Oh Chanukah, oh Chanukah - M. Rivesman & traditional niggun

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 8 December 2007, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

EXPLANATION OF THE GLOSSING SYSTEM
(to understand how I describe the signs in this translation).

CHANUKAH, CHANUKAH, COME-ON CANDLE LIGHT-candle.
TIME HAVE PARTY, #ALL-OF-US DANCE ISRAELI.
GATHER TABLE SIT-IN-CIRCLE, GIFT SOMETHING SWEET.
DREIDLE PLAY, POTATO PANCAKE EAT.
WHILE WE PLAY+, CANDLES BURN HEIGHT-SHRINK.
||: ONE FOR EACH NIGHT, SHINY SWEET LIGHT,
REMIND-us US TIME LONG-AGO. :||

CHANUKAH, CHANUKAH, CELELBRATE JOY.
SPECIAL HOLIDAY FOR EACH GIRL, BOY.
PLAY SPINNING DREIDAL ALL WEEK CONTINUE.
EAT DELICIOUS POTATO PANCAKE, SING HAPPY.
COME-ON LIGHT/IGNITE CANDLES TONIGHT, CANDLE DANCE FLAME-SWAY.
||: AGAIN TELL-STORY ABOUT GOD HAVE GLORY
DANCE WHILE CANDLES GLOW FRIENDLY. :||


Notes:

Lyrics:

Oh Chanukah, oh Chanukah, come light the Menorah.
Let's have a party, we'll all dance the Hora.
Gather round the table, we'll give you a treat,
Sevivon to play with, levivot to eat.
And while we are playing, the candles are burning low.
||: One for each night, they shed a sweet light
to remind us of days long ago. :||

Oh Chanukah, oh Chanukah, festival of joy.
A very special holiday for every girl and boy.
Spin the whirling dreidels all week long.
Eat the sizzling latkes, sing a happy song.
Now light them tonight then, the flickering candles in a row.
||: Retell the wondrous story of G-d in all Her glory,
and dance by the candles' cheery glow. :||

Original Yiddish:

Khanike, oy khanike, a yomtev a sheyner,
A lustiker, a freylekher, nito nokh azoyner,
Ale nakht in dreydlekh shpiln mir,
Zudik heyse latkes esn mir.

Geshvinder, tsindt kinder
Di dininke likhtelekh on.
Zogt "al hanisim," loybt got far di nisim,
Un kumt gikher tantsn in kon.

Yehude hot fartribn dem soyne, dem roytseakh,
Un hot in beys hamikdesh gezungen "lamnatseyakh"
Di shtot yerushalayim hot vider oyfgelebt,
Un tsu a nayem lebn hot yederer geshtrebt.

treble clef as a symbol for musicTo hear children signing this song (good job!), go to Oh Chanukah.

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