Jerusalem of Gold
by Marty Goetz
The olive trees that stand in silence
Upon the hills of time
To hear the voices of the city
As bells of evening chime.
♣
The shofar sounding from the Temple
To call the world to prayer
A shepherd pauses in the valley
And peace is everywhere.
Yerushalayim shel zahav
Ve-shel nehoshet ve-shel or
Ha-lo le-khol shirayikh
Ani kinnor.
The water well for those who thirsted
The ancient market square
Your golden sun that lights the future
For all men everywhere
♣
How many songs, how many stories?
These stony hills we recall
Around her heart my city carries
A lonely ancient wall
Yerushalayim shel zahav
Ve-shel nehoshet ve-shel or
Ha-lo le-khol shirayikh
Ani kinnor.
My simple voice cannot acclaim thee
Too weak the words I choose
Jerusalem if I forget thee
May my right hand its cunning loose
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Forever new, yet forever old
My heart will sing your songs of glory, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, O City with a heart of gold
My heart will sing your songs of glory, Jerusalem.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
JERUSALEM OF GOLD
by Naomi Shemer
As clear as wine, the wind is flying
Among the dreamy pines
As evening light is slowly dying
And a lonely bell still chimes,
So many songs, so many stories
The stony hills recall …
Around her heart my city carries
A lonely ancient wall.
Yerushalaim all of gold
Yerushalaim, bronze and light
Within my heart I shall treasure
Your song and sight.
Alas, the dry wells and fountains,
Forgotten market-day
The sound of horn from Temple’s mountain
No longer calls to pray,
The rocky caves at night are haunted
By sounds of long ago
When we were going to the Jordan
By way of Jericho.
Yerushalaim all of gold
Yerushalaim, bronze and light
Within my heart I shall treasure
Your song and sight.
But when I come to count your praises
And sing Hallel to you
With pretty rhymes I dare not crown you
As other poets do,
Upon my lips is always burning
Your name, so dear, so old:
If I forget Yerushalaim
Of bronze and light and gold …
Yerushalaim all of gold
Yerushalaim, bronze and light
Within my heart I shall treasure
Your song and sight.
Back to the wells and to the fountains
Within the ancient walls
The sound of horn from Temple’s mountain
Again so loudly calls,
From rocky caves, this very morning
A thousand suns will glow
And we shall go down to the Jordan
By way of Jericho.
Yerushalaim all of gold
Yerushalaim, bronze and light
Within my heart I shall treasure
Your song and sight.
Journey of Soul and Spirit 