אֶל אַרְצִי רחל בלובשטיין

לֹא שַׁרְתִּי לָךְ, אַרְצִי, וְלֹא פֵּאַרְתִּי שְׁמֵךְ בַּעֲלִילוֹת גְּבוּרָה, בִּשְׁלַל קְרָבוֹת

רַק עֵץ – יָדַי נָטְעוּ חוֹפֵי יַרְדֵּן שׁוֹקְטִים. רַק שְׁבִיל – כָּבְשׁוּ רַגְלַי עַל פְּנֵי שָׂדוֹת

אָכֵן דַּלָּה מְאֹד – יָדַעְתִּי זֹאת, הָאֵם, אָכֵן דַּלָּה מְאֹד

מִנְחַת בִּתֵּךְ ; רַק קוֹל תְּרוּעַת הַגִּיל בְּיוֹם יִגַּהּ הָאוֹר, רַק בְּכִי בַּמִּסְתָּרִים עֲלֵי עָנְיֵךְ

Translation I have not sung to you, my land, And haven’t glorified your name With heroic deeds, With variety of battles; Only a tree – my hands planted The Jordan shores are still. Only a path – my feet leveled Across the fields.

Indeed – it is extremely modest – I knew that, the mother, Indeed, it is extremely modest Your daughter’s offering; It is only the sound of joy blast on the day the light will gleam, Only weeping in the hidings About your poverty.

Explanation The poem means she didn’t give much to her land. She didn’t fight battles or lead the people. All she gave back was planting a tree, walking the land, and crying for the poverty that the country experienced. This makes sense because she lived in the countryside and she was sick so she had a very tough time dealing with her illness.

Questions!! What influenced her poetry? מה הישפיע שירה שלך ? A) המדינה שלה B) מחלתה C) משפחתה

What type of people did she used to work with? A) אנשים זקנים B) צרפתים C) אנשים חולים D) ילדים קטנים

What did she die from?  A)אש B)מלחמה C)שחפת D)זקנה