I wanted to share my favourite Spoken Word song. Not only the way it sounds, but I find the lyrics to be quite inspired. But there's a catch. The song's in Hebrew. So I translated the song. "God Opened a Gmail Account" by Pedro Grass, who owns all the rights. Translation and transliteration by Guy Shalev (me).
| English | Transliteration | Hebrew |
|---|---|---|
| God opened an account on Gmail | Elohim patach chesbon ba'gmail | אלוהים פתח חשבון בג'ימייל, |
| Playing at | Ba'keta shel | בקטע של |
| slumming with | la'redet el | לרדת אל |
| the people | ha'aam | העם |
| So he signed up | az hoo nirsham | אז הוא נרשם |
| Under the name "God" | tachat ha'shem 'God' | תחת השם'GOD' |
| God all mighty. | Elohim Ha'kol yachol | אלוהים הכל יכול |
| He didn't suspect | Hoo lo chashad | הוא לא חשד |
| That there's already such a user, after all | she'yesh kvar mistamesh kaze achrei hakol | שיש כבר משתמש כזה אחרי הכל |
| There's only one God | Elohim yesh rak echad | אלוהים יש רק אחד |
| The name God was taken | Ha'shem "God" haya tafoos | השם גוד היה תפוס |
| God 1? God 2? God 7? Elohim? Elohim 2000, | God 1? God 2? God 7? Elohim? Elohim 2000? | גוד 1? גוד2? גוד 7? אלוהים? אלוהים 2000, |
| The Lord, Allah, The Presence, Our Father? | Adonai Tzevaot, Allah, Ha'schina, Avinu She'bashamaim? | ה' צבאות, אללא, השכינה, אבינו שבשמיים? |
| The One and Only, The King, The Ace? | Ha'echad ve'hayachid, ha'king, ha'melech, ha'as? | האחד והיחיד, הקינג, המלך, האס? |
| Ha'Kadosh. Barooch. Hoo (The Most Holy) | Hakadosh. Barooch. Ho | הקדוש. ברוך. הוא |
| 7632 | Shvat-alafim, shesh me'ot, shloshim ve'shtaim | 7632 |
| That's the name that took | Ze Ha'shem she'tafas | זה השם שתפס |
| On the internet | Ba'internet | באינטרנט |
| God's present in every place, and the Real God started to feel lonely | Ha'el nimtza be'kol makom ve'Elohim ha'amiti hetchil la'choosh le'vad | האל נמצא בכל מקום ואלוהים האמיתי התחיל לחוש לבד |
| So he opened an account on Gmail | As hoo patach chesbon ba'Gmail | אז הוא פתח חשבון בג'ימייל |
| Because, everyone's doing it, | Ba'keta shel | בקטע של |
| So let's go | Koolam osim et ze az yallah | כולם עושים את זה אז יאללה |
| And you know? | Wallah? | ווואלה? |
| It worked. | Ze avad. | זה עבד. |
| Because everything else was fake, not real, not official | Ki kol ha'shar haya ziyoof, lo be'emet, lo ba'rasmi | כי כל השאר היה זיוף, לא באמת, לא בראסמי |
| Doesn't cut it, | Lo ochel | לא אוכל |
| Just kids messing about that called themselves "God" on Gmail | Stam yeladim matzchikim she'karoo le'atzman "Elohim" Ba'Gmail | סתם ילדים מצחיקים שקראו לעצמם "אלוהים" בג'ימייל |
| Doesn't work | Lo leke'ach | לא לוקח |
| Doesn't apply | Lo tofes | לא תופס |
| Doesn't hold water | Lo machzik mayim | לא מחזיק מים |
| And God is allmighty so he | Ve'Elohim hoo kol yachol az hoo | ואלוהים הוא כל יכול אז הוא |
| split a sea to two | Chatza eize yam le'shtaim | חצה איזה ים לשתיים |
| And a few more miracles so they saw and understood | Od kama nisim kach she'hevinu ve'ra'oo | עוד כמה ניסים כך שהבינו וראו |
| That the Original God, sealed and true | She'Elohim ha'orginal, chatoom ve'sagoor | שאלוהים האורגינל , חתום סגור |
| This is it | Ze ze | זה זה |
| This is Ha'Kadosh Barooch Hoo | Ze Hakosh. Barooch Hoo | זה הקדוש. ברוך. הוא |
| 7632 | Shvat-alafim, shesh me'ot, shloshim ve'shtaim | 7632 |
| Ye ye ye ye | Ye ye ye ye | יה יה יה יה |
| And the news passed in chinese whispers | Ve'hayedia avra be'telephon sha'voor | והידיעה עברה בטלפון שבור |
| from mouth to mouth | Mi'peh le'peh | מפה לפה |
| in kisses | Beneshikot | בנשיקות |
| in secrets' spit | Be'rock sodot | ברוק סודות |
| passed the tale | Avar diboor | עבר דיבור |
| That there | She'sham | ששם |
| God Himself | Ha'El mamash | האל ממש |
| Just don't say The Explicit Username | Rak al tomar et shem ha'mishtamesh hamephorash | רק אל תאמר את שם המשתמש המפורש |
| Forbidden | Asoor | אסור |
| It's for you | Ze bishvilcha | זה בשבילך |
| Besides it's a secret | Chootz mi'ze ze sod shamoor | חוץ מזה זה סוד שמור |
