Hatikvah, the Hope, reimagined as a tango
Hatikvah, meaning the Hope, is the national anthem of Israel. Its words come from a poem written by Naftali Herz Imber in 1878, and its melody is drawn from an old folk tune that traveled across Europe. The song speaks of a hope two thousand years old, to be a free people in one's own land.
This version reimagines that anthem as a tango. The tango gives the hope a new rhythm and a new intimacy, so that a song often heard standing at attention can also be felt close up, as one person's longing.
Why bring it into English
An anthem is a promise made in words. When those words reach people only as a tune, the promise is muffled. Carrying Hatikvah into English lets the hope inside it speak plainly to everyone who hears it. That is what Jewish Songs for All sets out to do.
The full lyrics and a line by line English translation for this song are being prepared.