Hatikvah facts for kids
Hatikvah (pronounced Ha-teek-VAH) means "The Hope." It is the national anthem of Israel, a country in the Middle East. This special song tells the story of the Jewish people's dream and hope to return to their ancient homeland, Israel. They held this dream for over 2,000 years.
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The Story Behind Hatikvah
The words of "Hatikvah" come from a poem called Tikvatenu (meaning "Our Hope"). Naphtali Imber, a Jewish poet, wrote this poem in 1878. His original poem had nine parts, called stanzas. The national anthem "Hatikvah" uses only the first stanza and a part called the refrain from Imber's longer poem.
How the Music Was Chosen
The music for "Hatikvah" comes from a very old and popular folk song. Samuel Cohen, a Jewish person born in Spain, found himself humming this tune one day. He thought it would be perfect for the poem.
The music is in a minor key. This means it can sound a bit sad. Most national anthems use a major key, which sounds happier. However, the words of "Hatikvah" are about the Jewish people's hope that their sadness will one day turn into great joy. This makes the minor key fit the song's deep meaning.
The Meaning of the Lyrics
The lyrics of "Hatikvah" talk about the Jewish people's deep feelings and their connection to their homeland.
English Translation
Here is what the words of "Hatikvah" mean in English:
- As long as in the heart, within,
- A Jewish soul still yearns,
- And onward, towards the ends of the east,
- An eye still looks toward Zion;
- Our hope is not yet lost,
- The hope of two thousand years,
- To be a free nation in our land,
- The land of Zion and Jerusalem.
The song speaks about the Jewish soul's longing for Zion (another name for Jerusalem and the Land of Israel). It says that even after 2,000 years of waiting, the hope to be a free nation in their own land has never disappeared.
Images for kids
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Imber's handwritten text of the poem
See also
In Spanish: Hatikva para niños
