Yerushalaim Shel Zahav

Music and lyrics: Naomi Shemer

 

1.

Avir harim tzalul kayayin

Ve-reiach oranim

Nisa be-ru'ach ha'arbaim

Im kol pa'amonim

U-v-tardemat ilan va-even

Shvuya ba-haloma

Ha-ir asher badad yoshevet

U-ve-liba homa.

 

||: Yerushalaim shel zahav

Ve-shel nehoshet ve-shel or,

Ha-lo le-khol shirayich

Ani kinor. :||

 

2.

Eicha yavshu borot ha-mayim

Kikar ha-shuk reka

Ve-ein poked et Har ha-Bait

Ba-ir ha-atika.

U-va-me'arot asher ba-sela

Meyalelot ruchot

Ve-ein yored el Yam ha-Melach

Be-derech Yericho.

 

||: Yerushalaim shel zahav

Ve-shel nehoshet ve-shel or,

Ha-lo le-khol shirayich

Ani kinor. :||

 

 

 

3.

Ach be-vo'i ha-yom la-shir lach

Ve-lach likshor ktarim

Katonti mi-tze'ir bana'ich

U-me-aharon ha-meshorerim.

Ki shmech tzorev et ha-sfataim

Ke-neshikat saraf

Im eshkachech Yerushalaim

Asher kula zahav

 

||: Yerushalaim shel zahav

Ve-shel nehoshet ve-shel or,

Ha-lo le-khol shirayich

Ani kinor. :||

 

4.

Hazarnu el borot ha-mayim

La-shuk ve-la-kikar.

Shofar kore be-Har ha-Bait

Ba-ir ha-atika.

U-va-me'arot asher ba-sela

Alfey shmashot zorhot

Nashuv nered el Yam ha-Melach

Be-derech Yericho.

 

||: Yerushalaim shel zahav

Ve-shel nehoshet ve-shel or,

Ha-lo le-khol shirayich

Ani kinor. :||

 

submitted by: josephnow@yahoo.com

 

 

 

Yerushalaim Shel Zahav (English version)

Music and lyrics: Naomi Shemer

 

The mountain air is clear as wine

And the scent of pines

Is carried on the breeze of twilight

With the sound of bells.

 

And in the slumber of tree and stone

Captured in her dream

The city that sits solitary

And in its midst is a wall.

 

Jerusalem of gold, and of bronze, and of light

Behold I am a violin for all your songs.

 

How the cisterns have dried

The market-place is empty

And no one frequents the Temple Mount

In the Old City.

 

And in the caves in the mountain

Winds are howling

And no one descends to the Dead Sea

By way of Jericho.

 

Jerusalem of gold, and of bronze, and of light

Behold I am a violin for all your songs.

 

But as I come to sing to you today,

And to adorn crowns to you (i.e. to tell your praise)

I am the smallest of the youngest of your children (i.e.

the least worthy of doing so)

And of the last poet (i.e. of all the poets born).

 

For your name scorches the lips

Like the kiss of a seraph

If I forget thee, Jerusalem,

Which is all gold...

 

Jerusalem of gold, and of bronze, and of light

Behold I am a violin for all your songs.

 

We have returned to the cisterns

To the market and to the market-place

A ram's horn (shofar) calls out (i.e. is being heard) on

the Temple Mount

In the Old City.

 

And in the caves in the mountain

Thousands of suns shine -

We will once again descend to the Dead Sea

By way of Jericho!

 

Jerusalem of gold, and of bronze and of light

Behold I am a violin for all your songs

 

 

 

Иерушалаим шель заhав

 

Авир hарим цалюль каяин

Вэрэах ораним

Ниса бэруах hаарбаим

Им коль паамоним.

 

Увтардэмат илан ваэвэн

Швуя бахалома,

hаир ашер бадад ёшэвэт

У вэлиба хома.

 

Ерушалаим шель заhав

Вэшель нэхошет вэшель ор

hало леколь шираих

Ани кинор

 

Ерушалаим шель заhав

Вэшель нэхошет вэшель ор

hало леколь шираих

Ани кинор

 

Хазарну эль борот hамаим

Лашук вэла кикар,

Шофар корэ бэhар-hабаит

Баир hаатика.

 

Увам’арот ашер басэла

Альфэй шмашот зорхот -

Нашув нэрэд эль ям-hамэлах

Бэдэрэх Ерихо!

 

Ерушалаим шель заhав

Вэшель нэхошет вэшель ор

hало леколь шираих

Ани кинор

 

Ерушалаим шель заhав

Вэшель нэхошет вэшель ор

hало леколь шираих

Ани кинор

 

Ах бэвои hаём лашир лях

Вэлях ликшор ктарим

Катонти мицаир банаих

Умеахрон hамшорэрим.

 

Ки шмэх цорэв эт hасфатаим

Кенешикат сараф

Им эшкахэх Ерушалаим

Ашер кула заhав.

 

Ерушалаим шель заhав

Вэшель нэхошет вэшель ор

hало леколь шираих

Ани кинор

 

Ерушалаим шель заhав

Вэшель нэхошет вэшель ор

hало леколь шираих

Ани кинор