Leyl Chanaya - Revision history

Larry: reword rarity of dance step

2025-06-19T19:28:54Z

reword rarity of dance step

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:28, June 19, 2025
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	==== The Dance ====		==== The Dance ====

	The dance is unremarkable; its only noteworthy feature is the occurrence of a rare step: quick R-L in place open facing center, "planting" the body. ~~This~~ step ~~also~~ appears in Tuvia Tishler's [[Shkia V'ruda]] (whose lyrics, coincidentally, are also by Alterman~~), in [[Gadi Bitton]]'s Ahava, and perhaps nowhere else~~.		The dance is unremarkable; its only noteworthy feature is the occurrence of a rare step: quick R-L in place open facing center, "planting" the body. One of the very few dances in which this step appears is Tuvia Tishler's [[Shkia V'ruda]], whose lyrics, coincidentally, are also by Alterman.

	=== Links ===		=== Links ===

Larry: amplifications

2025-06-18T02:31:38Z

amplifications

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:31, June 18, 2025
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			__NOTOC__
	Hebrew: ליל חניה (Night of Encampment; see below). Circle dance by [[Gadi Bitton]], 2001.		Hebrew: ליל חניה (Night of Encampment; see below). Circle dance by [[Gadi Bitton]], 2001.

	The lyrics of the song ~~were originally~~ a poem by Natan Alterman, ~~describing~~ the night before a battle at Iraq Al-Manshiyya, a Palestinian Arab village that was replaced by Kiryat Gat. The battle ~~was~~ part of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Yoav Operation Yo'av] ~~in October 1948~~. The title of the poem, often mistranslated as "Night of Parking", refers to the army's encampment in readiness for that battle.		==== The Lyrics ====

			The lyrics of the song come from a poem by Natan Alterman, winner of the Israel Prize for literature. The poem describes the night before a battle at Iraq Al-Manshiyya, a Palestinian Arab village that was replaced by Kiryat Gat. The battle took place in October 1948 as part of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Yoav Operation Yo'av]. The title of the poem (often foolishly mistranslated as "Night of Parking", as though the song describes events following a senior prom) refers to the army's encampment in readiness for that battle.

	Alterman had enlisted in the IDF the previous July. He was already nationally known as a poet and was 38 years old, well beyond the age of conscription. He was a private during the battle, which did not go well. According to unconfirmed legend, after the battle his commander informed Ben Gurion of Alterman's participation, and Ben Gurion had Alterman removed from active combat lest the country lose its poet.		Alterman had enlisted in the IDF the previous July. He was already nationally known as a poet and was 38 years old, well beyond the age of conscription. He was a private during the battle, which did not go well. According to unconfirmed legend, after the battle his commander informed Ben Gurion of Alterman's participation, and Ben Gurion had Alterman removed from active combat lest the country lose its poet.

	The poem ~~itself~~ is infinitely deep and complex. It has been analyzed repeatedly and from many viewpoints. ~~Here we give only~~ the ~~briefest idea~~, barely ~~scratching~~ the surface; much more is to be found via the links below (mostly in Hebrew).		The poem is infinitely deep and complex, a series of images subject to contrasting interpretations. It has been analyzed repeatedly and from many viewpoints. Themes include the emotions of the soldiers, the nature of war, the condition of the army, how the commander prepares the soldiers for battle, how later generations will see the war. But this barely scratches the surface; much more is to be found via the links below (mostly in Hebrew, unfortunately).

			==== The Music ====

			Although the poem was probably written in the 40s and was first published in the 50s, it was not set to music until the 70s. Alterman was very selective about who would set his poems to music and approached composers himself with his requests. But he died in 1970 and at that point all bets were off.

