Hebrew Lyrics

Be-Bukhara ha-yafah
Zoo 'ir-i berukhat ha-shemesh
Cherev ha-mishpat shlufah
Sham be-sha'arei ha-'ir
Ha-emet ta-tzuf ka-shemen.

Ve-he-dad lo la-amir, la-amir hey-dad.
Shney achim ravim oh-dot a-sir
Ha-amir et rosh shney-hem ma-sir,
Ve-ha-sir - hu he-asir shel ha-amir.

CHORUS: (Sing twice)
Ezrachim pitz-chu na be-shir
Kee emet ve-tzedek mishpato shel ha-amir.

Mah kasheh lo be-me'ayno
Ve-bechadrav ayn nachat
Elef yesh be-harmono
Ve-chayav kashim.

Akh mu-khan hu 'al 'atzmo
'Ohd al-payim rosh la-kachat,
Kee ohev hu et 'amo, be'ikar nashim.
Yom echad 'araf et rosh ha-av
Ve-et bat zekonav lu-kach elav
Bal tis-bol ha-umla-la cherpat ra'av. CHORUS .

Translation

In Bukhara the beautiful
This my city blessed by the sun
The sword of Justice is unsheathed;
There in the gates of the town
The truth lights up like oil.

And they cried unto the Emir, unto the Emir they cried -
Two brothers quarreled about a captive.
The Emir cut off both their heads
And the captive was captive of the Emir.

CHORUS:
The hometown folks broke into song
For true and just is the judgment of the Emir.

How hard it is in his dwelling,
And in his hall there is no pleasure.
There are one thousand in his harem
And yet his life is hard.

Yet he for his part is prepared
To cut off another one hundred heads,
For he loves his people -
Especially the women.
One day he cut off the chief's head
And took the chief's youngest daughter for himself
Lest the unfortunate one should suffer the shame of hunger.

CHORUS