Old King Cole
Encyclopedia
"Old King Cole" is an English nursery rhyme
. The historical identity of King Cole
has been much debated and several candidates have been advanced as possibilities. It has a Roud Folk Song Index
number of 1164.
The most common modern version of the rhyme is:
William King's version has the following lyrics:
name. It was borne by a number of noted figures in the history and legends of Roman
and sub-Roman Britain
, most notably by Coel Hen
, or Coel the Old. There are several candidates for a historical basis to the rhyme amongst the historical and mythical Coels.
legend as a leader in the Hen Ogledd
or "Old North", the Brythonic
-speaking parts of southern Scotland
and northern England
during or after the period of the Roman withdrawal. "The early tradition is that Coel ruled the whole of the north, south of the [Hadrian's] Wall, the territory that the Notitia assigned to the dux [Roman military leader]; but that in later generations it split into a number of independent kingdoms. It suggests that ... he was the last Roman commander, who turned his command into a kingdom." He is credited with founding a number of kingly lines in the North and was regarded as an ancestor figure, suggesting that the territory he controlled must have been substantial. Later writers such as Henry of Huntington and Geoffrey of Monmouth
associated Coel with the father of Saint Helena of Constantinople
, the mother of Constantine the Great. Geoffrey's Historia Regum Britanniae
expands on the legend of Coel, including material about his rule as king of the Britons and his dealings with the Romans
.
, an expert on popular music, suggested the possibility that the "Old King Cole" of nursery rhyme fame was really "Old Cole", alias Thomas Cole-brook, a supposed 12th-century Reading
cloth merchant
whose story was recounted by Thomas Deloney
in his The Pleasant History of Thomas of Reading (c. 1598), and who was well known as a character in plays of the early 17th century.
or recorder
), supported by the final lyrics of the song "there's none so rare, As can compare With King Cole and his fiddlers three", which seem to suggest that King Cole and his fiddlers played music together as a group. The term "pipe" is commonly used as an "informal term for a flute
or recorder
". The word ceol actually means music
in Gaelic, and this may be the origin of the name in the rhyme.
In popular usage
In literature
Joyce is at the same time punning on the canonical hours Tierce, Sext, Nones (Terce ... sixt ... none) and on Fionn MacCool (fiddlers ... makmerriers ... Cole).
In popular music
In magazines
In humour
Carlin's intonation of the final line suggested that the pipe and bowl should be interpreted as marijuana
references.
In military cadence
The cadence included a verse for ranks from private to captain; each verse included a satire at the expense of each rank.
A version can be heard on the 1960 album Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall
by Harry Belafonte
. It can also be found in a 1929 music book "Sound Off!" Soldier songs from Yankee Doodle to Parley Voo" http://www.worldcat.org/title/sound-off-soldier-songs-from-yankee-doodle-to-parley-voo/oclc/1485873 by Edward Arthur Dolph.
In comics and graphic novels
In video games
In T.V. shows
The nursery rhyme has also been used in Sesame Street
, using the fiddlers as a way to show math, with Ernie
taking the role of Old King Cole.
In film
In political cartoons
Yiddish text
Az der Rebe Elimeylekh
Iz gevorn zeyer freylekh,
(Iz gevorn zeyer freylekh, Elimeylekh,)
Hot er oysgeton di tfilin
Un hot ongeton di briln
Un geshikt nokh di fidlers di tsvey.
Un di fidldike fidlers
Hobn fidldik gefidlt.
Hobn fidldik gefildt hobn zey!
(x2)
Az der Rebe Elimeylekh
Iz gevorn mer nokh freylekh,
Iz gevorn mer nokh freylekh, Elimeylekh,
Hot er opgemakht havdole
Mitn shames Reb Naftole
Un geshikt nokh di payklers di tsvey.
Un di paykeldike payklers
Hobn paykeldik gepaykelt.
Hobn paykeldik gepaykelt hobn zey!