	~~Although the poem was probably written~~ in ~~the 40s~~ and ~~was first published in~~ the ~~50s~~, ~~it was~~ not ~~set~~ to ~~music until~~ the ~~70s~~.		The story goes that Yehoram Gaon called Ya'ir Rozenblum, already a respected composer, early in 1973, and asked if he had a song that he could submit to that year's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Song_Festival Festival HaZemer VeHaPizmon]. Rozenblum said yes, at which point Gaon asked which song? Rozenblum grabbed a book on his desk, "Ir Yona", a 1957 book of Alterman's poems, opened it at random to page 94 and replied "Leyl Chanaya". Only afterward did he ask himself "What have I done?" The structure of the poem, five-line stanzas with irregular number of feet per line, does not lend itself easily to musical composition. But Rozenblum managed it, with some rearrangement and turning one of the verses into a refrain, and the song won fourth place in that year's competition—a few months before the Yom Kippur War.

	~~{{stub}}~~		==== The Dance ====

	The dance is unremarkable; its only noteworthy feature is the occurrence of ~~an unusual~~ step: quick R-L in place open facing center, "planting" the body. This step also appears in Tuvia Tishler's [[Shkia V'ruda]] (whose lyrics, coincidentally, are also by Alterman) and perhaps nowhere else.		The dance is unremarkable; its only noteworthy feature is the occurrence of a rare step: quick R-L in place open facing center, "planting" the body. This step also appears in Tuvia Tishler's [[Shkia V'ruda]] (whose lyrics, coincidentally, are also by Alterman), in [[Gadi Bitton]]'s Ahava, and perhaps nowhere else.

	=== Links ===		=== Links ===

	[https://en.~~wikipedia~~.~~org/wiki~~/~~Iraq_al-Manshiyya Iraq al-Manshiyya~~] ~~at Wikipedia, including maps~~		[https://shironet.mako.co.il/artist?type=lyrics&lang=1&prfid=419&wrkid=1926 Hebrew lyrics] to the song

	[https://~~shironet~~.~~mako.co.il~~/~~artist?type=lyrics&lang=1&prfid=419&wrkid=1926 Hebrew lyrics~~]		The [https://benyehuda.org/read/13095 original poem], for comparison

	An [https://www.gavisho.com/%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9C-%D7%97%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%94 article] on the story of Leyl Chanaya (Hebrew)		An [https://www.gavisho.com/%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9C-%D7%97%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%94 article] on the story of Leyl Chanaya (Hebrew)

	Extensive [https://www.alterman.org.il/%D7%A7%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%AA%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9D/tabid/61/aff/1/aft/1/afv/topic/Default.aspx discussion] of the poem (in Hebrew), by blog commenters on Alterman's website		Extensive (and argumentative) [https://www.alterman.org.il/%D7%A7%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%AA%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9D/tabid/61/aff/1/aft/1/afv/topic/Default.aspx discussion] of the poem (in Hebrew), by blog commenters on Alterman's website

			[https://blog.nli.org.il/alterman_night/ Another article] on "the story behind Leyl Chanaya"

			[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_al-Manshiyya Iraq al-Manshiyya] at Wikipedia, including maps

			The Israeli [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Alterman#/media/File:200_New_Sheqalim2015_Obverse_&_Reverse.png 200 NIS bill], on which Alterman is pictured

	{{AussieRokdim \|3929 \|5abd23c5db5332cc3c8b456f}}		{{AussieRokdim \|3929 \|5abd23c5db5332cc3c8b456f}}

	[[Category:Dances]]		[[Category:Dances]]

Larry: more on the battle location; start at music

2025-06-16T13:07:25Z

more on the battle location; start at music

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:07, June 16, 2025
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	Hebrew: ליל חניה (Night of Encampment; see below). Circle dance by [[Gadi Bitton]], 2001.		Hebrew: ליל חניה (Night of Encampment; see below). Circle dance by [[Gadi Bitton]], 2001.

