Erev Shel Shoshanim

Erev Shel Shoshanim (English: Evening of Lilies or Evening of Roses) (The Hebrew word shoshana has been identified with both flowers), is a poetic Hebrew love song. Its melody is often used as wedding music in Jewish weddings, as a replacement for Here Comes the Bride. It is well known not only within Israeli and Jewish music circles, but known throughout the Middle East, and it is often used as a song belly dancers dance to. The song has also been translated into Armenian, in which language its title is "Yarus (O, Rose!)".

The music is by Yosef Hadar and the lyrics are by Moshe Dor. The song was first recorded in 1957 by singer Yafa Yarkoni, and a year later by the duo HaDuda'im. Their version became a smash hit in Israel. The Dudaim toured the world extensively in the '60s, and "Erev shel Shoshanim" became one of their international signature songs. During the '60s and '70s the song was recorded by various international singers, including Harry Belafonte, Nana Mouskouri, Daliah Lavi and Miriam Makeba.

In 1966, the Israeli folk dancing choreographer Tzvi Hillman created the first folk dance based on the song.

Juhani Forsberg used the melody, which he thought to be an Israeli folksong, in his song Tiellä ken vaeltaa, which has since ended up in the hymnbook of Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

Lyrics

English translation

It is an evening of roses
Let us go out to the garden
Myrrh, Spices, and Frankincense
Are as a carpet under your feet

Night falls slowly
And a wind of roses blows
Let me whisper a song for you slowly
A tune of love

Dawn and the dove coos
Your hair is full of dewdrops
Your lips are as roses unto the morning
I will pick them for myself

English transliteration

Erev shel shoshanim
Netzeh na el habustan
Mor besamim ulevona
Leraglech miftan

Layla yored le'at
Veru'ach shoshan noshvah
Havah elchash lach shir balat
Zemer shel ahava

Shachar homa yonah
Roshech maleh telalim
Pich el haboker shoshana
Ektefenu li

Original Hebrew

ערב של שושנים
נצא נא אל הבוסתן
מור בשמים ולבונה
.לרגלך מפתן

לילה יורד לאט
ורוח שושן נושבה
הבה אלחש לך שיר בלאט
.זמר של אהבה

שחר הומה יונה
ראשך מלא טללים
פיך אל הבוקר, שושנה
.אקטפנו לי

External links

• Hebrew Lyrics
• A singable (rhyming) English translation
• The song in the "Israelidances" database
• Instrumental version of the song in MP3 format
• Lebanese belly dancing to "Erev Shel Shoshanim"
• "The song in the web hymn book of Evangalical Lutheran Church of Finland"