אֶתְמוֹלet-MOLנָסַעְתִּיna-SA-tiלַנָּמֵלla-na-MELהָעַתִּיקha-a-TIKשֶׁלshelעַכּוֹa-KOוּפָגַשְׁתִּיu-fa-GASH-tiדַּיָּגdai-YAGקָשִׁישׁ.ka-SHISH.פָּנָיוpa-NAVהָיוּha-YUשְׁזוּפִיםshzu-FIMוַחֲרוּשֵׁיva-kha-ru-SHEIקְמָטִים,ke-ma-TIM,וְיָדָיוve-ya-DAVמְלֵאוֹתme-le-OTצַלָּקוֹתtza-la-KOTמִשָּׁנִיםmi-sha-NIMבַּיָּם.bai-YAM.הוּאHUיָשַׁבya-SHAVעַלalחוֹמַתkho-MATאֶבֶןE-venוְתִקֵּןve-ti-KENבִּמְיֻמָּנוּתbim-yu-ma-NUTרֶשֶׁתRE-shetדַּיִגDA-yigקְרוּעָה.ke-ru-A.שָׁאַלְתִּיsha-AL-tiאוֹתוֹo-TOכַּמָּהka-MAזְמַןzmanהוּאHUדָּג,DAG,וְהוּאve-HUאָמַרa-MARשֶׁהִתְחִילshe-hit-KHILבְּגִילbe-GILשֶׁבַע.SHE-va.הוּאHUסִפֵּרsi-PERעַלalסְעָרוֹת,se-a-ROT,דָּגִיםda-GIMעֲנָקִיִּיםa-na-ki-YIMוַחֲבֵרִיםva-kha-ve-RIMשֶׁלֹּאshe-LOחָזְרוּkhaz-RUמֵהַיָּם.me-hai-YAM."הַיָּם"hai-YAMהוּאHUמוֹרֶהmo-REקָשׁוּחַ,"ka-SHU-akh,"הוּאHUאָמַר.a-MAR."הוּא"HUמְלַמֵּדme-la-MEDאוֹתְךָot-KHAסַבְלָנוּתsav-la-NUTוַעֲנָוָהva-a-na-VAבְּכָלbe-KHOLיוֹם."yom."מַמָּשׁma-MASHלִפְנֵיlif-NEIהַשְּׁקִיעָהhash-ki-Aעָזַרְתִּיa-ZAR-tiלוֹLOלִמְשֹׁךְlim-SHOKHסִירָהsi-RAקְטַנָּהkta-NAלַיַּבָּשָׁה.lai-ya-ba-SHA.חָזַרְתִּיkha-ZAR-tiלְתֵלle-TELאָבִיבa-VIVוְהִרְגַּשְׁתִּיve-hir-GASH-tiכְּאִלּוּke-i-LUבִּקַּרְתִּיbi-KAR-tiבְּעוֹלָםbe-o-LAMאַחֵר.a-KHER.
Yesterday I traveled to the ancient port of Acre and met an elderly fisherman. His face was tanned and lined with wrinkles, and his hands were full of scars from years at sea. He sat on a stone wall and skillfully mended a torn fishing net. I asked him how long he had been fishing, and he said he had started at the age of seven. He told stories of storms, of giant fish, and of friends who never came back from the sea. "The sea is a stern teacher," he said. "It teaches you patience and humility every single day." Just before sunset I helped him pull a small boat onto dry land. I returned to Tel Aviv and felt as if I had visited another world.