	The lyrics of the song were originally a poem by Natan Alterman, describing the night before a battle that was part of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Yoav Operation Yo'av] in October 1948. The title, often mistranslated as "Night of Parking", refers to the army's encampment in readiness for that battle.		The lyrics of the song were originally a poem by Natan Alterman, describing the night before a battle at Iraq Al-Manshiyya, a Palestinian Arab village that was replaced by Kiryat Gat. The battle was part of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Yoav Operation Yo'av] in October 1948. The title of the poem, often mistranslated as "Night of Parking", refers to the army's encampment in readiness for that battle.

	Alterman had enlisted in the IDF the previous July. He was already nationally known as a poet and was 38 years old, well beyond the age of conscription. He was a private during the battle, which did not go well. According to unconfirmed legend, after the battle his commander informed Ben Gurion of Alterman's participation, and Ben Gurion had Alterman removed from active combat lest the country lose its poet.		Alterman had enlisted in the IDF the previous July. He was already nationally known as a poet and was 38 years old, well beyond the age of conscription. He was a private during the battle, which did not go well. According to unconfirmed legend, after the battle his commander informed Ben Gurion of Alterman's participation, and Ben Gurion had Alterman removed from active combat lest the country lose its poet.

	The poem itself is infinitely deep and complex. It has been analyzed repeatedly and from many viewpoints. Here we give only the briefest idea, barely scratching the surface; much more is to be found via the links below (mostly in Hebrew).		The poem itself is infinitely deep and complex. It has been analyzed repeatedly and from many viewpoints. Here we give only the briefest idea, barely scratching the surface; much more is to be found via the links below (mostly in Hebrew).

			Although the poem was probably written in the 40s and was first published in the 50s, it was not set to music until the 70s.

	{{stub}}		{{stub}}
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	=== Links ===		=== Links ===

			[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_al-Manshiyya Iraq al-Manshiyya] at Wikipedia, including maps

	[https://shironet.mako.co.il/artist?type=lyrics&lang=1&prfid=419&wrkid=1926 Hebrew lyrics]		[https://shironet.mako.co.il/artist?type=lyrics&lang=1&prfid=419&wrkid=1926 Hebrew lyrics]

Larry: first cut

2025-06-16T02:09:39Z

first cut

New page

Hebrew: ליל חניה (Night of Encampment; see below). Circle dance by [[Gadi Bitton]], 2001.

The lyrics of the song were originally a poem by Natan Alterman, describing the night before a battle that was part of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Yoav Operation Yo'av] in October 1948. The title, often mistranslated as "Night of Parking", refers to the army's encampment in readiness for that battle.

Alterman had enlisted in the IDF the previous July. He was already nationally known as a poet and was 38 years old, well beyond the age of conscription. He was a private during the battle, which did not go well. According to unconfirmed legend, after the battle his commander informed Ben Gurion of Alterman's participation, and Ben Gurion had Alterman removed from active combat lest the country lose its poet.

The poem itself is infinitely deep and complex. It has been analyzed repeatedly and from many viewpoints. Here we give only the briefest idea, barely scratching the surface; much more is to be found via the links below (mostly in Hebrew).

{{stub}}

The dance is unremarkable; its only noteworthy feature is the occurrence of an unusual step: quick R-L in place open facing center, "planting" the body. This step also appears in Tuvia Tishler's [[Shkia V'ruda]] (whose lyrics, coincidentally, are also by Alterman) and perhaps nowhere else.

=== Links ===

[https://shironet.mako.co.il/artist?type=lyrics&lang=1&prfid=419&wrkid=1926 Hebrew lyrics]

An [https://www.gavisho.com/%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9C-%D7%97%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%94 article] on the story of Leyl Chanaya (Hebrew)

Extensive [https://www.alterman.org.il/%D7%A7%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%AA%D7%94%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9D/tabid/61/aff/1/aft/1/afv/topic/Default.aspx discussion] of the poem (in Hebrew), by blog commenters on Alterman's website

{{AussieRokdim |3929 |5abd23c5db5332cc3c8b456f}}

[[Category:Dances]]