| In short, | Be'kitzur | בקיצור |
| By the time a day passed everyone knew and wanted a slice | Toch yom koolam yad'oo ve'ratzo gam chaticha | תוך יום כולם ידעו ורצו גם חתיכה |
| But what? | Ela ma? | אלא מה? |
| We're talking about God | Medabrim al Elohim | מדברים על אלוהים |
| It's a whipped cream cake with 3 layers, 2000 calories | Harei ze oogat katzefet shalosh schavot, alpaim kaloriot | הרי זה עוגת קצפת 3 שכבות, 2000 קלוריות |
| And yet | ve'be'chol zot | ובכ זאת |
| Get this | klot et ze | קלוט את זה |
| It's not fattenning to believe. | ze lo mashmin le'ha'amin | זה לא משמין להאמין |
| Till today it's unclear how it happened | Ay hayom lo baroor bidiyuk eich ze kara | עד היום לא ברור בדיוק איך זה קרה |
| But somewhere between all the letters and adoration | Aval matai'sheh'hoo bein kol hamichtavim galei ha'aratza | אבל מתישהו בין כל המכתבים גלי הערצה |
| between all the religions/mailing lists | bein kol hadatot / reshimot tfuza | בין כל הדתות/רשימות תפוצה |
| God had enough, or was satisfied, or just gave up | Ha'El nishbar o hitratza o pashoot viter al kol ha'inyanj | האל נשבר או התרצה או פשוט ויתר על הענין |
| Exhausted it | Mitza | מיצה |
| And so it came to be | Ve'kach yatza matzav | וכך יצא מצב |
| That God is in the internet in every place | Sheh'bo ha'El shochen ba'internet be'chol makom | שבו האל שוכן באינטרנט בכל מקום |
| In every word | Be'chol mila | בכל מילה |
| In every crack and loophole that there may be | Be'chol sedek ve'pirtza she'lo tihiye | בכל סדק ופרצה שלא תהיה |
| And only in His Gmail | Ve'rak ba'Gmail shelo | ורק בג'ימייל שלו |
| He no longer is | Hoo kvar lo nimtza | הוא כבר לא נמצא |
| Ye ye ye ye | Ye ye ye ye | יה יה יה יה |
| Suddenly | Pit'om | פתאום |
| A no entry sign next to the name of God | Tamroor ein knisa le'yad shmo shel ha'El | תמרור אין כניסה ליד שמו של האל |
| (In that friendlist by the side) | (Be'reshimat ha'chaverim ha'zot batzad) | (ברשימת החברים הזאת בצד) |
| If someone tried to chat with Him he didn't receive an answer | Im mi'sheh'hoo nisa le'chotet ee'toh hoo lo kibel tshoova | אם מישהו ניסה לצ'וטט איתו הוא לא קיבל תשובה |
| instead | Bimkom | במקום |
| The internet promptly came | ha'internet ba miyad | האינטרנט בא מיד |
| We won't forget | lo nishkach | לא נשכח |
| How like a dry answering machine it announced | Eich kmo mazkira yevesha hoo ho'dia | איך כמו מזכירה יבשה הוא הודיע |
| "God is busy now," it said | "Elohim ah'sook ka'reh'ga" Hoo amar | "אלוהים עסוק כרגע " הוא אמר |
| "You might be interrupting" | "Yitachen sheh'atah mafria" | "יתכן שאתה מפריע" |
| Mama mia | Mama mia | ממה מיה |
| And since then it seems | Ve'meh'az nidme | ומאז נדמה |
| All the prayers revolve around this | Kol hatfilot hen rak al ze | כל התפילות הן רק על זה |
| God enter the chat | Elohim hikanes la'chat | אלוהים היכנס לצ'אט |
| God, become available | Elohim hafoch le'zamin | אלוהים הפוך לזמין |
| God, you're invisible | Elohim ata bilti nir'eh | אלוהים אתה בלתי נראה |
| Become visible! | Ha'foch le'nir'eh | הפוך לנראה |
| Ye ye ye ye | Ye ye ye ye | יה יה יה יה |
| (Longing longing longing) | (Ga'a'gooim Ga'a'gooim Ga'a'gooim) | (געגועים געגועים געגועים) |
| The absence of God | Chesrono shel ha'El | חסרונו של האל |
| is felt in the fingertips | moorgash b'ktzot ha'etzba'ot | מורגש בקצות האצבעות |
| The feeling of the child who lost his mother's hand | Hargashat ha'yeled she'ibed et achizat imo | הרגשת הילד שאיבד את אחיזת אמו |
| in the midst of a stroll in the park. | Be'emtza ha'tiyul bapark | באמצע הטיול בפארק |
| Longing to that hand-holding | Ga'a'gooim layad be'yad ha'ze | געגועים ליד ביד הזה |
| To that God-cake | La'Elohim ooga ha'ze | לאלוהים עוגה הזה |
| that split to infinite slices | asher nifrad le'einsof chatichot | אשר נפרס לאינסוף חתיכות |
| To God the cop who gave us all tickets | Le'Elohim ha'shoter she'chilek le'koolanu dochot | לאלוהים השוטר שחילק לכולנו דוחות |
