Ima Im Hayiti

Mom, If I Could

Ima Im Hayiti

and he hums it againveshuv oto nigun
you left me once, a lullabysheshart li pa’am, shir eres
he sings from the hearthu mitnagen balev
reminds me of things from theremazkir dvarim misham
there in front of the seasham el mul oto yam
when the sands were home to mekshehacholot hayu li bayit
and the breezes whispered to meveharuchot lachshu li
that we're not aloneshe’anlo levad

and you held my handve’at hechzakt li et hayad
said: "look to the sky"amart: “habet el hashamayim”
promised that day will comehivtacht sheyom yavo
and we'll return thereve’od nashuv lechan

mom, if I could onlyima, im hayiti yachol rak
heal the longinglerape et haga’agu’a
memories still burn the brainhazichronot od sorfim et hamo’ach
love is not eternal, nor is the spiritha’ahava lo nitzcha, gam lo haru’ach
mom, if I could onlyima, im hayiti yachol rak
believe in you and not betrayleha’amin lach velo livro’ach
the heart is torn, it doesn't give in to trusthalev nivgad, hu lo noten li livto’ach
only the melody still gives strengthrak hanigun od noten et hako’ach

and he hums it againveshuv oto nigun
every year in the summerbechol shana bakayitz
in the warm, fragrant alleysbachamamot gdelim prachim
sealed like back thenktumim kmo az
even the children grew up slowlygam hayladim parchu le’at
almost all settled downkim’at kulam hekimu bayit
only the echoes of the streetsrak hashemot shel harchovot
remember what was hiddenzochrim ma shenignaz

remembering our gate in front of the templezocheret sharnu mul hechal
if I forget you, Jerusalemim eshkachech yerushalayim
we cried out for the day to cometza’aknu yom yavo
and we'll return thereve’od nashuv lechan....

mom, if I could onlyima, im hayiti yachol rak
heal the longinglerape et haga’agu’a
memories still burn the brainhazichronot od sorfim et hamo’ach
love is not eternal, nor is the spiritha’ahava lo nitzcha, gam lo haru’ach
mom, if I could onlyima, im hayiti yachol rak
believe in you and not betrayleha’amin lach velo livro’ach
the heart is torn, it doesn't give in to trusthalev nivgad, hu lo noten li livto’ach
only the melody still gives strengthrak hanigun od noten et hako’ach

we'll return there againod nashuv lesham
we'll return there againod nashuv lesham
we'll return, momod nashuv ima
we'll return, mom, if I couldod nashuv ima, im hayiti
the heart is yearning, the heart wants to smile againhalev po’em, halev rotze shuv lismo’ach
and the melody still gives strengthvehanigun od noten et hako’ach