Israel is a parliamentary republic in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan and the West Bank in the east, the Gaza Strip, Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. Israel is the world's only predominantly Jewish state with a population estimated in May 2010 to be 7,602,400 people, of whom 6,051,000 are Jews. Arab citizens of Israel form the country's second-largest ethnic group, which includes Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Samaritans.
Israeli folk dancing is a form of dance usually performed to music from Israel, with specific dances choreographed to specific songs. The exact definition of Israeli folk dancing is debatable. The word folk has customarily been used to describe this kind of Israeli dancing because many of the dances are of a folk style reminiscent of dances from Eastern Europe or other parts of the Middle East. In addition to being influenced by folk dances from surrounding countries, many Israeli folk dances are also influenced by modern ballet. Also, unlike traditional folk dances from other countries that have usually been handed down from previous generations to the next and are without known creators, and perhaps even without documentation related to the particulars of a given dance or even specific music, Israeli folk dancing has come to life approximately in conjunction with the modern State of Israel. New dances have been created and introduced almost continuously in the more than 60 years since independence. In most of the dances, it is known who the creator is, and the dances are almost always associated with a specific piece of music.
AHAVAT HADASSAH
Ahavat Hadassah al levavi
al levavi niksherah
va'ani betoch golah pe'ami
golah pe'ami tzolelim.
Lu yesh reshut e'eleh
e'eleh et'chabrah
toch sh'arei tzion asher hem
asher hem nihlalim.
Shacharit ve'aravit bat nedivim
bat nedivim azkarah
libi vere'ayoni berinah
berinah tzohalim.
Ahavat yechidati letov
vetov el neharah
baruch she'hu noten sachar
sachar lechol hapo'alim.
Shalom kenahar le'adti
le'adti yinharah
zaken vegam bachur vechol
bachur vechol haholelim.
Ahavat Hadassah al levavi
al levavi niksherah
ve'ani betoch golah pe'ami
golah pe'ami tzolelim.
Love of Hadassah is on my heart
it was hooked on my heart
and I'm inside an occasional diaspora
an occasional plunging diaspora.
If there's a permission, I'd get up
I'd get up and get allied
through the Gates of Zion which are,
which are praised.
Morning and evening prayer of the generous
the generous memorial service
my heart and my thought is in a song
song of joys.
The love of my only one for good
and good to the light
bless be he who gives wage
wage to all the workers.
Peace like a stream to my communal
to my communal will stream
old man and young man too and all
each young man and all the gives of praise.
Love of Hadassah is on my heart
it was hooked on my heart
and I'm inside an occasional diaspora
an occasional plunging diaspora.
AL SEDEINU
Al sadeinu rad ha'erev,
Alata - al nir vagan;
Uvatelem rach hanevet,
Od tzome'ach hadagan.
Mi yagen al taf sadeinu?
Et lachmeinu mi yintzor?
K'naf haleil - mishmar laboker,
Hachalom - chalom miftan la'or.
Numa, nir, amal kapeinu,
Tz'fon hazera - ad yigdal;
Yom yavo - tanuv beshefa,
Habracha tered mei'al.
Yam shel paz tehi shibolet,
Gal shokek beyom katzir -
Numa, nir, becheik ha'erev,
Ad yunaf, yunaf magal beshir.
Evening has descended over our field,
Darkness - over plowed field and garden;
And in the furrow the sprout is tender,
The grain is yet starting to grow.
Who will protect the little children of our field?
Our bread, who will guard?
The wing of the night - a watch for the
morning,
The dream - a dream of a threshold to the
light.
Sleep, plowed field, work of our hands,
The seed is hidden - until it grows;
The day will come - you'll flourish in plenty,
Blessing will descend from above.
Ear of grain, you will become a sea of gold,
A bustling wave on harvest day -
Sleep, plowed field, in the bosom of evening,
Until the sickle is waved with song.
AT VA ANI
AVRE TU PEURTA CERRADA
Avre tu puerta cerrada
qu’en tu balcon luz no hay.
