Erev Shel Shoshanim

"Erev Shel Shoshanim" (Evening of Lilies or Evening of Roses; the Hebrew word shoshana has been identified with both flowers ) is a poetic Hebrew love song. Its melody is often used as wedding music in Jewish weddings. It is well known within Israeli and Jewish music circles and throughout the Middle East, and is often used as a belly dancing song.

The song is by Yosef Hadar, with lyrics by Moshe Dor. It was first recorded in 1957 by singer Yafa Yarkoni, and a year later by the duo HaDuda'im, whose version became a smash hit in Israel. They toured the world extensively in the '60s, and their version became one of their international signature songs.

In 1966, Israeli folk dancing choreographer Zvi Hillman created the first folk dance based on the song.

Other versions of the song
During the '60s and '70s the song was recorded by various international singers, including Harry Belafonte, Olivera Katarina, Nana Mouskouri, Daliah Lavi, Victor Jara and Quilapayún, Martin Simpson and Miriam Makeba. In 1974, Yugoslav progressive rock band Dah recorded their hit song "Šošana", which featured a melody based on "Erev Shel Shoshanim". In 1975, after moving to Belgium and changing the name to Land, they recorded an English-language version of "Šošana" entitled "Shoshana", which became an international hit and made the song's melody a popular football chant.

The song was translated in the 1960s into Armenian by Bob Tashjian and John Berberian, in which it is called "Yarus" or "Yars" (O, Rose!). John Berberian later recorded his version of the song with the translated lyrics.

Juhani Forsberg used the melody, which he thought to be an Israeli folksong, in his song "Tiellä ken vaeltaa", which was later added to the hymnbook of Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

The melody of the song is also used for the Polish Catholic song "Jeden jest tylko Pan (There is only one God)", with the lyrics being about the church being the house of God.

A version of the song was sampled in the 2016 hit song, "Save Me" by French pop artist The Parakit.

English translation
Evening of roses

Let us go out to the grove

Myrrh, perfumes, and frankincense

Is the carpet under your feet

Night falls slowly

And a wind of rose blows

Let me whisper a song for you slowly

A song of love

Dawn and the dove coos

Your hair is full of dewdrops

Your lips are as roses unto the morning

I will pick them for myself

English transliteration
Erev shel shoshanim

Netse na el habustan

Mor besamim ulevona

Leraghelech miftan

Layla yored le'at

Veru'ach shoshan noshvah

Hava elchash lach shir balat

Zemer shel ahava

Shachar homa yona

Roshech ma'le telalim

Pich el haboker shoshana

Ektefenu li

Original Hebrew
ערב של שושנים

נצא נא אל הבוסתן

מור בשמים ולבונה

.לרגלך מפתן

לילה יורד לאט

ורוח שושן נושבה

הבה אלחש לך שיר בלאט

.זמר של אהבה

שחר הומה יונה

ראשך מלא טללים

פיך אל הבוקר, שושנה

.אקטפנו לי