Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Lost in translation

Rivka (5): I can't wait til the baby comes home, I'll sing her a lullaby.

Me: You're going to sing her Hamalach (a traditional lullaby in Hebrew, taken from words of Torah)?

Rivka: Daddy, she won't understand that. I'm going to sing Rock-a-bye Baby.

7 comments:

PsychoToddler said...

Yeah, dad, don't you know anything? All kids are born with an innate understanding of English!

Also all foreigners understand English! You just have to say everything louder to them!

Kiwi the Geek said...

Hamalach (a traditional lullaby in Hebrew, taken from words of Torah)?

That sounds really cool. What does it say? (in English, which I have an innate understanding of) Where in the Torah is it from?

Ralphie said...

Genesis 48:16
HaMalach hagoel osi mikol ra, yevarech es ha’naarim, vikareh bahem shmi, v’shem avosai, Avraham v’Yitzchak. V’yidgu larov b’kerev ha’aretz…

The angel who delivered me from all evil, may he bless the lads, and let them bear my name, and the names of my fathers, Avraham and Yitzchak. May they increase in the land like fish…

(transliteration and translation swiped from here.)

Ayelet said...

Kiwi, I believe the translation should read : The angel who delivers me from all evil...

This passage was the blessing that Ya'akov (Jacob) gave to his grandsons, Ephrayim and Menashe (sons of Joseph), on his deathbed.

PsychoToddler said...

OK, time for a super secret Easter Egg:

Hamalach, as sung by the Von Skier Family Singers circa 2001

Earplugs, not included

Kiwi the Geek said...

Thanks all!

... Is the Window to Our Soul said...

That's so adorable.

That's exactly why we have this blog, to share such cute and innocent stories as that.