Browse: Home / 2009 / October / 05 / A Hebrew Medley (video): Ayts Chaim/Hashivenu

A Hebrew Medley (video): Ayts Chaim/Hashivenu

By on October 5, 2009

Here’s a simple Hebrew medley I want to teach the King’s Court Choir at CPC. I recorded a quick video with my guitar—actually, with my daughter’s cheapo short-neck—so they can hear how the song goes.

The lyrics are from Proverbs 3:17-18 and Lamentations 5:21:

עִבְרִית Transliteration English

עֵץ־חַיִּים הִיא
 ×œÖ·×žÖ·Ö¼×—ֲזִיקִים בָּהּ
וְֽתֹמְכֶיהָ מְאֻשָּֽׁר׃
דְרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי־נֹעַם
וְֽכָל־נְתִיבֹותֶיהָ שָׁלֹֽום׃

הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ יְהוָה אֵלֶיךָ
 ×•× ×©Ö¶×‚וב
חַדֵּשׁ יָמֵינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם׃

Éts-chaim hi
 lamachaziqim bah
V’tomcheha meushar
D’racheha darchéy-noam
V’chal-nativoteha shalom.

Hashivénu Adonai élecha
 v’nashuva
Khadésh yaméynu k’qedem

It is a tree of life
 to those who take hold of it,
And happy are those who support it.
Its ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all its paths are peace.

Turn us to you, O Lord,
 and let us return.
Renew our days as of old.

-TimK

Posted in , , | Tagged | 6 Responses

6 responses to “A Hebrew Medley (video): Ayts Chaim/Hashivenu”

  1. Suldog
    Suldog October 6, 2009 at 11:16 am |

    Nice job, Tim! Love the change at about 2:40 in.

  2. J. Timothy King
    J. Timothy King October 6, 2009 at 2:34 pm |

    Thanks, Jim!

    -TimK

  3. LanceH
    LanceH October 16, 2009 at 7:00 pm |

    Thanks Tim. I have been looking for the melody to Ayts Chaim forever. Not an easy song to find.

  4. J. Timothy King
    J. Timothy King October 16, 2009 at 8:28 pm |

    No, not easy to find. I did find a couple other renditions on YouTube, however, by relentless searching. 🙂

  5. Leah Grover
    Leah Grover October 28, 2013 at 10:37 pm |

    It’s very difficult to find the first version you sang of “Hashivenu” (the one that’s *not* the traditional Israeli folk tune). Who wrote the melody of the one that’s not the trad. Israeli folk tune?

    1. J. Timothy King
      J. Timothy King October 31, 2013 at 1:10 pm |

      Hi, Leah. I don’t know where that melody comes from. We use that melody during the part of the Torah service when the Torah is returned to the ark. I assumed it was a traditional melody.