(x2)
Az der Rebe Elimeylekh
Iz gevorn GOR SHTARK freylekh,
Iz gevorn gor shtark freylekh Elimeylekh,
Hot er oysgeton dos kitl
Un hot ongeton dos hitl
Un geshikt nokh di tsimblers di tsvey.
Un di tsimbeldika tsimblers
Hobn tsimbeldik getsimbelt.
Hobn tsimbeldik getsimbelt hobn zey!
(x2)
English translation
When Rabbi Elimelekh
Became happy,
(Became happy, Elimelekh)
He took off his tefillen
And he put on his glasses
And he sent for his two fiddlers.
And the fiddledika fiddlers
Fiddledika fiddled!
Oh, they fiddledika fiddled!
(x2)
When Rabbi Elimelekh
Became even happier,
(Became even happier, Elimelekh)
He made Havdalah
With his assistant, Reb Natfali
And he sent for his two drummers.
And the drummerdika drummers
Drummerdika drummed!
Oh, they drummerdika drummed!
(x2)
When Rabbi Elimelekh
Became OVERWHELMINGLY happy,
(Became overwhelmingly happy, Elimelekh!)
He took off his clothes,
And he put on his little hat,
And he sent for his two cymbalists.
And the cymbaldika cymbalists
Cymbaldika cymbaled!
Oh, they cymbaldike cymbaled!
(x2)
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
. The historical identity of King Cole
King Cole
King Cole is a figure of British folklore.King Cole may also refer to:*"Old King Cole", nursery rhyme* Old King Cole , a 1933 Disney cartoon about Old King Cole*King Cole , Major League Baseball pitcher...
has been much debated and several candidates have been advanced as possibilities. It has a Roud Folk Song Index
Roud Folk Song Index
The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of 300,000 references to over 21,600 songs that have been collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world...
number of 1164.
Lyrics
The song was first recorded by William King in his Useful Transactions in Philosophy in 1708–9.The most common modern version of the rhyme is:
Old King Cole was a merry old soul
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl
And he called for his fiddlers three.
Every fiddler he had a fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he;
Oh there's none so rare, as can compare
With King Cole and his fiddlers three.
William King's version has the following lyrics:
Good King Cole,
And he call'd for his Bowle,
And he call'd for Fidler's three;
And there was Fiddle, Fiddle,
And twice Fiddle, Fiddle,
For 'twas my Lady's Birth-day,
Therefore we keep Holy-day
And come to be merry.
Origins
Cole (or more properly Coel, pronounced like the English word "coil", and not "coal" as in the rhyme) is a BrythonicBrythonic languages
The Brythonic or Brittonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...
name. It was borne by a number of noted figures in the history and legends of Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
and sub-Roman Britain
Sub-Roman Britain
Sub-Roman Britain is a term derived from an archaeological label for the material culture of Britain in Late Antiquity: the term "Sub-Roman" was invented to describe the potsherds in sites of the 5th century and the 6th century, initially with an implication of decay of locally-made wares from a...
, most notably by Coel Hen
King Cole
King Cole is a figure of British folklore.King Cole may also refer to:*"Old King Cole", nursery rhyme* Old King Cole , a 1933 Disney cartoon about Old King Cole*King Cole , Major League Baseball pitcher...
, or Coel the Old. There are several candidates for a historical basis to the rhyme amongst the historical and mythical Coels.
King Cole of Northern Britain
Coel Hen, whose epithet can be translated as "the Old" or "the Ancestor", is noted in WelshWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
legend as a leader in the Hen Ogledd
Hen Ogledd
Yr Hen Ogledd is a Welsh term used by scholars to refer to those parts of what is now northern England and southern Scotland in the years between 500 and the Viking invasions of c. 800, with particular interest in the Brythonic-speaking peoples who lived there.The term is derived from heroic...
or "Old North", the Brythonic
Brythonic languages
The Brythonic or Brittonic languages form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family, the other being Goidelic. The name Brythonic was derived by Welsh Celticist John Rhys from the Welsh word Brython, meaning an indigenous Briton as opposed to an Anglo-Saxon or Gael...
