Oh Chanukah
Jewish and Israeli music |
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Religious |
Secular |
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Israel |
Dance |
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Music for holidays |
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Oh Chanukah (also Chanukah, Oh Chanukah) is an English version of the Yiddish Oy Chanukah (
Naming
According to archives at the University of Pennsylvania Library, "Freedman Jewish Music Archive", alternate names the Yiddish version of song has been recorded under include "Khanike Days, "Khanike Khag Yafe", "Khanike Li Yesh", "Latke Song (Khanike Oy Khanike)", "Yemi Khanike", and "Chanike Oy Chanike."[1] Chanukah is and was sometimes written as Khanike as that was the standard transliteration from Yiddish according to the YIVO system.
Versions
English version | Yiddish version | Yiddish transliteration | Yiddish literal translation |
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(Oh), Hanukah, Oh Hanukah sevivon ") to play with, and latkes (or "levivot") to eat
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חנוכה אוי חנוכה |
(Oy), Khanike oy Khanike |
(Oh), Chanukah, Oh Chanukah dreidels we will play,Fresh, hot latkes we will eat endlessly. |
And while we are playing |
געשווינדער, צינדט קינדער |
Geshvinder, tsindt kinder |
Come quickly children |
Alternate Yiddish versions and pronunciations
A very common Yiddish version of the song is below with alternate words, lines, verses, or pronunciations on the right. This version follows the original published version rather than the more popular variant given above. The bolded words are what is changed. The "(x2)" in the bottom left indicated that part is repeated.
A common version | Alternate words | Alternate pronunciations (see Yiddish regional dialects )
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Oy Chanukah, Oy Chanukah a yontif a sheyner, |
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A lustiker; a freylekher; nisht do nokh azeyner. | A lustiker; a freylikher; nito nokh azoyner. |
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Ale nakht in dreydlekh, | Ale nakht mit dreydlekh, |
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Shpiln mir, frishe heyse latkes, esn on a shir. | Shpiln mir, zudik heyse latkes, esn on a shir. |
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Shpiln mir, frishe heyse latkes, est on a shir. |
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Geshvinder, tsindt kinder,
Di Chanukah likhtlekh on, |
Geshvinder, tsindt kinder,
Di dininke likhtlekh on, |
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Kumt kinder, geshvinder,
Di Chanukah likhtlekh veln mir ontsindn, |
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Alternate verses | ||||
(x2) | Zingt "Al Hanisim", |
Zol yeder bazunder |
Mir zingen "Al Hanisim" | |
Un danken far di nisim, | Mir danken far di nisim, | |||
Tantsen far di nisim | ||||
Un kumt gikher tantsen in kohn. | Lomir ale tantsen tsuzamen. |
Hebrew version
There is also a Hebrew version (ימי החנוכה), which has the same melody, its words penned by
In Israel, it’s still a very popular song, but since the country has a rich inventory of Chanukah songs it is not as exclusively popular as the English version in English speaking countries, or the Yiddish version in the past.
Hebrew text | Hebrew transliteration | Hebrew literal translation | English version |
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יְמֵי הַחֲנֻכָּה |
Y'mey haChanukah | The days of Chanukah - | (Oh), Chanukah, Oh Chanukah |
חֲנֻכַּת מִקְדָּשֵׁנוּ |
Chanukat mikdasheinu, | The Rededication of our Sanctuary -
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Come light the menorah
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בְּגִיל וּבְשִׂמְחָה |
B'gil uv' simchah
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With joy and happiness | Let's have a party |
מְמַלְּאִים אֶת לִבֵּנוּ |
M'mal'im et libeinu. | We fill our hearts. | We'll all dance the horah |
לַיְלָה וָיוֹם סְבִיבוֹנֵנוּ יִסֹּב |
Layla vayom, S'vivoneinu yisov,
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Night and day, our top (dreidel / s'vivon) turns | Gather round the table, we'll give you a treat |
סֻפְגָּנִיּוֹת נֹאכַל בָּם לָרֹב |
Sufganiot , Nochal bam larov!
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Jelly doughnuts (sufganiot) , we'll also eat many.
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Dreidels (or Sevivon) to play with, and latkes to eat |
הָאִירוּ, הַדְלִיקוּ |
Ha'iru, hadliku, | Light 'em, ignite 'em | And while we are playing |
נֵרוֹת חֲנֻכָּה רַבִּים |
Nerot Chanukah rabbim. | The many candles of Chanukah. | The candles are burning bright (or low) |
עַל הַנִּסִּים וְעַל הַנִּפְלָאוֹת |
Al hanissim, v'al haniflaot | For the miracles, And for the wonders | One for each night, they shed a sweet light |
אֲשֶׁר חוֹלְלוּ הַמַּכַּבִּים |
asher chollelu haMakabim. | Which the Maccabees accomplished. | To remind us of days long ago |
עַל הַנִּסִּים וְעַל הַנִּפְלָאוֹת |
Al hanissim, v'al haniflaot | For the miracles, And for the wonders | One for each night, they shed a sweet light |
אֲשֶׁר חוֹלְלוּ הַמַּכַּבִּים |
asher chollelu haMakabim. | Which the Maccabees accomplished. | To remind us of days long ago |
See also
- Hanukkah
- Hanukkah music
- Passover music
- Christmas music
- Ma'oz Tsur
References
- ^ University of Pennsylvania "OY CHANUKAH"
- ^ BBYO Chanukah Archived 2007-05-26 at the Wayback Machine - BBYO
- ^ "ימי החנוכה/"Yemei HaChanukkah" (Hebrew)". Zemereshet. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
External links
- YouTube Video - Young boy singing "Oy Chanukah" (the Yiddish version)