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Chanukah Songs

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Chanukah Songs CHANUKAH SONGS MA'OZ TZUR THE ROCK OF AGES (Singable version) Ma'oz tzur yeshu'ati, Rock of Ages, let our song Lecha na'eh leshabe-ach. Praise thy saving power. Tikon beit tefilati You amidst the raging foes Vesham todah nezabe-ach. Were our sheltering tower. Le'eit tachin matbe-ach, Furious, they assailed us, Mitzar ham'nabe-ach But your armour veiled us. Az egmor beshir mizmor And thy word broke their sword Chanukat hamizbe-ach When our own strength failed us. (repeat last two lines) (repeat last two lines) YEMEI HACHANUKAH O CHANUKAH, O CHANUKAH (Singable version) Yemei Ha'Chanukah English Version 1: Chanukat mikdasheinu. O Chanukah O Chanukah, Come light the menorah. Begil uvesimchah Let's have a party, Nemaleh et libeinu. We'll all dance the hora. Laila vayom, svivoneinu yisov. Gather round the table, we'll give you a treat Suvganiyot nochal bam larov. Dreydels to play with and latkes to eat, And while we are playing, Ha-a-iru, had'liku, the candles are burning low. Neirot Chanukah rabim. Al hanisi'im One for each night, they shed a sweet light Ve'al hanifla'o-ot to remind us of days long ago (2x) Asher cholelu haMaccabim. (repeat last three lines) English Version 2: O Chanukah, O Chanukah Yiddish (Singable version) A time to remember. Oy Chanukah oy Chanukah, A joyful, jolly holiday that comes in December A yontif a sheiner, Every day for eight days, dreidels will spin, A lustiker a freylicher Crispy little latkes, tasty and thin. Nito noch a zeyner. And nightly, so brightly, Alle nacht in dreydlech shpiln mir The candles of Chanukah glow. Zudik hesse latkes essen mir One for each night, Geshvinder tsindt kinder They shed a sweet light, di Chanukah lichtelech on. To remind us of days long ago. Zol yeder bazunder bazingen dem vunder (repeat last three lines) un tantzen freylech in kohn (2x) AL HANISIM IN HONOR OF THE MIRACLES Al hanissim, ve'al hapurkan, In honor of the miracles and deliverance, Ve'al hag'vurot ve'al hateshu'ot, Heroic deeds and salvation wrought Ve'al hamilchamot she'asita la'avoteinu And wars You fought, for our fathers, Bayamim haheim, bazman hazeh In days of yore and in present time. OCHO KANDELIKAS (Ladino) EIGHT CANDLES (Ladino) 1. Chanukah linda sta aki, 1. Beautiful Chanukah is now here ocho kandelas para mi (2x) And eight candles for me appear. Chorus: Chorus: O --- Una kandelika, dos kandelikas, Oh – one little, two little, tres kandelikas, kuatro kandelikas sintyu Three little, four little candles; kandelikas, sej kandelikas, Five, six, seven little candles, siete kandelikas, ocho kandelas para mi Eight little candles for me. 2. Muchas fiestas vo fazer, 2. Lots of parties for my leisure kon alegriyas y plazer (2x) So much fun and so much pleasure. Chorus Chorus 3. Los pastelikos vo kumer, 3. Dainty pastries for me to eat kon almendrikas y la myel (2x) With almonds and honey so sweet. Chorus Chorus CHANUKAH, CHANUKAH CHANUKAH, CHANUKAH Chanukah, Chanukah, Chanukah, Chanukah, Chag yafeh kol kach What a lovely holiday! Or chaviv, misaviv, Cheerful lights around us shine, Gil leyeled rach. Children have fun and play. Chanukah, Chanukah, Chanukah, Chanukah, Sevivon sov sov The dreidel spins and spins. Sov sov sov, sov sov sov, Spin your top until it stops, Mah na'im vatov. Have a good time, see who wins HANEROT HALALU THESE CANDLES Hanerot halalu, anu madlikin These Chanukah lights we kindle Al hanisim ve'al hanifla'ot In honor of the miracles, the wonders Ve'al hateshu'ot, ve'al hamilchamot And salvation wrought and wars She'asita la'avoteinu You fought, for our fathers, Bayamim haheim bazman hazeh In days of yore and in present time (x2) Al yedei kohanecha hak'doshim. By the hands of Your holy priests. V'chol sh'monat yemei Chanukah (x2) And throughout Chanukah's eight days Hanerot halalu, hanerot halalu kodesh heim. These lights, these lights shall be sacred: Ve'ein lanu reshut lehishtameish bahem No right to make use of them have we Ela lir'otam bilvad Only to look at them and see, Kedei lohodot ulehalleil leshimcha hagadol That Your great Name we may thank and praise Al nissehcha ve'al yeshuatehcha For the miracles and salvation You brought Ve'al nifle'otehcha. And for Your wondrous deeds 2 SEVIVON SOV SOV SOV SPINNING TOP Sevivon, sov sov sov Spinning top, spin spin spin, chanukah hu chag tov Chanukah is a great holiday. chanukah hu chag tov Chanukah is a great holiday. sevivon, sov sov sov. Spinning top, spin spin spin, Sov na sov, ko vacho, Spin here and there, nes gadol haya po/sham A great miracle happened here/there, nes gadol haya po/sham A great miracle happened here/there sov na sov, ko vacho. Spinning top, spin spin spin. MY DREIDEL Ikh Bin A Kleyner Dreydl (Yiddish) I have a little dreidel, Please note: Yiddish version does not match English version I made it out of clay, And when it's dry and ready Ikh bin a kleyner dreydl, Then dreidel I shall play! gemakht bin ikh fun blay. Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay Kumt lomir ale shpiln, Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel in dreydl – eyns tsvey dray. Now dreidel I shall play Oy, dreydl, dreydl, dreydl, Oy, drey zikh, dreydl, drey. It has a lovely body To lomir ale shpiln, With a leg so short and thin, in dreydl eyns un tsvey. And when it gets all tired It drops and then I win! Un ikh hob lib tsu tantsn, zikh dreyen in a rod Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, With a leg so short and thin, To lomir ale tantsn, Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, a dreydl-karahod. It drops and then I win. Oy, dreydl, dreydl, dreydl, oy, drey zikh, dreydl, drey. To lomir ale shpiln, in dreydl eyns un tsvey. MI YEMALEL SPINNING TOP Mi yemaleil g'vurot Yisrael? Who can recount the heroism of Israel? Otan mi yimneh? Who can count them? Hein bechol dor yakum hagibor In every age, a hero or sage Go-eil ha-am. Shall come to our aid. Sh'ma! Bayamim ha-heim Hear! In those days Bazman hazeh, And in our time, Maccabi moshi'a ufodeh. A Maccabee to rescue us arrives. Uv-yameinu kol am Yisrael, And in our days, all of Israel Yit-acheid, yakum veyiga-eil. Shall stand united and be redeemed. *Alternative translation: In this time of year, In days of yore, Maccabees the Temple did restore And tonight our people, as we dream, Will arise, unite, and be redeemed. 3 LIGHT ONE CANDLE NOT BY MIGHT, NOT BY POWER Light one candle for the Maccabee children. by Debbie Friedman Give thanks that their light didn't die. Light one candle for the pain they endured Not by might and not by power, when their right to exist was denied. but by spirit alone shall we all live in peace. (2x) Light one candle for the terrible sacrifice The children sing, the children dream, justice and freedom demand. and their tears may fall, but we'll hear them call Light one candle for the wisdom to know when the peacemaker ' s time is at hand. and another song will rise, another song will rise, Chorus: another song will rise! Don't let the light go out. It's lasted for so many years. Don't let the light go out. Let it shine through our love and our tears. Light one candle for strength that we need LOTS OF LATKES to never become our own foe. Sung in rounds: Light one candle for those who are suffering the pain we learned so long ago. 1. Lots of latkes, lots of latkes, lots of latkes, Light one candle for all we believe in, lots (let's all eat 'em up!) let anger not tear us apart. Repeat Light one candle to bind us together with peace as the song in our heart. 2. S'vivon sov sov, s'vivon sov sov, Chorus s'vivon sov sov, s'vivon sov sov Repeat What is the memory that's valued so highly that we keep alive in that flame. 3. Maccabee Maccabee, Maccabee What's the commitment to those who have died Maccabee,Maccabee Maccabee, when we cry out “ They've not died in vain.” Mac-mac-mac-mac-mac-mac-mac mac! We have come this far always believing Repeat that justice will somehow prevail. This is the burden and this is the promise and this is why we will not fail. Chorus SVIVONI YARUTZ BAGIL MY SPINNING TOP WILL SKIP GLEEFULLY Svivoni yarutz bagil, My spinning top will skip gleefully Min ha'emek lagalil, From the Emek to the Galilee Bein harim va'amakim 'Twixt mountains and valleys Basadot hayerukim Across the fields of green. Meyehuda lasharon From Judah to the Sharon Yitgalgel lo hasevivon My spinning top will spin along Bein cramim ufardesim 'Twixt vineyards and orchards Sham ovdim vesasim Where workers labor joyfully. 4 BANU CHOSHECH LEGARESH WE CAME TO DRIVE AWAY THE DARKNESS Banu choshech legaresh, We came to drive away the darkness beyadeinu or va'esh. in our hands is light and fire. Kol echad hu or katan, Everyone's a small light, vechulanu or eitan. and all of us are a firm light. Surah choshech, hal'ah sh'chor! Fight darkness, further blackness! Surah mipnei ha'or! Fight because of the light! Tzil-tzil-tzil bapa'amonim, Tzil-tzil-tzil in the bells, mi anachnu? - savivonim. who are we? - spinning tops.
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