Chaluka, Chaluka (Parcelation, Partition Plan), Song
Recording from 1968:
Ya’akov Teiman, Avi Koren, Tuvia Tzafir, Yosef Soya
Moshe Vilensky, Conductor
Kol Israel Symphony Orchestra (The Broadcasting Service Orchestra)
Lyrics: Lea Goldberg
Manuscripts: Located at the National Library of Israel Music Department, the Marc Lavry Archive, System Number(s) 990024517520205171, 990037736270205171
Synopsis:
Chaluka, Chaluka (Parcelation, Partition Plan) is a song from the comedy Hayinu Keholmim (We Were Dreaming) performed by the Matate Theater in 1937. The play was written by playwright Martin Rust and Natan Alterman translated it. Alterman and Lea Goldberg wrote the lyrics to the songs. The music was all written by composer and conductor Marc Lavry, who served as the house composer of the Matate theater in the years 1937-1941.
About the song, according to Eliyahu Hacohen, a researcher of Hebrew music:
The song Chaluka, Chaluka (Parcelation, Partition Plan) included in this program, was written for the sketch comedy “Cantons”, and poked fun in the obsession of “Cantonization”, the proposal to divide the country into cantons, which occupied the public that year. This song won accolades by critics, who oftentimes preferred it over the play itself.
(From: Ben Ezer News, Issue No. 432, April 2, 2009; Ben Ezer News No. 436, April 15-16, 2009).
The song, performed by Yaakov Timan, who was one of the actors of the Matateh theater, was recorded by Kol Israel (the Israeli broadcasting service) in 1968 in a special radio program for the Purim holiday. The program was recorded at Heichal Hatarbut hall in Tel Aviv as part of the 20th anniversary of the State of Israel
** Courtesy of Shir Ad
Lyrics: Chaluka, Chaluka / Lea Goldberg
(transliterated from Hebrew to English)
Re’u na, re’u be’eizo nachat ru’ach
Hem gozrim oti umechalkim,
Keshe’holech adam el nitu’ach
Nohagim lish’ol im hu maskim.
Bli birkat “hamotzi”, stam, lefeta,
Yigzeru otanu kechaka;
Sof kol sof moledet zeh lo di’eta,
Umandat – lo ner shel havdala.
Ho, dekleratzya shel partzelatzya,
Kapitolatzya shel ma? Mandat.
Kantonizatzya, chalukizatzya,
Chinokizatzya vechaluka.
Pashut harosh scharchar
Al kol giv’ah vahar
Yihyu gvulot, gvulot,gvulot, gvulot, gvulot shel
Kantonizatzya, chalukizatzya,
Chinokizatzya vechaluka.
Oye li, nidachek po venazi’a,
Ve’im bni yotzi et halashon
Ad ktzehu bevadai yagi’a
Bli passport me’ever lamisderon.
Im ani eftach et hamiklachat,
Yachshevu shebamdina mabul;
Ve’im ishti tizrok alyi tzalachat,
Resise’ha yifge’u bagvul.
Ho, dekleratzya shel partzelatzya…
Mi metzamtzem otach, moledet,
Lama mechalkim otach bichlal?
At gam kach ka’hogen meforedet,
Bach kol ye’hudi mugbal.
Lo gdola hi eretz zo shelanu
Anu mitrabim lo be’expres,
Hoy, chaluka drusha achshav od lanu
Kmo ke’ev shinayim lagoses.
Ho, dekleratzya shel partzelatzya…
Information from the composer’s opus book:
Performance: The Jerusalem Radio Orchestra (The Palestinian Orchestra) – December 15, 1937
