המנגן | Ha-menagen | The Musician (1912)
Artist: Abraham Zvi Idelsohn (1882-1938)
Lyrics: M.Z. Mane (translator)
Tune: Franz Schubert
This song is a Hebrew translation of the German song "Die Leiermann" [The Hurdy-Gurdy Man] by Willhelm Müller (1794-1827). The German work was composed by Franz Schubert (1797-1828) as the last song (no. 24) of his song cycle "Winterreise" [Winter's Journey] for voice and piano. (Schubert, Deutsch Catalogue no. 911; first published as op. 89, 1827). Mordecai Zwi Mane (1859-1886) translated the song to Hebrew.
In “Ha-menagen”, an old harp-player plays his music – despite the fact that he attracts no audience at all. The poet asks this persistent musician to become the “violin” through which the poet may communicate his messages.
The melody is in a minor key.
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