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Hebrew songs

Am Yisrael Chai lyrics & English translation

עם ישראל חי

The People of Israel Live — Eyal Golan, 2023. Words by Avi Ohayon & Ofir Cohen. Below you get the full Hebrew lyrics with nikud, a Latin transliteration and an English translation of every line, plus the words worth memorising.

Sing it karaoke-style

The story behind the song

Eyal Golan, one of the great voices of Israeli Mediterranean music, released this song after October 7th, 2023. It became a national song of hope and unity — sung at rallies, army bases and school ceremonies across the country.

Full lyrics, line by line

  1. בְּקָרוֹב תִּזְרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁBekarov tizrach hashemeshSoon the sun will rise
  2. נֵדַע יָמִים יָפִים מֵאֵלֶּהNeda yamim yafim me'eleWe will know better days than these
  3. הַלֵּב נִלְחָם בַּדְּאָגוֹתHalev nilcham bade'agotThe heart fights the worries
  4. כֻּלָּם יַחְזְרוּ הַבַּיְתָהKulam yachzeru habaytaEveryone will come home
  5. נְחַכֶּה לָהֶם לְמַטָּהNechake lahem lemataWe will wait for them down here
  6. הַלְוַאי נֵדַע בְּשׂוֹרוֹת טוֹבוֹתHalevai neda besorot tovotMay we hear good news
  7. כִּי עַם הַנֶּצַח לְעוֹלָם לֹא מְפַחֵדKi am hanetzach le'olam lo mefachedFor the eternal people is never afraid
  8. אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁקָּשֶׁה לִרְאוֹתAfilu kshekashe lir'otEven when it is hard to see
  9. כֻּלָּם בְּיַחַד, אַף אֶחָד פֹּה לֹא בּוֹדֵדKulam beyachad, af echad po lo bodedAll together — nobody here is alone
  10. שֶׁיִּשָּׂרְפוּ הַמִּלְחָמוֹתSheyisarfu hamilchamotMay the wars burn away
  11. עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַיAm Yisrael chaiThe people of Israel lives
  12. אִם לֹא נִשְׁכַּח תָּמִיד לִהְיוֹת מְאֻחָדִיםIm lo nishkach tamid lihyot me'uchadimIf we never forget to always stay united
  13. עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַיAm Yisrael chaiThe people of Israel lives
  14. בַּעֲלִיּוֹת, בַּיְרִידוֹת, גַּם בַּשָּׁעוֹת הַכִּי קָשׁוֹתBa'aliyot, bayridot, gam basha'ot haki kashotIn the ups, in the downs, even in the hardest hours
  15. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שׁוֹמֵר עָלֵינוּHakadosh Baruch Hu shomer aleinuThe Holy One, blessed be He, watches over us
  16. אָז מִי יָכוֹל עָלֵינוּAz mi yachol aleinuSo who can overcome us
  17. כִּי אֵין לָנוּ עוֹד מְדִינָהKi ein lanu od medinaFor we have no other country
  18. תַּעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בֵּינֵינוּTa'ase shalom beineinuMake peace among us
  19. שְׁמֹר עַל יְלָדֵינוּShmor al yeladeinuWatch over our children
  20. כִּי לֹא אָבְדָה הָאֱמוּנָהKi lo avda ha'emunaFor the faith is not lost
  21. הוֹ הוֹ־הוֹ־הוֹ־הוֹ־הוֹHo ho-ho-ho-ho-ho(vocal chant)
  22. עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַיAm Yisrael, Am Yisrael chaiThe people of Israel, the people of Israel lives
  23. אַרְצִי נַחֲלָתֵנוּArtzi nachalatenuMy land, our heritage
  24. לֹא תִּפֹּל כָּעֵת רוּחֵנוּLo tipol ka'et ruchenuOur spirit will not fall now
  25. מִסָּבִיב בַּרְזֶל שֶׁל חֲרָבוֹתMisaviv barzel shel charavotAll around, the iron of swords
  26. וְיוֹנָה תִּפְרֹשׂ כְּנָפַיִםVeyona tifros knafayimAnd a dove will spread its wings
  27. הַתִּקְוָה בַּת שְׁנוֹת אַלְפַּיִםHatikva bat shnot alpayimThe two-thousand-year-old hope
  28. עוֹד נֵצֵא לָשִׁיר בָּרְחוֹבוֹתOd netze lashir barchovotWe will yet go out singing in the streets
  29. כִּי עַם הַנֶּצַח לְעוֹלָם לֹא מְפַחֵדKi am hanetzach le'olam lo mefachedFor the eternal people is never afraid
  30. אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁקָּשֶׁה לִרְאוֹתAfilu kshekashe lir'otEven when it is hard to see
  31. כֻּלָּם בְּיַחַד, אַף אֶחָד פֹּה לֹא בּוֹדֵדKulam beyachad, af echad po lo bodedAll together — nobody here is alone
  32. שֶׁיִּשָּׂרְפוּ הַמִּלְחָמוֹתSheyisarfu hamilchamotMay the wars burn away
  33. עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַיAm Yisrael chaiThe people of Israel lives
  34. אִם לֹא נִשְׁכַּח תָּמִיד לִהְיוֹת מְאֻחָדִיםIm lo nishkach tamid lihyot me'uchadimIf we never forget to always stay united
  35. עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַיAm Yisrael chaiThe people of Israel lives
  36. בַּעֲלִיּוֹת, בַּיְרִידוֹת, גַּם בַּשָּׁעוֹת הַכִּי קָשׁוֹתBa'aliyot, bayridot, gam basha'ot haki kashotIn the ups, in the downs, even in the hardest hours
  37. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שׁוֹמֵר עָלֵינוּHakadosh Baruch Hu shomer aleinuThe Holy One, blessed be He, watches over us
  38. אָז מִי יָכוֹל עָלֵינוּAz mi yachol aleinuSo who can overcome us
  39. כִּי אֵין לָנוּ עוֹד מְדִינָהKi ein lanu od medinaFor we have no other country
  40. תַּעֲשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בֵּינֵינוּTa'ase shalom beineinuMake peace among us
  41. שְׁמֹר עַל יְלָדֵינוּShmor al yeladeinuWatch over our children
  42. כִּי לֹא אָבְדָה הָאֱמוּנָהKi lo avda ha'emunaFor the faith is not lost
  43. הוֹ הוֹ־הוֹ־הוֹ־הוֹ־הוֹHo ho-ho-ho-ho-ho(vocal chant)
  44. עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל, עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַיAm Yisrael, Am Yisrael chaiThe people of Israel, the people of Israel lives

Words from this song

  • בְּקָרוֹבsoon
  • שֶׁמֶשׁsun
  • יָמִיםdays
  • יָפִיםbeautiful
  • לֵבheart
  • דְּאָגָהworry
  • כֻּלָּםeveryone
  • הַבַּיְתָהhomeward
  • נְחַכֶּהwe will wait
  • לְמַטָּהbelow
  • הַלְוַאיif only / may it be
  • בְּשׂוֹרָהnews / tidings
  • נֶצַחeternity
  • מְפַחֵדafraid
Practise these words

About Eyal Golan

Eyal Golan, born in Rehovot to a Yemenite-Moroccan family, is one of the biggest voices of Israeli Mediterranean music (מוזיקה מזרחית) — the style that grew from neighbourhood weddings and cassette stalls into the mainstream sound of Israeli radio.

Am Yisrael Chai was released after October 7th, 2023, written by Avi Ohayon and Ofir Cohen. It became an instant national song: sung at rallies, hostage-return ceremonies, army bases and school assemblies, and streamed millions of times in its first weeks.