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Hebrew songs

Yamim Shel Sheket lyrics & English translation

ימים של שקט

Days of Quiet — Lola, 2000. Words by Yarden Bar-Kochba (words), Avi Greinik (music). 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

'Yamim Shel Sheket' (Days of Quiet) is the one great hit of the Israeli band Lola (1997–2000). Written by Yarden Bar-Kochba after the death of her father, the army general Moshe Bar-Kochba, it borrows the imagery of Noah's Ark — the great noise of the flood, receding waters, a dove, dry land and a rainbow — to promise quiet, hopeful days after catastrophe. It placed ninth in Israel's year-2000 annual song parade and remains a touchstone of Israeli grief and comfort.

Full lyrics, line by line

  1. הִנֵּה הֵם בָּאִים יָמִים שֶׁל שָׁקֵטHine hem ba'im yamim shel shaketHere they come, days of quiet
  2. אַחֲרֵי הָרַעַשׁ הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָאAcharei ha'ra'ash hagadol ve'hanoraAfter the great and terrible noise
  3. אֶפְשָׁר לָנוּחַ קֶצַת עַל הַמַּרְפֶּסֶתEfshar lanuach ketzat al hamarpesetOne can rest a little on the balcony
  4. וּלְאֱסוֹף אֶת שְׁבָרֵי הַסַּעַרָהUle'esof et shvarei hasa'araAnd gather the fragments of the storm
  5. הִנֵּה הֵם בָּאִים יָמִים שֶׁל שָׁקֵטHine hem ba'im yamim shel shaketHere they come, days of quiet
  6. הִנֵּה הֵם בָּאִים יָמִים שֶׁל שָׁקֵטHine hem ba'im yamim shel shaketHere they come, days of quiet
  7. כְּבָר שָׁכַחְתִּי אֵיךְ שֶׁהֵם נִרְאִיםKvar shachachti eich she'hem nir'imI have already forgotten how they look
  8. אֶפְשָׁר עַכְשָׁו לִפְתּוֹחַ אֶת הַדֶּלֶתEfshar achshav liftoach et hadeletOne can now open the door
  9. לִשְׁלוֹחַ אֶל הָרוּחַ צִפֳּרִיםLishloach el haruach tziporimTo send birds to the wind
  10. הִנֵּה הֵם בָּאִים יָמִים שֶׁל שָׁקֵטHine hem ba'im yamim shel shaketHere they come, days of quiet
  11. נֵצֵא אֶל הַחַלּוֹן לִרְאוֹתNetze el hachalon lir'otLet us go to the window to see
  12. אִם כָּלוּ כְּבָר הַמַּיִםIm kalu kvar hamayimIf the waters have already subsided
  13. אוּלַי כְּבֵר יֵשׁ בָּאוֹפֶק אֲדָמָהUlai kvar yesh ba'ofek adamaPerhaps there is already land on the horizon
  14. זוּגוֹת זוּגוֹתZugot zugotPairs, pairs (two by two)
  15. נֵצֵא זוּגוֹת זוּגוֹתNetze zugot zugotLet us go two by two
  16. נַבִּיט אֶל הַשָּׁמַיִםNabit el hashamayimLet us look at the sky
  17. נְחַכֶּה בְּיַחַד לַיּוֹנָהNachakeh beyachad layonaLet us wait together for the dove
  18. הִנֵּה הֵם בָּאִים יָמִים שֶׁל שָׁקֵטHine hem ba'im yamim shel shaketHere they come, days of quiet
  19. אַחֲרֵי שֶׁכְּבָר אִבַּדְנוּ אֶת הַכֹּלAcharei shekvar ibadnu et hakolAfter we have already lost everything
  20. תֵּשֵׁב אִתִּי עַכְשָׁו עַל הַמַּרְפֶּסֶתTeshev iti achshav al hamarpesetSit with me now on the balcony
  21. תִּבְכֶּה אִתִּי בְּיַחַד עַל אֶתְמוֹלTivchei iti beyachad al etmolCry with me together about yesterday
  22. הִנֵּה הֵם בָּאִים יָמִים שֶׁל שָׁקֵטHine hem ba'im yamim shel shaketHere they come, days of quiet
