Ofra Haza - Yerushalayim Shel Zahav
Ofra Haza - Yerushalayim Shel Zahav
ירושלים של זהב
"Jerusalem of Gold" (Hebrew: ירושלים של זהב, Yerushalayim Shel Zahav) is a popular Israeli song written by Naomi Shemer in 1967. The original song described the Jewish people's 2000-year longing to return to Jerusalem; Shemer added a final verse after the Six-Day War to celebrate Jerusalem's unification under Jewish control.
Naomi Shemer wrote the original song for the Israeli Music Festival on May 15, 1967, the night after Israel's 19th Independence Day. She chose the then-unknown Shuli Nathan to sing the song. At that time, the Old City was under Jordanian rule; Jews had been barred from entering, and many holy sites had been desecrated. Only three weeks after the song was published, the Six-Day War broke out. The song was the battle cry and morale booster of the Israeli troops. Shemer even sang it for them before the war and festival, making them among the first in the world to hear it. On June 7, the Israel Defense Forces captured the eastern part of Jerusalem and the Old City from the Jordanians. When Shemer heard the paratroopers singing "Jerusalem of Gold" at the Western Wall, she wrote a final verse, reversing the phrases of lamentation found in the second verse. The line about shofars sounding from the Temple Mount is a reference to that actually happening on June 7.
Avir harim tsalul k'yayin
Vereiyach oranim
Nissah beru'ach ha'arbayim
Im kol pa'amonim.
U'vtardemat ilan va'even
Shvuyah bachalomah
Ha'ir asher badad yoshevet
Uvelibah - chomah.
Chorus:
Yerushalayim shel zahav
Veshel nechoshet veshel or
Halo lechol shirayich
Ani kinor.
x2
Verse 2
Chazarnu el borot hamayim
Lashuk velakikar
Shofar koreh behar habayit
ba'ir ha'atikah.
Uvme'arot asher baselah
Alfei shmashot zorchot
Nashuv nered el Yam Hemalach
B'derech Yericho
Yerushalayim shel zahav
Veshel nechoshet veshel or
Halo lechol shirayich
Ani kinor.
x2
Verse 3
Ach bevo'i hayom lashir lach
Velach likshor k'tarim
Katonti mitse'ir bana'ich
Ume achron ham'shorerim.
Ki shmech tsorev et hasfatayim
Keneshikat saraf
Im eshkachech Yerushalayim
Asher kulah zahav.
Chorus:
Yerushalayim shel zahav
Veshel nechoshet veshel or
Halo lechol shirayich
Ani kinor.
x2
Watch how the city of Yerushalayim stage set up
עפרה חזה ירושלים של זהב Ofra Haza Jerusalem of gold
I am very so glad to be able to watch all her performances and all her songs over on You tube, innems and other video online, just imagine in the end of the earth who knew nothing about her, becoming like so close to her as though she is alive, It is like going through her history. She is so beautiful and her voice was absolutely beautiful like angel. I am so sad that she had to died such a tragic death. Greatly missed
