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Hebrew songs

Hare'ut lyrics & English translation

הרעות

The Comradeship — The Nahal Troupe, 1948. Words by Haim Gouri, music by Sasha Argov. 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

'Hare'ut' ('The Comradeship') was written by the poet Haim Gouri right after Israel's 1948 War of Independence, with a haunting melody by Sasha Argov. It mourns the friends who fell in the Negev and turns their memory into something almost sacred. Today it is one of the songs Israelis sing every Memorial Day — quietly, standing, usually with tears.

Full lyrics, line by line

  1. עַל הַנֶּגֶב יוֹרֵד לֵיל הַסְּתָוAl haNegev yored leil hastavOver the Negev an autumn night descends
  2. וּמַצִּית כּוֹכָבִים חֶרֶשׁ חֶרֶשׁUmatzit kochavim cheresh chereshAnd lights up the stars, quietly, quietly
  3. עֵת הָרוּחַ עוֹבֵר עַל הַסַּףEt haruach over al hasafWhen the wind passes over the threshold
  4. עֲנָנִים מְהַלְּכִים עַל הַדֶּרֶךְAnanim mehalchim al haderechClouds are walking along the road
  5. כְּבָר שָׁנָה לֹא הִרְגַּשְׁנוּ כִּמְעַטKvar shana lo hirgashnu kim'atA year already, and we barely felt
  6. אֵיךְ עָבְרוּ הַזְּמַנִּים בִּשְׂדוֹתֵינוּEich avru hazmanim bisdoteinuHow the seasons passed in our fields
  7. כְּבָר שָׁנָה וְנוֹתַרְנוּ מְעַטKvar shana venotarnu me'atA year already, and few of us remain
  8. מָה רַבִּים שֶׁאֵינָם כְּבָר בֵּינֵינוּMa rabim she'einam kvar beineinuHow many are no longer among us
  9. אַךְ נִזְכֹּר אֶת כֻּלָּםAch nizkor et kulamBut we will remember them all
  10. אֶת יְפֵי הַבְּלוֹרִית וְהַתֹּאַרEt yefei hablorit vehato'arThe handsome ones with the forelock and fine figure
  11. כִּי רֵעוּת שֶׁכָּזֹאת לְעוֹלָםKi re'ut shekazot le'olamFor a friendship like this will never
  12. לֹא תִּתֵּן אֶת לִבֵּנוּ לִשְׁכֹּחַLo titen et libenu lishkoachLet our heart forget
  13. אַהֲבָה מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת בְּדָםAhava mekudeshet bedamA love sanctified in blood
  14. אַתְּ תָּשׁוּבִי בֵּינֵינוּ לִפְרֹחַAt tashuvi beineinu lifroachYou will return to bloom among us
  15. הָרֵעוּת נְשָׂאנוּךְ בְּלִי מִלָּהHare'ut nesanuch bli milaComradeship — we carried you without a word
  16. אֲפֹרָה עַקְשָׁנִית וְשׁוֹתֶקֶתAfora akshanit veshoteketGrey, stubborn and silent
  17. מִלֵּילוֹת הָאֵימָה הַגְּדוֹלִיםMileilot ha'eima hagdolimOut of the great nights of terror
  18. אַתְּ נוֹתַרְתְּ בְּהִירָה וְדוֹלֶקֶתAt notart behira vedoleketYou remained bright and burning
  19. הָרֵעוּת כִּנְעָרוֹתַיִךְ כֻּלָּןHare'ut kin'arotayich kulanComradeship, like all your young women
  20. שׁוּב בִּשְׁמֵךְ נְחַיֵּךְ וְנֵלֵכָהShuv bishmech nechayech venelechaAgain in your name we will smile and go on
  21. כִּי רֵעִים שֶׁנָּפְלוּ עַל חַרְבָּםKi re'im shenaflu al charbamFor friends who fell upon their sword
  22. אֶת חַיַּיִךְ הוֹתִירוּ לְזֵכֶרEt chayayich hotiru lezecherLeft your life as a memory
  23. אַךְ נִזְכֹּר אֶת כֻּלָּםAch nizkor et kulamBut we will remember them all
  24. אֶת יְפֵי הַבְּלוֹרִית וְהַתֹּאַרEt yefei hablorit vehato'arThe handsome ones with the forelock and fine figure
  25. כִּי רֵעוּת שֶׁכָּזֹאת לְעוֹלָםKi re'ut shekazot le'olamFor a friendship like this will never
  26. לֹא תִּתֵּן אֶת לִבֵּנוּ לִשְׁכֹּחַLo titen et libenu lishkoachLet our heart forget
  27. אַהֲבָה מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת בְּדָםAhava mekudeshet bedamA love sanctified in blood
  28. אַתְּ תָּשׁוּבִי בֵּינֵינוּ לִפְרֹחַAt tashuvi beineinu lifroachYou will return to bloom among us
  29. אַךְ נִזְכֹּר אֶת כֻּלָּםAch nizkor et kulamBut we will remember them all
  30. אֶת יְפֵי הַבְּלוֹרִית וְהַתֹּאַרEt yefei hablorit vehato'arThe handsome ones with the forelock and fine figure
  31. כִּי רֵעוּת שֶׁכָּזֹאת לְעוֹלָםKi re'ut shekazot le'olamFor a friendship like this will never
  32. לֹא תִּתֵּן אֶת לִבֵּנוּ לִשְׁכֹּחַLo titen et libenu lishkoachLet our heart forget
  33. אַהֲבָה מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת בְּדָםAhava mekudeshet bedamA love sanctified in blood
  34. אַתְּ תָּשׁוּבִי בֵּינֵינוּ לִפְרֹחַAt tashuvi beineinu lifroachYou will return to bloom among us

Words from this song

  • נֶגֶבthe Negev (desert)
  • לֵילnight (of)
  • סְּתָוautumn
  • מַצִּיתlights / kindles
  • כּוֹכָבִיםstars
  • חֶרֶשׁsilently
  • רוּחַwind / spirit
  • סַףthreshold
  • עֲנָנִיםclouds
  • מְהַלְּכִיםwalk
  • דֶּרֶךְroad / way
  • שָׁנָהyear
  • הִרְגַּשְׁנוּwe felt
  • כִּמְעַטalmost
Practise these words

What does “Hare'ut” mean?

הרעות translates as “The Comradeship”. It was released in 1948, performed by The Nahal Troupe with words by Haim Gouri, music by Sasha Argov. Read the line-by-line English translation above, or sing it with the words highlighted in time with the music.

About The Nahal Troupe

Haim Gouri was born in Tel Aviv in 1923 to pioneer parents and grew up in the youth-movement world that shaped Israel's founding generation.

He fought in the Palmach in the 1948 war and was sent to Europe to help Holocaust survivors reach the Land of Israel — an experience that marked all of his writing.