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Hebrew songs

Lu Yehi lyrics & English translation

לו יהי

May It Be — Chava Alberstein, 1973. Words by Words & music: Naomi Shemer. 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

'Lu Yehi' ('May It Be') is Naomi Shemer's prayer-song from the Yom Kippur War, October 1973. She first wrote the Hebrew words to the melody of the Beatles' 'Let It Be'; her husband, then serving at the front, told her the song deserved an Israeli tune of its own — and she wrote one. Chava Alberstein's recording became the sound of that war and of every Israeli hope since. Core vocabulary: תפילה (prayer), בית (home), שלווה (serenity), כוח (strength).

Full lyrics, line by line

  1. עוֹד יֵשׁ מִפְרָשׂ לָבָן בָּאֹפֶקOd yesh mifras lavan ba'ofekThere is still a white sail on the horizon
  2. מוּל עָנָן שָׁחֹר כָּבֵדMul anan shachor kavedFacing a heavy black cloud
  3. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  4. וְאִם בַּחַלּוֹנוֹת הָעֶרֶבVe'im bachalonot ha'erevAnd if in the evening windows
  5. אוֹר נֵרוֹת הֶחָג רוֹעֵדOr nerot hechag ro'edThe light of the holiday candles trembles
  6. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  7. לוּ יְהִי, לוּ יְהִיLu yehi, lu yehiMay it be, may it be
  8. אָנָּא — לוּ יְהִיAna — lu yehiPlease — may it be
  9. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  10. לוּ יְהִי, לוּ יְהִיLu yehi, lu yehiMay it be, may it be
  11. אָנָּא — לוּ יְהִיAna — lu yehiPlease — may it be
  12. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  13. אִם הַמְּבַשֵּׂר עוֹמֵד בַּדֶּלֶתIm hamevaser omed badeletIf the messenger stands at the door
  14. תֵּן מִלָּה טוֹבָה בְּפִיוTen mila tova befivPut a good word in his mouth
  15. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  16. אִם נַפְשְׁךָ לָמוּת שׁוֹאֶלֶתIm nafshecha lamut sho'eletIf your soul is asking to die
  17. מִפְּרִיחָה וּמֵאָסִיףMiprichah ume'asifFrom blossoming and from harvest
  18. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  19. לוּ יְהִי, לוּ יְהִיLu yehi, lu yehiMay it be, may it be
  20. אָנָּא — לוּ יְהִיAna — lu yehiPlease — may it be
  21. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  22. לוּ יְהִי, לוּ יְהִיLu yehi, lu yehiMay it be, may it be
  23. אָנָּא — לוּ יְהִיAna — lu yehiPlease — may it be
  24. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  25. מַה קוֹל עֲנוֹת אֲנִי שׁוֹמֵעַMa kol anot ani shome'aWhat sound of crying do I hear
  26. קוֹל שׁוֹפָר וְקוֹל תֻּפִּיםKol shofar vekol tupimThe sound of a shofar and of drums
  27. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  28. לוּ תִּשָּׁמַע בְּתוֹךְ כָּל אֵלֶּהLu tishama betoch kol elehMay there be heard among all these
  29. גַּם תְּפִלָּה אַחַת מִפִּיGam tfila achat mipiAlso one prayer from my mouth
  30. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  31. לוּ יְהִי, לוּ יְהִיLu yehi, lu yehiMay it be, may it be
  32. אָנָּא — לוּ יְהִיAna — lu yehiPlease — may it be
  33. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  34. לוּ יְהִי, לוּ יְהִיLu yehi, lu yehiMay it be, may it be
  35. אָנָּא — לוּ יְהִיAna — lu yehiPlease — may it be
  36. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  37. בְּתוֹךְ שְׁכוּנָה קְטַנָּה מוּצֶלֶתBetoch shchuna ktana mutzeletIn a small shaded neighborhood
  38. בַּיִת קָט עִם גַּג אָדֹםBayit kat im gag adomA tiny house with a red roof
  39. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִי.Kol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  40. זֶה סוֹף הַקַּיִץ סוֹף הַדֶּרֶךְZe sof hakayitz sof haderechThis is the end of summer, the end of the road
  41. תֵּן לָהֶם לָשׁוּב הֲלוֹםTen lahem lashuv halomLet them return here
  42. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  43. לוּ יְהִי, לוּ יְהִיLu yehi, lu yehiMay it be, may it be
  44. אָנָּא — לוּ יְהִיAna — lu yehiPlease — may it be
  45. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  46. וְאִם פִּתְאֹם יִזְרַח מֵאֹפֶלVe'im pit'om yizrach me'ofelAnd if suddenly, out of darkness, there shines
  47. עַל רֹאשֵׁנוּ אוֹר כּוֹכָבAl rosheinu or kochavAbove our heads the light of a star
  48. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִי.Kol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  49. אָז תֵּן שַׁלְוָה וְתֵן גַּם כֹּחַAz ten shalva veten gam ko'achThen grant serenity and grant also strength
  50. לְכָל אֵלֶּה שֶׁנֹּאהַבLechol eleh shenohavTo all those we love
  51. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִי.Kol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  52. לוּ יְהִי, לוּ יְהִיLu yehi, lu yehiMay it be, may it be
  53. אָנָּא — לוּ יְהִיAna — lu yehiPlease — may it be
  54. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  55. לוּ יְהִי, לוּ יְהִיLu yehi, lu yehiMay it be, may it be
  56. אָנָּא — לוּ יְהִיAna — lu yehiPlease — may it be
  57. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be
  58. כָּל שֶׁנְּבַקֵּשׁ לוּ יְהִיKol shenevakesh lu yehiAll that we ask for — may it be

Words from this song

  • מִפְרָשׂsail
  • לָבָןwhite
  • אֹפֶקhorizon
  • עָנָןcloud
  • כָּבֵדheavy
  • נְבַקֵּשׁwe ask / request
  • לוּ יְהִיmay it be
  • חַלּוֹןwindow
  • עֶרֶבevening
  • נֵרcandle
  • חַגholiday
  • רוֹעֵדtrembling
  • כָּלall / every
  • נְבַקֵּשׁwe ask / request
Practise these words

What does “Lu Yehi” mean?

לו יהי translates as “May It Be”. It was released in 1973, performed by Chava Alberstein with words by Words & music: Naomi Shemer. Read the line-by-line English translation above, or sing it with the words highlighted in time with the music.

About Chava Alberstein

Chava Alberstein was born in Szczecin, Poland, in 1946 and immigrated to Israel with her family as a small child, growing up in Kiryat Haim. She is one of the most important and prolific singers in Israeli history, with dozens of albums spanning more than five decades.

In October 1973, weeks into the Yom Kippur War, she recorded Naomi Shemer's new song 'Lu Yehi'. Her restrained, aching performance — a prayer rather than a victory march — captured exactly what the country felt, and her version became the definitive one, sung in Israel ever since.