Libavtini

Libavtini (Hebrew: לִבַּבְתִּנִי) is a word that appears in a single verse within the Hebrew Bible in The Song of Songs 4 verse 9. The flowery term means “you have hearted me” and is used often in songs and dances as well as prose.

Song of Songs 4 verse 9

Main article: Song of Songs 4

Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

“Thou hast ravished my heart” (Hebrew: לִבַּבְתִּנִי, Libavtini) is the verb form of the noun for heart, לבב, and literally means "thou has hearted me." This exact form of the word (pi`el perfect) appears only once in the bible, within this verse.

As it comes in the context of a dialogue between two lovers, most translations have given it a meaning of stolen my heart: "You have captivated my heart" (English Standard Version), "Thou hast ravished my heart" (King James Version), "You have made my heart beat faster" (New American Standard Bible), "You have carried my heart away!" (The Complete Jewish Bible), "You have charmed me" (God's Word Translation), "You have thrilled my heart" (New Century's Version), "Thou hast wounded my heart" (Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible), and "Thou hast emboldened me" (Young's Literal Translation).

Songs

• Libavtini [1]: a song written and composed by Naomi Shemer, recorded by Yehoram Gaon, and dedicated to Naomi Polani. The song discusses a multi-faceted and changing love between two characters. One character is sometimes near and sometimes far; sometimes serves as a mother, and sometimes a sister, and sometimes a bride to the first person singer; sometimes is in tatters and sometimes is beloved; no matter what – the singer expresses that the character will always libavatini - playing on several interpretations of the word – from “hearten them”, “fill their hearts with happiness”, to a more romantic “capture their heart.”
• Libavtini: [2] a song by Erez Lev Ari from his album The Joy in Small Details. It is a song from a lover to a female partner. The partner is hiding her face and is crying. When the partner laughs and erases her pain, she libavatini the singer – she enlivens and fills the heart of the singer with love.
• Libavtini [3]: is a song with an unknown writer which is taken word for word from three fragments of sentences from Song of Songs chapter 4 verses 9, 10 and 11. The tune was composed by Moni Amarilio. It has been performed and recorded by several artists, most notably by The Parvarim, Shoshana Damari, and Yehudit Ravitz. The song's words translated to English are:

Thou hast ravished my heart (Hebrew: libavatini), my sister, my bride;

thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes. How fair is thy love, my sister, my bride!

And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

• Yafat Ayin Libavtini (Hebrew: יפת עין לבבתני): a Piyyut, (Jewish liturgical poem) sung in Sephardic communities upon the birth of a daughter when the father declares the name of the daughter at the synagogue, see also Zeved habat. The poem originates from the Jewish Aleppo community.
• Hi Libavtini: a song arranged by Gil Aldema [4].
• Libavtini Achoti Chala: a choral song by Gerald Cohen (composer).

Dance

• An Israeli folk dance for couples choreographed by Moshe Eskayo to the song Libavtini by Moni Amarilio.