Chai

Lyrics: Ehud Manor
Music: Avi Toledano
Arrangements: Nency Brandes
Album: Chai (1983)

Ehud Manor, who wrote the song, said he felt a strong need for the Israeli representative to sing the word “Chai” at the Eurovision Song Contest, which that year was held on German soil — no matter how many guttural ḥ sounds the song might contain. He first offered the song to Yardena Arazi, but she declined, saying she had already prepared a song for the national Eurovision pre-selection. Manor then turned to Ofra Haza, who was happy to accept the song and recorded it literally at the very last moment. The song won first place in the competition by a margin of just one point over Arazi’s song, and at the end of the contest the technicians mistakenly played the playback track of Arazi’s song. Ofra later recounted that she was deeply moved to sing this particular song in Germany. She also told that during a visit to Germany before the contest, an elderly couple – Holocaust survivors – approached her and said, “When you’re on stage, think of us.” Ofra promised them, and said that during the competition she did think of them and was deeply emotional. The song reached number one on Reshet Gimmel’s annual chart in 1983 and stayed at the top of the weekly charts for seven weeks. The song also reached number one on Galei Tzahal’s annual chart in 1983 and appeared on the weekly charts for eight weeks. Translated by Malka Tischler

Transliteration
Translation

Chai
Shim’u echai
Ani od chai
U-shtei einai od nisa’ot la-or

Rabbim chokhai
Ach gam prachai
U-lefanai shanim rabbot mis’par

Ani sho’el
U-mitpalel
Tov she-lo avda od ha-tikva

Over mizmor
Mi-dor le-dor
Ke-ma’ayan me-az ve-ad olam

Ani sho’el
U-mitpalel
Tov she-lo avda od ha-tikva

Chai, chai, chai
Ken, ani od chai
Ze ha-shir she-saba
Shar etmol le-aba
Ve-ha-yom ani

Ani od chai, chai, chai
Am Yisra’el chai
Ze ha-shir she-saba
Shar etmol le-aba
Ve-ha-yom ani

Homim yamai – chai, chai
Ve-leilotai – chai, chai
U-vishmai amud od kam

Ashir bli dai – chai, chai
Efros yadai – chai, chai
Le-yadai asher me-ever yam

Ani sho’el
U-mitpalel
Tov she-lo avda od ha-tikva

Chai, chai, chai
Ken, ani od chai
Ze ha-shir she-saba
Shar etmol le-aba
Ve-ha-yom ani

Ani od chai, chai, chai
Am Yisra’el chai
Ze ha-shir she-saba
Shar etmol le-aba
Ve-ha-yom ani

Shim’u achai
Ani od chai
U-shtei einai od nisa’ot la-or

Az ko le-chai
Le-khol orchai
U-le-banai ha-mevakshim lachzor

Ani sho’el
U-mitpalel
Tov she-lo avda od ha-tikva

Chai, chai, chai
Ken, ani od chai
Ze ha-shir she-saba
Shar etmol le-aba
Ve-ha-yom ani

Ani od chai, chai, chai
Am Yisra’el chai
Ze ha-shir she-saba
Shar etmol le-aba
Ve-ha-yom ani

Chai, chai, chai
Chai, chai, chai
Chai, ani od chai
Chai, chai!

Chai

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