרסה המקורית, בתרגום לרוסית ובפרודיה
''Yekum'' magazine, August 24, 2018Shoshana Damari
Shoshana Damari (; 31 March 1923 – 14 February 2006) was an Israeli singer known as the "Queen of Hebrew Music."
Biography
Shoshana Damari was born as Shodia Damari on the eve of Passover in Dhamar, Yemen as the eldest daughter in a family ...
was noted for performing and recording this song,[ as well as ]Yaffa Yarkoni
Yafa Yarkoni (, also Yaffa Yarqoni, 24 December 1925 – 1 January 2012) was an Israeli singer. She won the Israel Prize in 1998 for her contributions to Hebrew music. She was dubbed Israel's "songstress of the wars" due to her frequent performan ...
. Later it was performed by many others.[
Initially the song was written as looking into the future: "The day will come and you will still sit by the fire, and your back will be bent like a hoe, and you will remember your days in Palmach and tell about it..." But as the time passed, it became a nostalgic song about the past.][
In 1979, on the occasion of the ]Egypt–Israel peace treaty
The Egypt–Israel peace treaty was signed in Washington, D.C., United States, on 26 March 1979, following the 1978 Camp David Accords. The Egypt–Israel treaty was signed by Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt, and Menachem Begin, Prime Minist ...
Hefer added two more stanzas.[היו זמנים]
recordings by various performers, ' archive of Hebrew songs
See also
*" We Left Slowly"
References
{{authority control
Israeli songs
Songs in Hebrew
1948 songs
Chizbatron