And so it was that day./ and it came to pass/ once upon a time
And then the day arrived when..., it was.
("And it came to pass on that day that Elkanah sacrificed, and gave unto his wife Peninnah, and unto all her sons and daughters, manna" - Samuel 1:4, and so on: "And it came to pass on that day, and I sat with beloved friends/ of the sons of the generous/ to indulge in lovers/ and to delight in Arabian songs" - Yehuda Al-Harizi (12th century)/ I married an ugly woman)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם
Definition (Hebrew)
וְאָז הִגִּיעַ הַיּוֹם שֶׁבּוֹ..., הָיֹה הָיָה.
("וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיִּזְבַּח אֶלְקָנָה וְנָתַן לִפְנִנָּה אִשְׁתּוֹ וּלְכָל בָּנֶיהָ וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ מָנוֹת"- שְׁמוּאֵל א א ד, וְכֵן:"וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַאֲנִי יוֹשֵׁב עִם חֲבֵרִים אֲהוּבִים/ מִבְּנֵי הַנְּדִיבִים/ לְהִתְעַלֵּס בַּאֲהָבִים/ וּלְהִשְׁתַּעֲשֵׁעַ בְּשִׁירִים עַרְבִים"- יְהוּדָה אַלְחַרִיזִי (הַמֵּאָה הי"ב)/ נִשּׂוּאֵי אִשָּׁה כְּעוּרָה)