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Hebrew songs

Yerushalayim Shel Zahav lyrics & English translation

ירושלים של זהב

Jerusalem of Gold — Shuli Natan, 1967. Words by 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

'Yerushalayim Shel Zahav' ('Jerusalem of Gold') was written by Naomi Shemer for the 1967 Israeli Song Festival and first sung by 20-year-old Shuli Natan. Weeks later, in the Six-Day War, soldiers sang it at the Western Wall and Shemer added a final verse about returning to the city. For Jewish communities everywhere it is often the first Hebrew song learned by heart. Core vocabulary: אֲוִיר (air), הָרִים (mountains), עִיר (city), כִּנּוֹר (violin).

Full lyrics, line by line

  1. אֲוִיר הָרִים צָלוּל כַּיַּיִןAvir harim tzalul kayayinMountain air, clear as wine
  2. וְרֵיחַ אֳרָנִיםVe'reach oranimAnd the scent of pines
  3. נִשָּׂא בְּרוּחַ הָעַרְבַּיִםNisa be'ruach ha'arbayimIs carried on the twilight wind
  4. עִם קוֹל פַּעֲמוֹנִיםIm kol pa'amonimWith the sound of bells
  5. וּבְתַרְדֵּמַת אִילָן וָאֶבֶןU'vetardemat ilan va'evenAnd in the slumber of tree and stone
  6. שְׁבוּיָה בַּחֲלוֹמָהּShvuya ba'chalomaCaptive in her dream
  7. הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר בָּדָד יוֹשֶׁבֶתHa'ir asher badad yoshevetThe city that sits alone
  8. וּבְלִבָּהּ חוֹמָהU'velibah chomaAnd in her heart — a wall
  9. יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁל זָהָבYerushalayim shel zahavJerusalem of gold
  10. וְשֶׁל נְחֹשֶׁת וְשֶׁל אוֹרVe'shel nechoshet ve'shel orAnd of copper, and of light
  11. הֲלֹא לְכָל שִׁירַיִךְHalo lechol shirayichAm I not, for all your songs,
  12. אֲנִי כִּנּוֹרAni kinora violin
  13. יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁל זָהָבYerushalayim shel zahavJerusalem of gold
  14. וְשֶׁל נְחֹשֶׁת וְשֶׁל אוֹרVe'shel nechoshet ve'shel orAnd of copper, and of light
  15. הֲלֹא לְכָל שִׁירַיִךְHalo lechol shirayichAm I not, for all your songs,
  16. אֲנִי כִּנּוֹרAni kinora violin
  17. אֵיכָה יָבְשׁוּ בּוֹרוֹת הַמַּיִםEicha yavshu borot hamayimHow the water cisterns have dried up
  18. כִּכַּר הַשּׁוּק רֵיקָהKikar hashuk reikaThe market square is empty
  19. וְאֵין פּוֹקֵד אֶת הַר הַבַּיִתVe'ein poked et Har haBayitAnd no one visits the Temple Mount
  20. בָּעִיר הָעַתִּיקָהBa'ir ha'atikaIn the Old City
  21. וּבַמְּעָרוֹת אֲשֶׁר בַּסֶּלַעU'vame'arot asher baselaAnd in the caves within the rock
  22. מְיַלְּלוֹת רוּחוֹתMeyalelot ruchotWinds are howling
  23. וְאֵין יוֹרֵד אֶל יָם הַמֶּלַחVe'ein yored el Yam haMelachAnd no one goes down to the Dead Sea
  24. בְּדֶרֶךְ יְרִיחוֹBe'derech YerichoBy way of Jericho
  25. יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁל זָהָבYerushalayim shel zahavJerusalem of gold
  26. וְשֶׁל נְחֹשֶׁת וְשֶׁל אוֹרVe'shel nechoshet ve'shel orAnd of copper, and of light
  27. הֲלֹא לְכָל שִׁירַיִךְHalo lechol shirayichAm I not, for all your songs,
  28. אֲנִי כִּנּוֹרAni kinora violin
  29. יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁל זָהָבYerushalayim shel zahavJerusalem of gold
  30. וְשֶׁל נְחֹשֶׁת וְשֶׁל אוֹרVe'shel nechoshet ve'shel orAnd of copper, and of light
  31. הֲלֹא לְכָל שִׁירַיִךְHalo lechol shirayichAm I not, for all your songs,
  32. אֲנִי כִּנּוֹרAni kinora violin
  33. אַךְ בְּבוֹאִי הַיּוֹם לָשִׁיר לָךְAch bevo'i hayom lashir lachBut as I come today to sing to you
  34. וְלָךְ לִקְשֹׁר כְּתָרִיםVe'lach likshor ktarimAnd to crown you with wreaths
  35. קָטֹנְתִּי מִצְּעִיר בָּנַיִךְKatonti mitze'ir banayichI am smaller than the youngest of your children
  36. וּמֵאַחֲרוֹן הַמְשׁוֹרְרִיםU'me'acharon hameshorerimAnd than the last of your poets
  37. כִּי שְׁמֵךְ צוֹרֵב אֶת הַשְּׂפָתַיִםKi shmech tzorev et hasfatayimFor your name scorches the lips
  38. כִּנְשִׁיקַת שָׂרָףKinshikat sarafLike a seraph's kiss
  39. אֲשֶׁר כֻּלָּהּ זָהָבAsher kula zahavWhich is all gold
  40. יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁל זָהָבYerushalayim shel zahavJerusalem of gold
  41. וְשֶׁל נְחֹשֶׁת וְשֶׁל אוֹרVe'shel nechoshet ve'shel orAnd of copper, and of light
  42. הֲלֹא לְכָל שִׁירַיִךְHalo lechol shirayichAm I not, for all your songs,
  43. אֲנִי כִּנּוֹרAni kinora violin
  44. יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁל זָהָבYerushalayim shel zahavJerusalem of gold
  45. וְשֶׁל נְחֹשֶׁת וְשֶׁל אוֹרVe'shel nechoshet ve'shel orAnd of copper, and of light
  46. הֲלֹא לְכָל שִׁירַיִךְHalo lechol shirayichAm I not, for all your songs,
  47. אֲנִי כִּנּוֹר כִּנּוֹרAni kinor kinora violin, a violin

Words from this song

  • אֲוִירair
  • הָרִיםmountains
  • צָלוּלclear
  • רֵיחַscent
  • אֳרָנִיםpine trees
  • רוּחַwind / spirit
  • עַרְבַּיִםtwilight
  • קוֹלsound / voice
  • פַּעֲמוֹנִיםbells
  • תַּרְדֵּמָהdeep sleep
  • אִילָןtree
  • אֶבֶןstone
  • שְׁבוּיָהcaptive (f.)
  • חֲלוֹםdream
Practise these words

What does “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” mean?

ירושלים של זהב translates as “Jerusalem of Gold”. It was released in 1967, performed by Shuli Natan with words by Naomi Shemer. Read the line-by-line English translation above, or sing it with the words highlighted in time with the music.

About Shuli Natan

Naomi Shemer, born on Kvutzat Kinneret, is remembered as the "First Lady of Israeli Song". She wrote both words and music — rare at the time — and gave the young country a vocabulary for longing, land and everyday life.

She composed Yerushalayim Shel Zahav in early 1967 for the Israeli Song Festival, weaving biblical Hebrew from Lamentations and Psalms into a modern melody. Weeks later the Six-Day War broke out and soldiers sang it at the Western Wall; Shemer then added the final verse about returning to the city.