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Hebrew songs

Ein Li Eretz Acheret lyrics & English translation

אין לי ארץ אחרת

I Have No Other CountryGali Atari, 1986. Words by Ehud Manor · music: Corinne Allal. 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

'Ein Li Eretz Acheret' ('I Have No Other Country') — lyrics by Ehud Manor, music by Corinne Allal, first recorded by Gali Atari in 1986. Manor wrote it years after his younger brother was killed in the War of Attrition: a love song to a country that is hurting, with the most quotable line in modern Hebrew — 'Only a word in Hebrew penetrates into my veins, into my soul.' Essential vocabulary: ארץ (land), בית (home), לב (heart), מילה (word).

Full lyrics, line by line

  1. אֵין לִי אֶרֶץ אַחֶרֶתEin li eretz acheretI have no other country
  2. גַּם אִם אַדְמָתִי בּוֹעֶרֶתGam im admati bo'eretEven if my ground is burning
  3. רַק מִלָּה בְּעִבְרִית חוֹדֶרֶתRak mila be'ivrit choderetOnly a word in Hebrew penetrates
  4. אֶל עוֹרְקַי, אֶל נִשְׁמָתִיEl orkay, el nishmatiInto my veins, into my soul
  5. בְּגוּף כּוֹאֵב, בְּלֵב רָעֵבBeguf ko'ev, belev ra'evWith an aching body, a hungry heart
  6. כָּאן הוּא בֵּיתִיKan hu beitiHere is my home
  7. לֹא אֶשְׁתֹּק, כִּי אַרְצִיLo eshtok, ki artziI will not be silent, for my country
  8. שִׁנְּתָה אֶת פָּנֶיהָShintah et panehaHas changed her face
  9. לֹא אֲוַתֵּר לָהּ,Lo avater lah,I will not give up on her,
  10. אַזְכִּיר לָהּ,Azkir lah,I will remind her,
  11. וְאָשִׁיר כָּאן בְּאָזְנֶיהָVe'ashir kan be'oznehaAnd I will sing here in her ears
  12. עַד שֶׁתִּפְקַח אֶת עֵינֶיהָAd shetifpach et einehaUntil she opens her eyes
  13. אֵין לִי אֶרֶץ אַחֶרֶתEin li eretz acheretI have no other country
  14. גַּם אִם אַדְמָתִי בּוֹעֶרֶתGam im admati bo'eretEven if my ground is burning
  15. רַק מִלָּה בְּעִבְרִית חוֹדֶרֶתRak mila be'ivrit choderetOnly a word in Hebrew penetrates
  16. אֶל עוֹרְקַי, אֶל נִשְׁמָתִיEl orkay, el nishmatiInto my veins, into my soul
  17. בְּגוּף כּוֹאֵב, בְּלֵב רָעֵבBeguf ko'ev, belev ra'evWith an aching body, a hungry heart
  18. כָּאן הוּא בֵּיתִיKan hu beitiHere is my home
  19. לֹא אֶשְׁתֹּק, כִּי אַרְצִיLo eshtok, ki artziI will not be silent, for my country
  20. שִׁנְּתָה אֶת פָּנֶיהָShintah et panehaHas changed her face
  21. לֹא אֲוַתֵּר לָהּ,Lo avater lah,I will not give up on her,
  22. אַזְכִּיר לָהּ,Azkir lah,I will remind her,
  23. וְאָשִׁיר כָּאן בְּאָזְנֶיהָVe'ashir kan be'oznehaAnd I will sing here in her ears
  24. עַד שֶׁתִּפְקַח אֶת עֵינֶיהָAd shetifpach et einehaUntil she opens her eyes
  25. אֵין לִי אֶרֶץ אַחֶרֶתEin li eretz acheretI have no other country
  26. עַד שֶׁתְּחַדֵּשׁ יָמֶיהָAd shetechadesh yamehaUntil she renews her days
  27. עַד שֶׁתִּפְקַח אֶת עֵינֶיהָAd shetifpach et einehaUntil she opens her eyes
  28. אֵין לִי אֶרֶץ אַחֶרֶתEin li eretz acheretI have no other country
  29. גַּם אִם אַדְמָתִי בּוֹעֶרֶתGam im admati bo'eretEven if my ground is burning
  30. רַק מִלָּה בְּעִבְרִית חוֹדֶרֶתRak mila be'ivrit choderetOnly a word in Hebrew penetrates
  31. אֶל עוֹרְקַי, אֶל נִשְׁמָתִיEl orkay, el nishmatiInto my veins, into my soul
  32. בְּגוּף כּוֹאֵב, בְּלֵב רָעֵבBeguf ko'ev, belev ra'evWith an aching body, a hungry heart
  33. כָּאן הוּא בֵּיתִיKan hu beitiHere is my home
  34. בְּגוּף כּוֹאֵב, בְּלֵב רָעֵבBeguf ko'ev, belev ra'evWith an aching body, a hungry heart
  35. כָּאן הוּא בֵּיתִיKan hu beitiHere is my home

Words from this song

  • אֶרֶץland / country
  • אַחֶרֶתother (f.)
  • אֲדָמָהground / earth
  • בּוֹעֶרֶתburning (f.)
  • מִלָּהword
  • עִבְרִיתHebrew
  • חוֹדֶרֶתpenetrates (f.)
  • עוֹרֵקvein
  • נְשָׁמָהsoul
  • גּוּףbody
  • כּוֹאֵבaching
  • רָעֵבhungry
  • כָּאןhere
  • בַּיִתhome / house
Practise these words

What does “Ein Li Eretz Acheret” mean?

אין לי ארץ אחרת translates as “I Have No Other Country”. It was released in 1986, performed by Gali Atari with words by Ehud Manor · music: Corinne Allal. Read the line-by-line English translation above, or sing it with the words highlighted in time with the music.

About Gali Atari

Gali Atari (born 1953 in Rehovot, to a Yemenite-Jewish family) is one of the defining voices of Israeli pop.

She won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1979 together with Milk & Honey and the song 'Hallelujah' — a song that became a worldwide hit and an Israeli anthem in its own right.