El amor a ti te vela;
partemos, rosa, partemos de aquí.
Yo demandì por la tu hermozura
como te la diò el Dio;
la hermozura tuya es pura
la meresco solo yo.
Por las calles que tu irás
de mi sombra te alumbrarás
y “ahes” munchos echarás
cuando de mi te acodrarás.
Avre tu puerta cerrada
qu’en tu balcon luz no hay.
El amor a ti te vela;
partemos, todos, partemos de aquí.
Open your closed door
for on your balcony there is no light.
My love will fly towards you;
come with me, my rose, and let us leave from here.
I fell in love with your beauty
just as God had made you;
Your beauty is pure
I am the only one that deserves it.
On the roads where you walk
my shadow will make you shine.
You will suffer many sorrows
when you remember me.
Open your closed door
for on your balcony there is no light.
My love will fly towards you;
come with me, my all, and let us leave from here.
BA'A MENUCHA
Ba'a m'nucha layagea
Umargoa l'amel
Laila chi ver mistarea
Al s'dot emek yizr'el
Tal milmata ul'vana meal
Mibet alfa ad nahalal
Ma ma laila milel
D'mama b'yizr'el
Numa emek erets tiferet anu l'chamishmeret.
Rest has come to the weary
Night has fallen and a hush lies
over the entire valley
Rest O beautiful valley
We shall stand guard over you
BAT TSURIM
BOI TAMA
DAYAGIM
DEBKA DALUNA
Erev k'var yarad
Banot tavona
Shir potschot im kad
Bitschok tarona.
Lamayan posot
Lmo techolelna
Chen notef nosot
Kad t'malena.
Al yadi leyad habe'er
Yad ladli kal temaher
Chish labe'er tishlach hadli
Vatmale kelya midli.
DEBKA KAFRIT
DEBKA OUD
DODI LI
EL HA'AYIM
EL HADERECH
Veshuv netse'a el haderech
Yad beyad la derech
Besharsheret zahav.
Veshuv netse'a el haderech
Am echad la derech
Veshirenu al gav.
Ve'ad lesha'arei rakia
Bevaday nagia
Od me'at
Im lo achshav.
Ve'ad lesha'arei rakia
Bevaday nagia
Ki darkenu lo lashav.
Vegam im aruka haderech
Veraba haderech
Hen kochenu od rav.
Vegam im aruka haderech
Veraba haderech
Na'avor ba yachdav.
Again we go out on the road
Hand in hand, to the road
In a golden chain.
Again we go out on the road
One people, to the road
With our song on our back.
And to the gates of heaven
Surely we'll arrive
Very soon
If not now.
And to the gates of heaven
Surely we'll arrive
For our path is not in vain.
And even if the road is long
And the road is great
Our strength is even greater.
And even if the road is long
And the road is great
We'll travel it together.
ELU TSIPORIM
ERETZ
Eretz, Eretz, Eretz
Eretz t'chol ain av
v'hashemesh la
kidvash v'chalav.
Eretz ba noladnu;
Eretz ba nichyeh
v'naishev ba yihiyeh
ma sheyihiyeh.
Eretz shenohav
he lanu em va'av.
Eretz shel haam;
Eretz l'olam;
Eretz ba noladnu;
Eretz ba nichyeh
yehiyeh ma sheyihiyeh.
