Ima-Em (Mother), Song

Note: Lavry incorporated the song Ima-Em in his 1964 orchestral poem Ima-Em (Mother), Op. 339.

Recording: Not yet available

Lyrics: Ya’acov Orland

Publisher: The Marc Lavry Heritage Society

Synopsis:
Lavry was touched by Ya’acov Orland’s poem, Ima-Em, a tribute to motherhood. He was deeply in love with his wife, Helena Lavry, and idolized her as a mother and a life partner. The flow of the lyrics served as his inspiration to the music of this song, which he dated December 1, 1962.

Since Lavry decided to move to Haifa, Israel in 1962 (the actual move was in 1963) he met many of the artists who resided in the city. From that point on, most of the songs he composed were to lyrics by local poets. The poem Ima-Em by renown Haifa resident, writer Ya’acov Orland, was a perfect poem for Lavry to compose.

In 1964 Lavry wrote the orchestral poem Ima-Em (Mother), Op. 339 for voice, harp and string orchestra. Daughter, Efrat, love the 1962 song so much that Lavry surprised her with a composition based on the original song. Efrat immediately added the composition to the concert program where she performed as a soloist with the University of Judaism Orchestra in Los Angeles.

Lyrics: Ima-Em (Mother) / Ya’acov Orland
(transliterated from Hebrew to English)
Miyom shebo karati lach beshem.
Miyom bo et kolech shama’ati pnima,
Ani kemo miyamayich, ima-em,
Ve’at kemo be’er homa li, ima.

Ima-em, ima-em
Zeh hato’ar, zeh hashem.
Miyom bo nifresu knafai la’uf,
Miyom bo et kinech azavti – nesher,
Ani mimech eilayich atz lashuv,
Ki at li hachalom ve’at hapesher.

Ima-em, ima-em
Zeh hato’ar, zeh hashem.

Ad yom – hagzar briteinu lo tufar
Vegam baketz ahavatech lo teleh,
Ki yesh dvarim me’ever le’afar,
Ve’em – uvna hem hadvarim ha’eleh.

Ima-em, ima-em
Zeh hato’ar, zeh hashem.