-speaking parts of southern Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
during or after the period of the Roman withdrawal. "The early tradition is that Coel ruled the whole of the north, south of the [Hadrian's] Wall, the territory that the Notitia assigned to the dux [Roman military leader]; but that in later generations it split into a number of independent kingdoms. It suggests that ... he was the last Roman commander, who turned his command into a kingdom." He is credited with founding a number of kingly lines in the North and was regarded as an ancestor figure, suggesting that the territory he controlled must have been substantial. Later writers such as Henry of Huntington and Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
associated Coel with the father of Saint Helena of Constantinople
Helena of Constantinople
Saint Helena also known as Saint Helen, Helena Augusta or Helena of Constantinople was the consort of Emperor Constantius, and the mother of Emperor Constantine I...
, the mother of Constantine the Great. Geoffrey's Historia Regum Britanniae
Historia Regum Britanniae
The Historia Regum Britanniae is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written c. 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons in a chronological narrative spanning a time of two thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation...
expands on the legend of Coel, including material about his rule as king of the Britons and his dealings with the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
.
Thomas Cole-brook
In the 19th century William ChappellWilliam Chappell
William Chappell was an English writer on music, a partner in the London musical firms of Chappell & Co. and later, Cramer & Co.He was the eldest son of Samuel Chappell , who co-founded the business...
, an expert on popular music, suggested the possibility that the "Old King Cole" of nursery rhyme fame was really "Old Cole", alias Thomas Cole-brook, a supposed 12th-century Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
cloth merchant
Cloth merchant
Cloth merchant is, strictly speaking, like a draper, the term for any vendor of cloth. However, it is generally used for one who owned and/or ran a cloth manufacturing and/or wholesale import and/or export business in the Middle Ages or 16th and 17th centuries...
whose story was recounted by Thomas Deloney
Thomas Deloney
Thomas Deloney was an English novelist and balladist.He appears to have worked as a silk-weaver in Norwich, but was in London by 1586, and in the course of the next ten years is known to have written about fifty ballads, some of which got him into trouble, and caused him to keep a low profile for...
in his The Pleasant History of Thomas of Reading (c. 1598), and who was well known as a character in plays of the early 17th century.
Interpretations
"Pipe" may refer to a musical instrument (perhaps a fluteFlute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
or recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
), supported by the final lyrics of the song "there's none so rare, As can compare With King Cole and his fiddlers three", which seem to suggest that King Cole and his fiddlers played music together as a group. The term "pipe" is commonly used as an "informal term for a flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
or recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
". The word ceol actually means music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
in Gaelic, and this may be the origin of the name in the rhyme.
Modern usage
King Cole is often referenced in popular culture.In popular usage
- In CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, King Cole is a brand of tea which has been manufactured by G.E. Barbour & Co. since 1910.
In literature
- In his 1897 anthology Mother Goose in ProseMother Goose in ProseMother Goose in Prose is a collection of twenty-two children's stories based on Mother Goose nursery rhymes. It was the first children's book written by L. Frank Baum, and the first book illustrated by Maxfield Parrish. It was originally published in 1897 by Way and Williams of Chicago, and...
, L. Frank BaumL. Frank BaumLyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
included a story explaining the background to the nursery rhyme. In this version, Cole is a commonerCommonerIn British law, a commoner is someone who is neither the Sovereign nor a peer. Therefore, any member of the Royal Family who is not a peer, such as Prince Harry of Wales or Anne, Princess Royal, is a commoner, as is any member of a peer's family, including someone who holds only a courtesy title,...
who is selected at random to succeed the King of Whatland when the latter dies without heir.
- In James JoyceJames JoyceJames Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
's Finnegans Wake (619.27f):
With pipe on bowl. Terce for a fiddler, sixt for makmerriers, none for a Cole.
Joyce is at the same time punning on the canonical hours Tierce, Sext, Nones (Terce ... sixt ... none) and on Fionn MacCool (fiddlers ... makmerriers ... Cole).
