Let’s learn Hebrew with the song “שושנה” (Shoshana) by Avraham Tal. This is a tender, intimate love song that expresses deep affection, emotional closeness, and the desire to share life fully with someone special
To get the most out of this lesson, first read the vocabulary list, then follow the translation section to see how the words are used in context. Finally, listen to the song while following along to reinforce your learning. Repeating this will help the words and expressions stick naturally!
What is the song about?
vraham Tal’s song “שושנה” (Shoshana) is a heartfelt ode to love, intimacy, and emotional closeness. Through poetic imagery, Tal invites Shoshana’s light to “wrap all of me,” portraying love as both comforting and healing. The lyrics capture the beauty of shared moments, from dreaming of a loved one at night to cherishing their laughter during the day, emphasizing vulnerability, devotion, and mutual support.
At its core, the song celebrates the joy of being fully present with someone special, finding warmth, light, and connection even in life’s darker moments. It’s a tender reminder of how love can transform, uplift, and bring profound emotional fulfillment.
Hebrew Song Vocabulary Breakdown
Let’s first look at all the vocabulary in this song word per word before breaking down the phrases:
| Hebrew Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| תני | Give (feminine imperative) |
| ל | To / For |
| אור | Light |
| שלך | Yours |
| לעטוף | To wrap / envelop |
| את | (definite direct object marker) |
| כולי | All of me / my whole self |
| תעשי | Do / make (feminine imperative) |
| ידענו | We knew |
| שהיום | That the day / that today |
| יבוא | Will come |
| וכתבנו | And we wrote |
| מכתבים | Letters |
| לרוב | Mostly / a lot |
| ורצינו | And we wanted |
| להרגיש | To feel |
| קרוב | Close |
| עד | Until |
| שהיום | That the day / that today |
| בא | Came |
| חולם | Dreaming (masculine) |
| עלייך | About you / of you |
| בלילות | At nights |
| וחי | And live (masculine) |
| איתך | With you |
| בימים | In the days |
| יורד | Descends / goes down |
| למצולות | To the depths / abysses |
| ועף | And flies |
| ברוח | In the wind |
| את | You (feminine direct object) |
| לא | Not |
| תוותרי | Will give up / surrender (feminine) |
| עלי | On me |
| ואני | And I |
| עלייך | On you |
| בין | Between |
| כל | All / every |
| הדברים | The things |
| שעולים | That rise / that come up |
| אני | I |
| נשאר | Remain / stay |
| בבית | At home |
| אני | I |
| הכי | Most |
| אוהב | Love (masculine) |
| לראות | To see |
| צוחקת | Laughing (feminine) |
| כמו | Like / as |
| ילדה | Girl / child |
| קטנה | Small / little |
| ומעינייך | And from your eyes |
| יוצא | Comes out / exits |
| השמרפא | Heals (literally “the healing”) |
| מבפנים | From inside |
| כל | All / every |
| מכאוב | Pain |
| אני | I |
| רוצה | Want (masculine) |
| לתת | To give |
| לך | To you |
| רגעים | Moments |
| למצות | To savor / extract fully |
| איתך | With you |
| את | The |
| החיים | Life / the life |
| לא | Not |
| לבזבז | To waste |
| עוד | Another / more |
| רגע | Moment |
| שניה | Second |
| לא | Not |
| לבד | Alone |
| יותר | More |
| בתוך | Inside / within |
| החשיכה | The darkness |
Phrases breakdown
Here is a breakdown phrase by phrase of the song lyrics:
Chorus
Hebrew: תני לאור שלך לעטוף את כולי, תעשי מה תעשי
Literal Translation: Give your light to wrap all of me, do whatever you do
Poetic Meaning: Let your presence and love fully embrace me; be yourself and let your light shine.
Verse 1
Hebrew: ידענו שהיום יבוא
Literal Translation: We knew that the day would come
Poetic Meaning: We anticipated this moment, knowing it was inevitable.
Hebrew: וכתבנו מכתבים לרוב
Literal Translation: And we wrote letters a lot / mostly
Poetic Meaning: We expressed ourselves through letters, trying to stay connected.
Hebrew: ורצינו להרגיש קרוב
Literal Translation: And we wanted to feel close
Poetic Meaning: We longed for emotional intimacy despite distance.
Hebrew: עד שהיום בא
Literal Translation: Until the day came
Poetic Meaning: Until that moment finally arrived.
Verse 2
Hebrew: חולם עלייך בלילות
Literal Translation: I dream of you at nights
Poetic Meaning: I think of you constantly, even in my dreams.
Hebrew: וחי איתך בימים
Literal Translation: And live with you in the days
Poetic Meaning: I carry you in my thoughts and heart throughout the day.
Hebrew: יורד איתך למצולות
Literal Translation: Descend with you to the depths
Poetic Meaning: I’m willing to face hardships or emotional lows with you.
Hebrew: ועף ברוח
Literal Translation: And fly in the wind
Poetic Meaning: I soar with you in moments of freedom and joy.
Verse 3
Hebrew: את לא תוותרי עלי ואני עלייך
Literal Translation: You won’t give up on me, and I won’t on you
Poetic Meaning: Our love is mutual and unyielding.
Hebrew: בין כל הדברים שעולים
Literal Translation: Between all the things that arise / come up
Poetic Meaning: Despite challenges or obstacles, I remain steadfast.
Hebrew: אני נשאר בבית
Literal Translation: I remain at home
Poetic Meaning: I stay grounded, faithful, and emotionally present.
Verse 4
Hebrew: אני הכי אוהב לראות אותך צוחקת כמו ילדה קטנה
Literal Translation: I love most to see you laughing like a little girl
Poetic Meaning: I cherish your pure, joyful, and innocent moments.
Hebrew: ומעינייך יוצא האור שמרפא מבפנים כל מכאוב
Literal Translation: And from your eyes comes the light that heals every pain from inside
Poetic Meaning: Your presence and love are deeply healing and comforting.
Hebrew: אני רוצה לתת לך רגעים למצות איתך את החיים
Literal Translation: I want to give you moments to fully savor life with you
Poetic Meaning: I want to share meaningful experiences and truly live life together.
Hebrew: לא לבזבז עוד רגע עוד שניה לא לבד יותר בתוך החשיכה
Literal Translation: Not waste another moment, another second, not alone anymore in the darkness
Poetic Meaning: I want to leave loneliness behind and embrace the light of love fully.
