Hebrew
עַל נַהֲרוֹת בָּבֶל שָׁם יָשַׁבְנוּ
גַּם בָּכִינוּ, בְּזָכְרֵנוּ אֶת
צִיּוֹן: עַל עֲרָבִים בְּתוֹכָהּ,
תָּלִינוּ כִּנֹּרוֹתֵינוּ: כִּי שָׁם
שְׁאֵלוּנוּ שׁוֹבֵינוּ דִּבְרֵי שִׁיר
וְתוֹלָלֵינוּ שִׂמְחָה, שִׁירוּ לָנוּ
מִשִּׁיר צִיּוֹן: אֵיךְ נָשִׁיר אֶת
שִׁיר יְיָ, עַל אַדְמַת נֵכָר:
אִם אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ יְרוּשָׁלָיִם,
תִּשְׁכַּח יְמִינִי: תִּדְבַּק לְשׁוֹנִי
לְחִכִּי אִם לֹא אֶזְכְּרֵכִי, אִם
לֹא אַעֲלֶה אֶת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עַל
רֹאשׁ שִׂמְחָתִי:
גַּם בָּכִינוּ, בְּזָכְרֵנוּ אֶת
צִיּוֹן: עַל עֲרָבִים בְּתוֹכָהּ,
תָּלִינוּ כִּנֹּרוֹתֵינוּ: כִּי שָׁם
שְׁאֵלוּנוּ שׁוֹבֵינוּ דִּבְרֵי שִׁיר
וְתוֹלָלֵינוּ שִׂמְחָה, שִׁירוּ לָנוּ
מִשִּׁיר צִיּוֹן: אֵיךְ נָשִׁיר אֶת
שִׁיר יְיָ, עַל אַדְמַת נֵכָר:
אִם אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ יְרוּשָׁלָיִם,
תִּשְׁכַּח יְמִינִי: תִּדְבַּק לְשׁוֹנִי
לְחִכִּי אִם לֹא אֶזְכְּרֵכִי, אִם
לֹא אַעֲלֶה אֶת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עַל
רֹאשׁ שִׂמְחָתִי:
Sephardi
Al naharot Bavel sham yashavnu
gam bachinu, b'zachrenu et
Tziyon: al aravim b'tochah,
talinu kinnorotenu: ki sham
sh'elunu shoveinu divrei shir
v'tolalenu simchah, shiru lanu
mishir Tziyon: eich nashir et
shir Adonai, al admat nechar:
Im eshkachech Yerushalayim,
tishkach yemini: tidbak leshoni
l'chiki im lo ezkerechi, im
lo a'aleh et Yerushalayim al
rosh simchati:
gam bachinu, b'zachrenu et
Tziyon: al aravim b'tochah,
talinu kinnorotenu: ki sham
sh'elunu shoveinu divrei shir
v'tolalenu simchah, shiru lanu
mishir Tziyon: eich nashir et
shir Adonai, al admat nechar:
Im eshkachech Yerushalayim,
tishkach yemini: tidbak leshoni
l'chiki im lo ezkerechi, im
lo a'aleh et Yerushalayim al
rosh simchati:
English
The following is a song that describes how the Jewish Nation was sent to exile in Babylon after the First Temple was destroyed: We sat there by the rivers of Babylon, and we cried when we remembered the destroyed city of Zion (Jerusalem). Our harps, with which we played music in the Temple, we hung on willow trees in Babylon so that our enemies would not see them. We did this because the people who imprisoned us, Nebuchadnezzar and his men, asked us to sing songs for them there; those who mocked us told us to play joyful music. They said, “Sing for us the songs of Jerusalem, which you sang in the Temple.” But we thought to ourselves: How can we sing the songs that were made for the Lord, on land that is unholy and strange? We each promised ourselves: If I forget the city of Jerusalem, let my right hand forget how to move. Just as a person does not forget how to use his hand, the Jewish Nation will never forget Jerusalem. If I don’t remember you, Jerusalem, let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, so that I will not be able to eat anything. Let the same thing happen if I do not bring Jerusalem up in my mind at the highest point of my happiness.