Eretz Tzvi




Eretz Tzvi is about Mivtza Yonatan, an operation to rescue hostages from Entebbe airport in Uganda on July 4, 1976. Air France flight 139 from Tel Aviv was hijacked after its Athens stopover, diverted to Libya and ended up in Idi Amin airport. Originally named Mivtza Entebbe, the mission was later named in honor of Yonatan Netanyahu who died in the operation.
In 1977 a movie was made of the mission - "Operation Thunderbolt."




Eretz Tzvi - IDF Chief Cantor Shai Abramson






Eretz Tzvi - Yoram Gaon



Yonatan Netanyahu z"l is pictured above.



Eretz Tzvi - Instrumental






Hebrew Lyrics to Eretz Tzvi


אֶרֶץ צְבִי

בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה הֵם קָמוּ
וְהִכּוּ בִּקְצֵה הָעוֹלָם
כִּבְנֵי רֶשֶׁף חָשׁוּ הִרְחִיקוּ עוּף
לְהָשִׁיב אֶת כְּבוֹד הָאָדָם

אֶל אֶרֶץ צְבִי
אֶל דְּבַשׁ שְׂדוֹתֶיהָ
אֶל הַכַּרְמֶל וְהַמִּדְבָּר
אֶל עַם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יֶחֱשֶׁה
שֶׁאֶת בָּנָיו לֹא יַפְקִיר לְזָר,
אֶל אֶרֶץ צְבִי שֶׁבְּהָרֶיהָ
פּוֹעֶמֶת עִיר מִדּוֹר לְדוֹר
אֶל אֶרֶץ אֵם לְטַבּוּרָהּ
קְשׁוּרִים בָּנֶיהָ בְּטוֹב וּבְרַע.

בַּחֲצִי הַלַּיְלָה עוֹבֶרֶת
בִּשְׂדוֹתֵינוּ רוּחַ שָׁרָב
עֲרָבָה אִלֶּמֶת תַּרְכִּין אָז רֹאשׁ
עַל אֲשֶׁר עִם שַׁחַר לֹא שָׁב

אֶל אֶרֶץ צְבִי
אֶל דְּבַשׁ שְׂדוֹתֶיהָ
אֶל הַכַּרְמֶל וְהַמִּדְבָּר
אֶל עַם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יֶחֱשֶׁה
שֶׁאֶת בָּנָיו לֹא יַפְקִיר לְזָר,
אֶל אֶרֶץ צְבִי שֶׁדִּמְעוֹתֶיהָ
נוֹשְׁרוֹת עַל שְׂדֵה חַמָּנִיּוֹת
שֶׁעִצְּבוֹנָהּ וּשְׂשׂוֹנָהּ
הֵם שְׁתִי וָעֵרֶב בְּבֶגֶד יוֹמָהּ.

[בית נוסף לזכרו של רס"ן רועי קליין ז"ל]

כְּשֶׁהִפְצִיעַ שַׁחַר בָּאֹפֶל
הוּא חִלֵּץ פָּצוּעַ מֵאֵשׁ
כְּשֶׁהֻשְׁלַךְ רִמּוֹן בְּגוּפוֹ סוֹכֵךְ
לְהַצִּיל חַיִּים הוּא בִּקֵּשׁ

אָז אֶרֶץ צְבִי –
אֶת דִּמְעוֹתֶיהָ
אֶל מוּל קִדּוּשׁ הַשֵּׁם כָּבְשָׁה
וּכְשֶׁקָּרָא שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל
הָרוּחַ חֶרֶשׁ אֶת שְׁמוֹ נָשָׂא

רוֹעִי ה' יִשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ
עַל תֹּם דְּרָכֶיךָ עַל עֻזְּךָ
עַל אֶרֶץ צְבִי - שֶׁנִּשְׁמָתְךָ
שְׁזוּרָה לָנֶצַח בְּבֶגֶד יוֹמָהּ






English Transliteration of Eretz Tzvi

Eretz Tz'vi

Bechatzi halailah hem kamu
vehiku bik'tzeh ha'olam
kiv'nei reshef chashu hir'chiku of
lehashiv et k'vod ha'adam

El eretz tz'vi
el dvash s'doteiha
el hakarmel vehamidbar
el am asher lo yechesheh
she'et banav lo yaf'kir lezar
el eretz tz'vi shebehareiha
po'emet ir midor ledor
el eretz em bit'vurah
k'shurim baneiha batov uvara.

Bechatzi halailah overet
bis'doteiha/bis'doteinu ru'ach sharav
aravah ilemet tarchin az rosh al asher
im shachar lo shav

El eretz tz'vi
el dvash s'doteiha
el hakarmel vehamidbar
el am asher lo yechesheh
she'et banav lo yaf'kir lezar
el eretz tz'vi shedim'oteiha
nosh'rot al sadeh chamaniot
she'etzbonah vesasonah
hem shtei va'erev beveged yomah.




English translation of Eretz Tzvi


The Land of Deer

At midnight they arose
and struck at the edge of the world
like sons of ghosts they hurried to take flight
to return the honor of humanity

To the land of the deer (Israel)
to the honey of her fields
to the Carmel and the desert
to a nation who will not be silent/still
who will not abandon its sons to a foreigner
to the land of deer, in whose mountains
a city beats from generation to generation
to the motherland to whose navel
her children are bound in good and in bad

At midnight passes
in its/our fields a blistering wind
a willow then bows her head for those who
with the dawn did not come back

To the land of the deer (Israel)
to the honey of her fields
to the Carmel and the desert
to a nation who will not be silent/still
who will not abandon its sons to a foreigner
to the land of deer, whose tears
fall on a field of sunflowers
whose sadness and happiness
are criss-crossed across her dress.






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