וְשָׂא נֵס Shattered Exile
by Laivy Hart
Every generation believed it had finally found a place to belong. We learned the language, built businesses, raised families, and called it home. Our neighbors smiled. The future looked secure. Then, almost without warning, the welcome faded. Doors closed. Friends turned silent. The same story unfolded again and again, across continents and centuries. The lesson never changed: exile can offer comfort, but it can never offer permanence.
לֹא בָּאנוּ לָשֶׁבֶת בְּאַרְצוֹת זָרוֹת רַק נִשְׁלַחְנוּ בַּדֶּרֶךְ לְדוֹרוֹת וּלְדוֹרוֹת בָּאנוּ עִם תְּפִלָּה וְעִם הַפָּנִים לַמִּזְרָח וְאָמַרְנוּ לַיְלָדִים זֶה רַק בֵּית אוֹרֵחַ [Verse 2 - ] לָמַדְנוּ אֶת הַשָּׂפָה וְהָרְחוֹב כְּבָר חִיֵּךְ פָּתַחְנוּ אֶת הַחַלּוֹנוֹת וְהַפַּחַד כְּבָר הָלַךְ בָּנִינוּ לָנוּ בָּתִּים וְשָׁתַלְנוּ אִילָנוֹת וּבְלִי לְהַרְגִּישׁ הִתְחַלְנוּ לִשְׁכֹּחַ [Pre-Chorus] אָמַרְנוּ הַפַּעַם זֶה שׁוֹנֶה אָמַרְנוּ הַפַּעַם זֶה יִשָּׁאֵר אָמַרְנוּ כָּאן כְּבָר מְקַבְּלִים אוֹתָנוּ אָמַרְנוּ כָּאן כְּבָר אֶפְשָׁר לְהִשָּׁאֵר [Chorus] תְּקַע תְּקַע תְּקַע בְּשׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל לְחֵרוּתֵנוּ וְשָׂא נֵס וְשָׂא נֵס וְשָׂא נֵס לְקַבֵּץ גָּלֻיּוֹתֵינוּ לְקַבֵּץ גָּלֻיּוֹתֵינוּ Verse 3] וְדַוְקָא כְּשֶׁנִּרְדַּמְנוּ וְדַוְקָא כְּשֶׁנָּחְנוּ כְּשֶׁכְּבָר כִּמְעַט הֶאֱמַנּוּ שֶׁכָּאן סוֹף סוֹף הִגַּעְנוּ פִּתְאֹם הָרְחוֹב הִשְׁתַּנָּה פִּתְאֹם הַדֶּלֶת נִסְגְּרָה פִּתְאֹם הַבַּיִת שֶׁבָּנִינוּ הִזְכִּיר לָנוּ שֶׁהוּא לֹא שֶׁלָּנוּ [Verse 4] שׁוּב הַמִּזְוָדוֹת שׁוּב הַדְּרָכִים שׁוּב הַשְּׁמוֹת הַיְּשָׁנִים חוֹזְרִים בְּקוֹלוֹת חֲדָשִׁים שׁוּב אוֹתָהּ טָעוּת שׁוּב אוֹתוֹ חֲלוֹם שׁוּב שָׁכַחְנוּ לְרֶגַע שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָנוּ רַק בַּיִת אֶחָד [Pre-Chorus] אָמַרְנוּ הַפַּעַם זֶה שׁוֹנֶה אָמַרְנוּ הַפַּעַם זֶה יִשָּׁאֵר אֲבָל הַלֵּב מֵעוֹלָם לֹא שָׁכַח שֶׁיֵּשׁ רַק בַּיִת אֶחָד וְהוּא תָּמִיד בַּמִּזְרָח [Chorus - wider drums, soaring emotional release] תְּקַע תְּקַע תְּקַע בְּשׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל לְחֵרוּתֵנוּ וְשָׂא נֵס וְשָׂא נֵס וְשָׂא נֵס לְקַבֵּץ גָּלֻיּוֹתֵינוּ לְקַבֵּץ גָּלֻיּוֹתֵינוּ [Bridge] וְקַבְּצֵנוּ יַחַד מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ מֵעֵבֶר לַיָּם מֵעֵבֶר לַזְּמַן לֹא עוֹד בָּתִּים זְמַנִּיִּים לֹא עוֹד דְּרָכִים זָרוֹת כְּשֶׁהַנֵּס עוֹלֶה כֻּלָּנוּ יוֹדְעִים לְאָן לִפְנוֹת תְּקַע תְּקַע תְּקַע וְשָׂא נֵס וְשָׂא נֵס וְשָׂא נֵס יֵשׁ לָנוּ רַק בַּיִת אֶחָד וּכְשֶׁהַנֵּס עוֹלֶה כֻּלָּנוּ חוֹזְרִים
We never came To settle in foreign lands We were only sent along the way For generations upon generations We came with prayer Our faces turned toward the East And we told our children "This is only a temporary home." [Verse 2] We learned the language And soon the streets smiled back We opened our windows And the fear began to fade We built our homes And planted trees Without even noticing We slowly started to forget [Pre-Chorus] We said, "This time it's different." We said, "This time it will last." We said, "They finally accept us here." We said, "Now we can finally stay." [Chorus] Sound... Sound... Sound the great shofar For our freedom. Raise a banner... Raise a banner... Raise a banner To gather our exiles, To gather Our scattered people. [Verse 3] And דווקא when we fell asleep And דווקא when we found our rest Just when we almost believed That we had finally arrived Suddenly the streets had changed Suddenly the doors were closed Suddenly the home we built Reminded us it was never truly ours [Verse 4] Once again the suitcases Once again the roads Once again the old names Return with new voices Once again the same mistake Once again the same dream Once again we forgot, if only for a moment, That we have only one home [Pre-Chorus] We said, "This time it's different." We said, "This time it will last." But the heart Never truly forgot That there is only one home, And it has always been in the East. [Chorus] Sound... Sound... Sound the great shofar For our freedom. Raise a banner... Raise a banner... Raise a banner To gather our exiles, To gather Our scattered people. [Bridge] Gather us together From the four corners of the earth From beyond the seas From beyond time itself No more temporary homes No more foreign roads When the banner is raised, We all know where to turn. Sound... Sound... Sound... Raise a banner... Raise a banner... Raise a banner... We have Only one home. And when the banner is raised, We all return.
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