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Oh Chanukah (alsoChanukah, Oh Chanukah) is an English version of the YiddishOy Chanukah (Yiddish:חנוכּה אױ חנוכּהKhanike Oy Khanike). The English words, while not a translation, are roughly based on the Yiddish. "Oy Chanukah" is a traditional Yiddish Chanukah song. "Oh Chanukah" is a very popular modern English Chanukah song. This upbeat playful children's song has lines about dancing theHorah, playing withdreidels, eatinglatkes, lighting the candles, and singing happy songs. The song was written by Mordkhe (Mark) Rivesman, and first published inSusman Kiselgof's 1912Lider-Zamlbukh [Song anthology].
According to archives at theUniversity 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 standardtransliteration from Yiddish according to theYIVO system.
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| English version | Yiddish version | Yiddishtransliteration | Yiddish literal translation |
|---|---|---|---|
חנוכה אוי חנוכה | (Oh), Chanukah, Oh Chanukah | ||
And while we are playing | געשווינדער, צינדט קינדער | Geshvinder, tsindt kinder | Come quickly children |
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 (seeYiddish regional dialects) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oy Chanukah, Oy Chanukah a yontif a sheyner, |
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| A lustiker; a freylekher;nisht do nokhazeyner. | A lustiker; a freylikher;nito nokhazoyner. |
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| Ale nakhtin dreydlekh, | Ale nakhtmit 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, DiChanukah likhtlekhon, | Geshvinder, tsindt kinder, Didininke likhtlekh on, | |||
| Kumt kinder, geshvinder, Di Chanukah likhtlekhveln mir ontsindn, |
| |||
| 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 tantsenin kohn. | Lomir ale tantsentsuzamen. | |||
There is also a Hebrew version (ימי החנוכה), which has the same melody, its words penned byAvraham Avronin.[3] The words correspond roughly to the original (more so than the English version), with slight variations for rhyme and rhythm’s sake, to match the Sephardic pronunciation which serves as the basis forModern Standard Hebrew. Thus the first line names the holiday; the second calls for joy and happiness (using two synonyms); in the third the speakers say they'll spin dreidels all night; in the fourth they will eat latkes (note thatsufganiyot (סופגניות) could also mean latkes in early Modern-Hebrew); in the fifth the speaker calls everyone to light the Chanukah candles; the sixth mentions the prayer Al Hanissim, "On the miracles". The only big change is in the last line - whereas the original calls to praise God for the miracles he performed, the Hebrew one praises the miracles and wonders performed by the Maccabees. This reflects the anti-religious polemic of early Zionism, evident in many other Israeli Chanukah songs.Dati Leumi Jews sing an altered version of the line which includes a call to praise God.
InIsrael, 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 | Hebrewtransliteration | Hebrew literal translation | English version |
|---|---|---|---|
| יְמֵי הַחֲנֻכָּה | Y'mey haChanukah | The days of Chanukah - | (Oh), Chanukah, Oh Chanukah |
| חֲנֻכַּת מִקְדָּשֵׁנוּ | Chanukat mikdasheinu, | The Rededication ofour Sanctuary - | Come light themenorah |
| בְּגִיל וּבְשִׂמְחָה | B'gil uv'simchah | 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, | 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! | Jelly doughnuts (sufganiot), we'll also eat many. | 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 cholleluhaMakabim. | Which theMaccabees 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 cholleluhaMakabim. | Which theMaccabees accomplished. | To remind us of days long ago |
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