| Back then there was no draft | Az lo haita "Roo'ach pratzim" | אז לא היתה "רוח פרצים" |
| Just a moved God | Haya rak El mitragesh | היה רק אל מתרגש |
| No "local rain" only the sneeze of God | shoom "Geshem mekomi" rak Elohim mit'atesh | שום "גשם מקומי" רק אלוהים מתעטש |
| Today it's just a lightning storm | Hayom zo stam soofat brakim | היום זו סתם סופת ברקים |
| We might say "whispering wind" | Oolai omrim "Roo'ach lochesh" | אולי אומרים "רוח לוחש" |
| Back then we were models | Az ha'inu doogmanim | אז היינו דוגמנים |
| because God took photos with flash | Ki Elohim Tzilem im flash | כי אלוהים צילם עם פלש |
| So if you look closely | Az im heitev tabit | אז אם היטב תביט |
| you'll see | tir'eh | תראה |
| That all the prayers revolve around this | Kol hatfilot hen rak al ze | כל התפילות הן רק על זה |
| God enter the chat | Elohim hikanes la'chat | אלוהים היכנס לצ'אט |
| Become available! | Ha'foch le'zamin | הפוך לזמין |
| God, you're invisible | Elohim ata bilti nir'eh | אלוהים אתה בלתי נראה |
| Become visible! | Ha'foch le'nir'eh | הפוך לנראה |
| Longings. | Ga'a'gooim | געגועים |
(P.S. I find it interesting transliteration took way longer than translation.)
Dear @geekorner,
My reaction to this post came in stages. I was delighted by the spreadsheet format of translation and transliteration, a method not intuitive to me, yet effective. After admiring the visual presentation of the lyrics I scanned them for meaning, revisiting phrases, lingering on those grabbing my mind and heart. Viewing and listening to the video presented more layers of admiration for the set-up, storyline, and increasing intensity of instrumentation. Thank you for bringing this to my attention through multiple entry points- something I doubt would have ever crossed my path.
It's actually not a spreadsheet, but a table, it just that Steemit went for the spreadsheet display, which is probably for the best. Their lines are too narrow as it is.
I did consider posting them one after the other, but that would've been far too long, and it would've made it harder to follow sound and meaning, in case someone desired so. In anime openings and endings, they do these on the video itself during the relevant time, but I don't really do video editing, alas, so this would have to do.
And I'm glad you got to appreciate it in the way I intended, the way I do, each time I listen to it. This is a work of genius. The lyrics, the story, it's just so strong; this merging of the everyday and the sublime. And yes, the rising tempo of instrumentation is used to great effect.
I'm glad you took a chance, and told me how it went :)
Of course, in every language, there are things that can not be translated,
Words with double meaning and words that do not always sound
Like the beads in poetry.
Thank you so much for putting such a thorough post together, @Geekorner. I would have never grasped all the nuanced meanings of this entertaining, yet deceptively complex spoken word piece without it.
This also made the video so much more powerful! Thank you for helping great music transcend a language barrier so that I could experience it more fully! <3
Sticking it to God with his Tower of Babel stuff.
O wait, he might be watching :O
Glad the effort put in was worth it :)
if the internet starts crashing, we'll know we strayed too close to heaven. =D
it certainly was, ++content!
There are two great artists here, I know the works of Pedro Grass, A huge musician. I greatly appreciate your willingness to publish a translation to a song in such a way that you are a champ.
@geekorner Thank you very much
This is following my comment to @techslut on dreams versus goals. If I wanted more people to get to enjoy this piece, and I did, then I had to also desire and act on what that required. So I did :)
First of all when i started reading the post and the guitar came on, i was like; where's that coming from? nice piece i must say!
Do you have auto-play turned on somehow? And yeah, it really is. Glad to hear you liked it!