Bialik Prize
2 appearances
-
Edition 8 (1940) Winner
-
Edition 10 (1942) Winner
Shaul Tchernichovsky
シャウル・ツェルニホフスキー
Shaul Tchernichovsky
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1875-08-20 （Mykhailivka, Taurida Governorate, Russian Empire (now Ukraine)）
- Died
- 1943-10-14 （Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine） age 68
- Nationality
- Russian (by birth), Immigrated to Mandatory Palestine
- Languages
- Hebrew, Russian
- Religion
- Judaism
- Residence History
- Mykhailivka (birthplace, now Ukraine) → Odessa (studies/early activity) → Heidelberg, Germany (medical studies) → Lausanne, Switzerland (completed medical studies) → Kiev and Kharkiv (practiced medicine) → Minsk, Saint Petersburg (served as army doctor during WWI) → United States (1929–1930 visit) → Jerusalem/Tel Aviv (from 1931, Mandatory Palestine)
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Essayist, Translator, Doctor
- Active Years
- 1890-1943
- Affiliations
- Committee of the Hebrew Language, Hebrew Writers Association (associated)
- Influenced By
- Ancient Greek culture and poetry (Homer, etc.), European classical poets (Horace, Sophocles, etc.)
- Influenced
- Modern Israeli poets and songwriters (generational influence), Composers and singers who set his poems to music
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Heidelberg | Faculty of Medicine | Department of Medicine | 医学・医師資格（在学・一部履修） | 1899–1906（在学、その後ローザンヌで修了） | Germany |
| University/medical school in Lausanne | Faculty of Medicine | Department of Medicine | 医学・医師資格（修了） | 1906（修了） | Switzerland |
University of Heidelberg
Faculty of Medicine
/ Department of Medicine
Degree:
医学・医師資格（在学・一部履修）
Period:
1899–1906（在学、その後ローザンヌで修了）
Country:
Germany
Studied medicine at Heidelberg and completed medical studies in Lausanne
University/medical school in Lausanne
Faculty of Medicine
/ Department of Medicine
Degree:
医学・医師資格（修了）
Period:
1906（修了）
Year of Graduation:
1906
Country:
Switzerland
Completed medical studies in Lausanne and thereafter practiced as a physician
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Bialik Prize (for Literature) | — | — | Tel Aviv Municipality (Bialik Prize) | 受賞（共同受賞、Zeldaと共同） |
| 1942 | Bialik Prize (for Literature) | — | — | Tel Aviv Municipality (Bialik Prize) | 受賞（共同受賞、Haim Hazazと共同） |
Bialik Prize (for Literature)
1940
Organization:
Tel Aviv Municipality (Bialik Prize)
Result:
受賞（共同受賞、Zeldaと共同）
Bialik Prize (for Literature)
1942
Organization:
Tel Aviv Municipality (Bialik Prize)
Result:
受賞（共同受賞、Haim Hazazと共同）
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
In Endor
Epic/ Hebrew poetryA poem on King Saul and the Witch of Endor, treating tragic Biblical themes.
Biblical themesTragedyFate
Before a Statue of Apollo
Lyric poem / classical-influencedExpresses admiration for the beauty of ancient Greece; shows the poet's affinity for classical culture.
Ancient GreeceBeautyAdmiration
They Say There Is a Land (Omrim Yeshna Eretz)
Lyric poetryA poem celebrating homeland and Zionist hope; set to music by multiple composers.
HomelandHopeZionism
Adaptations
- [Music] Song version of 'They Say There Is a Land'
The Slain of Tirmonye
Epic / response to antisemitism and the HolocaustA poetic response expressing sorrow over the tragic fate of the Jewish people.
HolocaustCommemorationHistorical sorrow
Shalosh Atonot (Three Jenny-asses)
Lyric / humorousA poem with humorous elements that became popular as a song.
HumorPopular appeal
Bibliography
- Collected poems / multiple volumes
- Homer (translations)
- Translations of Sophocles, Horace, etc.
Adaptations
- Many poems were set to music by composers and became part of Hebrew song repertoire
Translations by Author
- Translations of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey
- Translations of Sophocles, Horace, Shakespeare, Molière, Pushkin, Goethe, Heine, Byron, Shelley, the Kalevala, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Edda, etc.
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyric poetry influenced by classical literature; master of the sonnet (introduced the crown of sonnets)Rich nature imagery with both realistic and idealized expressionsBlend of epic elements and personal idylls
- Recurring Motifs
- Nature (sun, sea, fields)Greek mythology and classical beautyHomeland and the fate of the peopleReminiscence and childhood images
Legacy
One of the leading modern Hebrew poets. He contributed to Hebrew poetry through the introduction of sonnet forms, extensive translations of classical literature, and work on terminology and education. His legacy endures in musical settings of his poems, schools and streets named after him, a translation prize in his name, and his portrait on the 50 NIS banknote (2014).
Museums
- Tchernichovsky memorial sites (related) Tel Aviv / Jerusalem area (several memorial displays and sites)
Academic Societies
- Committee of the Hebrew Language
- Hebrew Writers Association (related)
Archives
- National Library of Israel (manuscripts and letters)
- Project Ben-Yehuda and other online archives include his works
In Popular Culture
- Portrait featured on the new 50 NIS banknote since 2014
- Many poems set to music and incorporated into Hebrew song repertoire
- Streets and schools in Tel Aviv and other cities bear his name
Quotes
-
Oh my land, my birthplace
Source: Poem (also known as a song lyric)
Trivia
- Translated major classics including Homer's Iliad and Odyssey into Hebrew.
- Received the Bialik Prize in 1940 and 1942 (both shared awards).
- His wife Melania was Christian; he resisted calls for her to convert to Judaism.
- Served as an army doctor in the Russian forces during World War I.
- His portrait was selected for the new 50 NIS banknote unveiled in 2014.