- Farmer Giles of HamFarmer Giles of Ham"Farmer Giles of Ham" is a Medieval fable written by J. R. R. Tolkien in 1937 and published in 1949. The story describes the encounters between Farmer Giles and a wily dragon named Chrysophylax, and how Giles manages to use these to rise from humble beginnings to rival the king of the land...
by J.R.R. Tolkien states that Giles` story is set "after the time of king Cole, but before King ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
".
In popular music
- Pop singer Nat 'King' ColeNat King ColeNathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
(actual surname Coles) said his nickname was inspired by "Old King Cole." The "King" in Nat Cole's name was usually used in quotation marks during his lifetime, but today it is often seen as though it were part of his name.
- The progressive rockProgressive rockProgressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band GenesisGenesis (band)Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
included the rhyme on their song "The Musical Box", from their 1971 album Nursery CrymeNursery CrymeNursery Cryme is the third studio album by Genesis and was recorded and released in 1971. It is also the first album to feature the classic five-piece line-up of Peter Gabriel, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Phil Collins and Steve Hackett; the latter two replacing John Mayhew and Anthony Phillips, on...
.
- Queen paraphrased the rhyme in their song 'Great King Rat' on their 1973 self-titled album:
Great King Rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
Now what did I tell you
Would you like to see?
In magazines
- MadMad (magazine)Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
ran a feature postulating classical writers' treatments of fairy tales. The magazine had Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
tackle "Old King Cole", resulting in a cadence similar to that of "The BellsThe Bells"The Bells" is a heavily onomatopoeic poem by Edgar Allan Poe which was not published until after his death in 1849. It is perhaps best known for the diacopic repetition of the word "bells." The poem has four parts to it; each part becomes darker and darker as the poem progresses from "the jingling...
":
Old King Cole was a merry old soul
Old King Cole, Cole, Cole, Cole, Cole, Cole, Cole.
In humour
- In the 1970s, American comedian George CarlinGeorge CarlinGeorge Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....
offered this alternative:
Old King Cole was a merry old soul
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl -
I guess we all know about Old King Cole...
Carlin's intonation of the final line suggested that the pipe and bowl should be interpreted as marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
references.
In military cadence
Military cadence
In the armed services, a military cadence or cadence call is a traditional call-and-response work song sung by military personnel while running or marching...
- The United States military also has a version in the form of a marching cadenceMilitary cadenceIn the armed services, a military cadence or cadence call is a traditional call-and-response work song sung by military personnel while running or marching...
, used from the 1980s into the present:
Old King Cole was a merry old soul
and a merry ol' soul was he, uh huh.
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl
and he called for his privates three, uh huh.
Beer! Beer! Beer! cried the private.
Brave men are we
There's none so fair as they can compare
to the airborne infantry, uh huh.
The cadence included a verse for ranks from private to captain; each verse included a satire at the expense of each rank.
A version can be heard on the 1960 album Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall
Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall
Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall is a live double album album by Harry Belafonte. It is the second of two Belafonte Carnegie Hall albums, and was recorded May 2, 1960...
by Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte
Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, actor and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s...
. It can also be found in a 1929 music book "Sound Off!" Soldier songs from Yankee Doodle to Parley Voo" http://www.worldcat.org/title/sound-off-soldier-songs-from-yankee-doodle-to-parley-voo/oclc/1485873 by Edward Arthur Dolph.
In comics and graphic novels
- In the Fables comic bookComic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
, King Cole was the long-time mayor of 'Fabletown', a secret community of 'Fables', who were forced into exile in our world by a conqueror at home. He was defeated in an election by Prince CharmingPrince CharmingPrince Charming is a stock character who appears in a number of fairy tales. He is the prince who comes to rescue of the damsel in distress, and stereotypically, must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell...
and was no longer mayor. He then became ambassador of 'Fabletown' to the Arabian fables. After deciding to plan war to win back their homelands, he has since returned to Fabletown, assuming first the post of deputy mayor and then mayor respectively, after the resignation of Prince Charming.
