הבלדה על יואל משה סלומון [Habalada al Yoel Moshe Salomon] [English translation]

The day was new, with morning dew

In Eighteen seventy eight1

From Jaffa five of them were riding

On horsebacks to their fate

Shtampper came and Guttman came,

and Zerach Barnet

and Yoel Moshe Salomon2

A sword shone in his belt

And with them rode Mazraki3

Distinguished doc indeed

along the river, the Yarkon4

the wind sang in the reeds

and near the Umm Labes5 they took a break

Just thicket and swamps around

And up a little hill they climbed

Then to inspect the grounds

Mazraki then said to them

After a short time:

I cannot hear here any birds

And that's the worst of signs

If even birds cannot be seen

This means that death here reigns

So I advise, get out of here

And don't come back again

The doctor jumped upon his horse

While caring for his health

And so the three friends also joined

And hurried out in stealth

But Yoel Salomon then said

With his delirious eyes

"I'm saying here up on this hill

Under these murky skies".

And he remained up on that hill

And overnight some heard

All of a sudden Salomon

Grew wings just like a bird

Yet no one’s telling where he flew

Unreal as this may seem

Perhaps this was a fairytale

Perhaps it was a dream

But with the early rays of sun

As morning rumble stirred

The cursed vale abounded with

The chirps of singing birds

And people say that to this day

From night to early dawn

The birds in the Yarkon still sing

Of Yoel Salomon

1. 5638 in Hebrew calender2. Purchasers and founders of Petah Tikva: David Gutman, Yoel Moshe Salomon, Joshua Stampfer and Zerah Barnett,3. thought to be Dr. Karlemo Mazraki, a Greek doctor4. Yarkon River in Israel5. Petah Tikva

• Artist:Arik Einstein