Oh Chanukah
Encyclopedia
Oh Chanukah is an English version of the Yiddish Oy Chanukah . The English words, while not a translation, are roughly based on the Yiddish. Oy Chanukah is a traditional Yiddish Chanukah song and Chanukah. Oh Chanukah is a very popular modern English Chanukah song. This upbeat playful children's song has lines about dancing the Horah, eating latkes, lighting the candles and singing happy songs.
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." Chanukah is and was sometimes written as Khanike as that was the standard transliteration
from Yiddish according to the YIVO
system.
- "Freylekhs" for solo piano, by Hirsch Kopyt (Published in 1912, but performed as early as 1909)
- "Dance Improvisation" for violin and piano, by Joseph Achron (Published in 1914, composed December 1914 in Kharkov)
There is no formal connection between Achron's work and Kopyt's, except for the shared tune. According to the musicologist Paula Eisenstein Baker, who recently published the first critical edition of Leo Zeitlin's chamber music (2008), Zeitlin wrote an orchestral version of Kopyt's piano piece sometime before June 13, 1913 (Zeitlin conducted it four times that summer) and later also included this orchestral version in his overture "Palestina". Joachim Stutschewsky elaborated on Kopyt's piece in a work for cello and piano called "Freylekhs: Improvisation" (1934).
It is interesting that the works by Kopyt, Achron, and Stutschewsky all share two distinct melodies: the one that later became "Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah", and an arpeggiated tune. In all three pieces, this arpeggiated melody comes first, followed by "Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah". However, both tunes are written together as one single melody at the top of Achron's score, and the structure of these compositions suggest that the two melodies were in fact one single melody. The arpeggiated tune does not feel introductory, and it returns several times throughout Achron's work. If they were indeed one tune, and not two, then we have an interesting question: why did only half the tune get lyrics?
, its popularity is not matched to the popularity of the English version in English speaking countries, or the Yiddish version in the past, whereas for instance, Sevivon, Sov, Sov, Sov has a high popularity in Israel.
Naming
According to archives at the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
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." Chanukah is and was sometimes written as Khanike as that was the standard transliteration
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
from Yiddish according to the YIVO
YIVO
YIVO, , established in 1925 in Wilno, Poland as the Yidisher Visnshaftlekher Institut , or Yiddish Scientific Institute, is a source for orthography, lexicography, and other studies related to the Yiddish language...
system.
Use in classical music
The Society for Jewish Folk Music in St. Petersburg published two classical compositions which make extensive use of this tune:- "Freylekhs" for solo piano, by Hirsch Kopyt (Published in 1912, but performed as early as 1909)
- "Dance Improvisation" for violin and piano, by Joseph Achron (Published in 1914, composed December 1914 in Kharkov)
There is no formal connection between Achron's work and Kopyt's, except for the shared tune. According to the musicologist Paula Eisenstein Baker, who recently published the first critical edition of Leo Zeitlin's chamber music (2008), Zeitlin wrote an orchestral version of Kopyt's piano piece sometime before June 13, 1913 (Zeitlin conducted it four times that summer) and later also included this orchestral version in his overture "Palestina". Joachim Stutschewsky elaborated on Kopyt's piece in a work for cello and piano called "Freylekhs: Improvisation" (1934).
It is interesting that the works by Kopyt, Achron, and Stutschewsky all share two distinct melodies: the one that later became "Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah", and an arpeggiated tune. In all three pieces, this arpeggiated melody comes first, followed by "Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah". However, both tunes are written together as one single melody at the top of Achron's score, and the structure of these compositions suggest that the two melodies were in fact one single melody. The arpeggiated tune does not feel introductory, and it returns several times throughout Achron's work. If they were indeed one tune, and not two, then we have an interesting question: why did only half the tune get lyrics?