In video games
- In the video game Banjo-TooieBanjo-TooieBanjo-Tooie is a platform and action-adventure hybrid video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo in 2000 for the Nintendo 64 as a part of the Banjo-Kazooie series. The game is the successor to Banjo-Kazooie and was one of the most anticipated sequels for the Nintendo 64.The game's story...
, there is a boss named Old King Coal. The character Kazooie says "I thought you were a merry old soul?", further referencing the rhyme.
In T.V. shows
- The song was sung on the T.V. show Barney & FriendsBarney & FriendsBarney and Friends, also referred to by HiT Entertainment as Barney the Friendly Dinosaur, is an independent children's television show produced in the United States, aimed at children from ages 1-8...
, but with the last few lyrics changed (which were also adjusted for the drummer and trumpeter verses).
Dance with the fiddlers
Dance with the fiddlers
Dance with the fiddlers three.
The nursery rhyme has also been used in Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
, using the fiddlers as a way to show math, with Ernie
Ernie
Ernie is a fictional character, a Muppet on the Public Broadcasting Service's long-running children's television show, Sesame Street. He and his roommate Bert form a comic duo that is one of the program's centerpieces, with Ernie acting the role of the naïve troublemaker and Bert the world-weary foil...
taking the role of Old King Cole.
In film
- Walt DisneyWalt DisneyWalter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
made a Silly Symphony cartoon in 1933 called "Old King Cole", in which Old King Cole holds a huge party where various nursery rhymeNursery rhymeThe term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
characters are invited.
In political cartoons
- In political cartoons and similar in Britain, sometimes Old King Cole has been used to symbolize the coal industry.
In Yiddish
In 1927, Moshe Nadir (1885-1943) published his Yiddish version, "Der Rebe Elimeylekh." It has since become an incredibly popular Yiddish folksong.Yiddish text
Az der Rebe Elimeylekh
Iz gevorn zeyer freylekh,
(Iz gevorn zeyer freylekh, Elimeylekh,)
Hot er oysgeton di tfilin
Un hot ongeton di briln
Un geshikt nokh di fidlers di tsvey.
Un di fidldike fidlers
Hobn fidldik gefidlt.
Hobn fidldik gefildt hobn zey!
(x2)
Az der Rebe Elimeylekh
Iz gevorn mer nokh freylekh,
Iz gevorn mer nokh freylekh, Elimeylekh,
Hot er opgemakht havdole
Mitn shames Reb Naftole
Un geshikt nokh di payklers di tsvey.
Un di paykeldike payklers
Hobn paykeldik gepaykelt.
Hobn paykeldik gepaykelt hobn zey!
(x2)
Az der Rebe Elimeylekh
Iz gevorn GOR SHTARK freylekh,
Iz gevorn gor shtark freylekh Elimeylekh,
Hot er oysgeton dos kitl
Un hot ongeton dos hitl
Un geshikt nokh di tsimblers di tsvey.
Un di tsimbeldika tsimblers
Hobn tsimbeldik getsimbelt.
Hobn tsimbeldik getsimbelt hobn zey!
(x2)
English translation
When Rabbi Elimelekh
Became happy,
(Became happy, Elimelekh)
He took off his tefillen
And he put on his glasses
And he sent for his two fiddlers.
And the fiddledika fiddlers
Fiddledika fiddled!
Oh, they fiddledika fiddled!
(x2)
When Rabbi Elimelekh
Became even happier,
(Became even happier, Elimelekh)
He made Havdalah
With his assistant, Reb Natfali
And he sent for his two drummers.
And the drummerdika drummers
Drummerdika drummed!
Oh, they drummerdika drummed!
(x2)
When Rabbi Elimelekh
Became OVERWHELMINGLY happy,
(Became overwhelmingly happy, Elimelekh!)
He took off his clothes,
And he put on his little hat,
And he sent for his two cymbalists.
And the cymbaldika cymbalists
Cymbaldika cymbaled!
Oh, they cymbaldike cymbaled!
(x2)