  23. נֵצֵא אֶל הַחַלּוֹן לִרְאוֹתNetze el hachalon lir'otLet us go to the window to see
  24. אִם כָּלוּ כְּבָר הַמַּיִםIm kalu kvar hamayimIf the waters have already subsided
  25. אוּלַי כְּבֵר יֵשׁ בָּאוֹפֶק אֲדָמָהUlai kvar yesh ba'ofek adamaPerhaps there is already land on the horizon
  26. זוּגוֹת זוּגוֹתZugot zugotPairs, pairs (two by two)
  27. נֵצֵא זוּגוֹת זוּגוֹתNetze zugot zugotLet us go two by two
  28. נַבִּיט אֶל הַשָּׁמַיִםNabit el hashamayimLet us look at the sky
  29. נְחַכֶּה בְּיַחַד לַיּוֹנָהNachakeh beyachad layonaLet us wait together for the dove
  30. הִנֵּה הֵם בָּאִים יָמִים שֶׁל שָׁקֵטHine hem ba'im yamim shel shaketHere they come, days of quiet
  31. שְׁנֵינוּ כָּאן בְּיַחַד עַל הָהָרShneinu kan beyachad al haharWe two are here together on the mountain
  32. הַמַּיִם כְּבָר יָרְדוּ וְיֵשׁ גַּם קֶשֶׁתHamayim kvar yardu veyesh gam keshetThe waters have already receded and there is also a rainbow
  33. אֶפְשָׁר לָקוּם, סוֹף הָעוֹלָם עָבַרEfshar lakum, sof ha'olam avarOne can rise, the end of the world has passed
  34. הִנֵּה הֵם בָּאִים יָמִים שֶׁל שָׁקֵטHine hem ba'im yamim shel shaketHere they come, days of quiet
  35. נֵצֵא אֶל הַחַלּוֹן לִרְאוֹתNetze el hachalon lir'otLet us go to the window to see
  36. אִם כָּלוּ כְּבָר הַמַּיִםIm kalu kvar hamayimIf the waters have already subsided
  37. אוּלַי כְּבֵר יֵשׁ בָּאוֹפֶק אֲדָמָהUlai kvar yesh ba'ofek adamaPerhaps there is already land on the horizon
  38. זוּגוֹת זוּגוֹתZugot zugotPairs, pairs (two by two)
  39. נֵצֵא זוּגוֹת זוּגוֹתNetze zugot zugotLet us go two by two
  40. נַבִּיט אֶל הַשָּׁמַיִםNabit el hashamayimLet us look at the sky
  41. נְחַכֶּה בְּיַחַד לַיּוֹנָהNachakeh beyachad layonaLet us wait together for the dove
  42. הִנֵּה הֵם בָּאִים יָמִים שֶׁל שָׁקֵטHine hem ba'im yamim shel shaketHere they come, days of quiet
  43. נָא אֶל הַחַלּוֹן לִרְאוֹתNa el hachalon lir'otPlease, to the window to see
  44. הִנֵּה הֵם בָּאִים יָמִים שֶׁל שָׁקֵטHine hem ba'im yamim shel shaketHere they come, days of quiet

Words from this song

  • ימיםdays
  • שקטquiet
  • רעשnoise
  • נוראterrible
  • מרפסתbalcony
  • לנוחto rest
  • סערהstorm
  • שבריםfragments
  • שכחforgot
  • נראיםseen / appear
  • דלתdoor
  • לפתוחto open
  • ציפוריםbirds
  • רוחwind
Practise these words

What does “Yamim Shel Sheket” mean?

ימים של שקט translates as “Days of Quiet”. It was released in 2000, performed by Lola with words by Yarden Bar-Kochba (words), Avi Greinik (music). Read the line-by-line English translation above, or sing it with the words highlighted in time with the music.

About Lola

Lola (לולה) was an Israeli band active from 1997 to 2000, made up of four performers who came up through the entertainment show 'Paltfeus': Idan Alterman, Yarden Bar-Kochba, Yasmin Kedar and Avi Greinik.

The group built original, humorous stage material and released a single album, which sold about 10,000 copies — modest, but enough to leave one indelible song.