Versions
| English version | Yiddish version | Yiddish transliteration Transliteration Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another... |
Yiddish literal translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| (Oh), Hanukah, Oh Hanukah Come light the menorah Let's have a party We'll all dance the horah Gather 'round the table, we'll give you a treat Dreidel Dreidel A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top, played with during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.Each side of the dreidel bears a letter of the Hebrew alphabet:נ ,ג ,ה ,ש ,... s (or Sevivon) to play with, and latkes to eat |
חנוכה אוי חנוכה אַ יום-טוב אַ שיינער אַ לוסטיקער אַ פריילעכער נישט דאָ נאָך אַזוינער אַלע נאַכט מיט דריידלעך שפילן מיר, פרישע הייסע לאַטקעס, עסן אָן אַ שיעור. |
(Oy), Chanukah oy Oy Oy or OY may refer to:* Oy vey Oy, a Yiddish exclamation of chagrin, dismay, exasperation or pain* A village in the Oy-Mittelberg municipality, Bavaria, Germany* oy , a digraph found in many languages* Osakeyhtiö Oy or OY may refer to:* Oy vey Oy, a Yiddish exclamation of chagrin, dismay,... Chanukah A yontif a sheyner, A lustiker a freylekher Nisht do nokh azoyner Ale nakht mit dreydlech Dreidel A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top, played with during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.Each side of the dreidel bears a letter of the Hebrew alphabet:נ ,ג ,ה ,ש ,... shpiln mir, Frishe heyse latkes, esn on a shir. |
(Oh), Chanukah, Oh Chanukah A beautiful celebration. Such a cheerful and happy one, There is none like it. Every night with the dreidels we will play, Fresh, hot latkes we will eat endlessly. |
| And while we are playing The candles are burning bright (or low) One for each night, they shed a sweet light To remind us of days long ago One for each night, they shed a sweet light To remind us of days long ago. |
געשווינדער, צינדט קינדער די חנוכה ליכטלעך אָן, זאָגט על-הניסים, לויבט גאָט פאַר די נסים, און לאמיר אלע טאנצען אין קאָן. זאָגט על-הניסים, לויבט גאָט פאַר די נסים, און לאָמיר אַלע טאַנצען אין קאָן. |
Geshvinder, tsindt kinder Di Chanukah likhtlech on, Zogt "Al Hanisim", loybt Got far di nisim, Un lomir ale tantsen in kon. Zogt "Al Hanisim", loybt Got far di nisim, Un lomir ale tantsen in kon. |
Come quickly children Light the Chanukah candles Say "Al Hanissim", praise God for the miracles, And we will all dance together in a circle! Say "Al Hanissim", praise God for the miracles, And we will all dance together in a circle! |
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. 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) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Bazingen dem vunder Un tantsen freylekh in kon. |
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, but its words and meanings are entirely different. In IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, its popularity is not matched to the popularity of the English version in English speaking countries, or the Yiddish version in the past, whereas for instance, Sevivon, Sov, Sov, Sov has a high popularity in Israel.
| Hebrew transliteration Transliteration Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another... | Hebrew literal translation | English version |
|---|---|---|
| Y'mey haChanukah | The days of Chanukah - | (Oh), Chanukah, Oh Chanukah |
| Chanukat mikdasheinu, | The Rededication of our Sanctuary - | Come light the menorah |
| B'gil uv'simchah | With joy and happiness | Let's have a party |
| M'mal'im et libeinu. | We fill our hearts. | We'll all dance the horah |
| Layla vayom, S'vivoneinu yisov, | Night and day, our top (dreidel Dreidel A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top, played with during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.Each side of the dreidel bears a letter of the Hebrew alphabet:נ ,ג ,ה ,ש ,... / s'vivon Dreidel A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top, played with during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.Each side of the dreidel bears a letter of the Hebrew alphabet:נ ,ג ,ה ,ש ,... ) turns |
Gather round the table, we'll give you a treat |
| Sufganiot, Nochal gam larov! | Jelly doughnuts (sufganiot), we'll also eat many. | Dreidels (or Sevivon) to play with, and latkes to eat |
| Ha'iru, hadliku, | Light 'em, ignite 'em | And while we are playing |
| Nerot Chanukah rabbim. | The many candles of Chanukah. | The candles are burning bright (or low) |
| Al hanissim, v'al haniflaot | For the miracles, And for the wonders | One for each night, they shed a sweet light |
| asher chollelu haMakabim Maccabees The Maccabees were a Jewish rebel army who took control of Judea, which had been a client state of the Seleucid Empire. They founded the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 164 BCE to 63 BCE, reasserting the Jewish religion, expanding the boundaries of the Land of Israel and reducing the influence... . |
Which the Maccabees Maccabees The Maccabees were a Jewish rebel army who took control of Judea, which had been a client state of the Seleucid Empire. They founded the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 164 BCE to 63 BCE, reasserting the Jewish religion, expanding the boundaries of the Land of Israel and reducing the influence... accomplished. |
To remind us of days long ago |
| Al hanissim, v'al haniflaot | For the miracles, And for the wonders | One for each night, they shed a sweet light |
| asher chollelu haMakabim Maccabees The Maccabees were a Jewish rebel army who took control of Judea, which had been a client state of the Seleucid Empire. They founded the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 164 BCE to 63 BCE, reasserting the Jewish religion, expanding the boundaries of the Land of Israel and reducing the influence... . |
Which the Maccabees Maccabees The Maccabees were a Jewish rebel army who took control of Judea, which had been a client state of the Seleucid Empire. They founded the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 164 BCE to 63 BCE, reasserting the Jewish religion, expanding the boundaries of the Land of Israel and reducing the influence... accomplished. |
To remind us of days long ago |
See also
- HanukkahHanukkahHanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
- Hanukkah musicHanukkah musicHanukkah music contains several songs associated with the festival of Chanukah.- Chanukah blessings:There are three Chanukah blessings that are sung for lighting the candles of the menorah. The third blessing is only sung on the first night...
- Passover music
- Christmas musicChristmas musicChristmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
- Ma'oz Tsur
External links
- YouTube Video - Young boy singing "Oy Chanukah" (the Yiddish version)