ERETZ ISRAEL YAFA
Na'ara tova yafat einayim
Lanu yesh be'eretz Israel
Ve'yeled tov yerushalaim
Ho mi pilel ho mi milel
Vetorah ora kazu yesh lanu
Vegam hagada umegila
Ve'elohim echad shelanu
Vekol chatan vekol kala
Chorus:
Eretz Israel yafa
Eretz Israel porachat
At yoshva ba vetzofa
At tzofa ba vezorachat
Lanu yesh achai, harim alpaim
Bam na'avu raglei hamevaser
Vegam mal'ach min hashamaim
She'et nafshenu hu shomer
Vechasid ba'ir hazu yesh lanu
Vegam cha'yalot vegam prachim
Vehabrachot kulan shelanu
Vehabsorot vehashvachim
Chorus:
Vehaemek hu kaftor vaperach
Vehahar hu kaftor vaperach
Vehatzafon shlagim vakerach
Vehadaron zahav tahor
Kol hapardesim notnim kan reach
Vehashkediot kulan porchot
Hashemesh kan tamid zoreach
Al mei tuga umenuchot
Chorus:
Gam laparchachim asher beinenu
Yesh makom be'eretz Israel
Min hatzarot shelo aleinu
Ata verak ata go'el
Bekachol lavan munaf hadegel
Vele'yerushalaim kol shirai
Anachnu shuv olim laregel
Ho, shiri am Israel chai
Chorus:
EREV BA (EVENING FALLS)
click to download lyrics
Shuv haeder noher
Bimvo'ot hakfar
Veolech haavak
Mishvilei-afar
Veharchek od tsemed inbalim
Melave et meshech batslalim
Erev ba, erev ba
Shuv haruach lochesh
Bein gidrot ganim
Uvtsameret habrosh
Kvar namot yonim
Veharchek al ketef hagvaot
Od noshkot, karnaim achronot
Erev ba, erev ba
Shuv havered cholem
Chalomot balat
Uforchim kochavim
Bamaron at at
Veharchek, baemek haafel
Melave hatar et bo baleil
Layil rad, layil rad
Again the flocks wander
along the village street
and the dust rises
from sandy paths.
And far away the bells
merge with the gathering shadows.
Evening falls, evening falls.
Again the wind whispers
amongst the garden fences
and from the tops of the cypress
the doves coo
And in the distance
the last rays of the sun caress the hilltops
Evening falls, evening falls.
Again the rose dreams
languorous dreams
and gradually on high
the stars begin to twinkle
And afar in the dark valley
the jackal accompanies the
approach of night.
Night falls, night falls.
GVANIM
click to listen
click to download lyrics
Et shirenu katavnu
al petek kachol
Ach ish lo sha'al leshem ma
Ve'et shar hashirim
shematzanu bachol
Rashamnu bidyo aduma
Uven kol hashirim shechipasnu lashav
Gilinu echad belavan
Ve'oto sheme'az
ne'elam velo shav
Ahavnu be'elef gavan
Le'itim kesheba shuv
hachoref lalev
Ovrim al panenu shirim
Yerukim yerukim kmo sade melavlev
Baboker la'or hem chozrim
Le'olam lo neda et tziv'am ahshone
Shel kol hashirim ba'olam
Ki hae'eve sheba ve'elenu pone
Tzove'a shachor et kulam
We wrote our songs on a blue paper
And no one asked why.
And the rest of the songs
that we found in the sand
We wrote with red ink.
Among all the songs we've
looked for in vain
We found one in white
And the one that disappeared
and never came back.
We've loved in a thousand shades.
Sometimes when winter comes
back into the heart
Songs pass in front of us
Green like a blooming field.
In the morning they return to the light.
We will never know the different
colours
Of all the songs in the world
Because the evening that comes to us
Paints them all in black.
HARMONICA
HASHUAL
HAVA NAGILA
Hava nagila, hava nagila
Hava nagila venis'mecha
Hava nagila, hava nagila
Hava nagila venis'mecha
Hava neranena, hava neranena
Hava neranena venis'mecha
Uru, uru achim
Uru achim belev same'ach
Uru achim belev same'ach
Uru achim belev same'ach
Uru achim belev same'ach
Uru achim belev same'ach
Let us rejoice, let us rejoice,
let us rejoice and be glad
Let us rejoice, let us rejoice,
Let us rejoice and be glad
Let us, la-la-la-la. Let us la-la-la-la.
Let us, la-la-la-la, let us be glad.
Wake up, wake up brethren
Wake up brethren your heart of joy
Wake up brethren your heart of joy
Wake up brethren your heart of joy
Wake up brethren your heart of joy
Wake up brethren, wake your heart of joy.