Ma yihiye?
Ma yihiye? Hi oto sha’ala [bad word] ach kadim nashva la
Hachom ala
Ma yihiye?
Ma yihiye? Hu ota az sha’al
Eretz gdola bachta la
Hachom tzalal
Az ma?
Az ma yihiye sofenu kan bichlal?
Hen hachayim kashim,
Hem ke’admat trashim
Az ma?
Az ma yihiye sofenu ha’umlal,
Kan bein sil’ey hahar,
Bein hamatok lamar?
Ma yihiye?
Ma yihiye, elohim hanora?
Ko atzuvim chayenu,
Ubochim mara.
Ma yihiye?
Ma yihiye, elohim? Terachem
Bo hitpalel aleinu
Vetenachem

What will be?
What will be? She asked him
An eastern wind blew
The heat increased
What will be?
What will be? He then asked her
great land cried for her
The heat declined
Well what?
Well, what will be our end here anyway?
For life is hard like a rocky ground
Well what?
Well, what will be our miserable end,
Here among the mountain’s stones,
Between sweet and bitter?
What will be?
What will be, O awful god?
Life is so sad
Our cry is bitter
What will be?
What will be, god? Have mercy [bad word] pray for us
Console us
Well what?...