חַד עוֹבַדְיָה | Ḥad Ovadya (One Worker), a Yiddish Socialist adaptation of Ḥad Gadya (1888/1919)

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28 March 2024 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

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19th century C.E., 57th century A.M., Aramaic, חד גדיא Ḥad Gadya, labor exploitation, parody, Revolutions of 1917–1923, socialism, Yiddish songs, Yiddish translation

Source (Aramaic)	Translation (Yiddish)	Translation (English)
חַד עוֹבַדְיָה, חַד עוֹבַדְיָה, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא־מַסְטֶרָא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי — חַד עוֹבַדְיָה, חַד עוֹבַדְיָה.	חד עובדיה, אײן ארבײטער, װעלכען האָט געקויפֿט מײן טאַטע דער מײסטער פֿאַר צװײ גולדען. חד עובדיה, חד עובדיה.	Ḥad Ovadya, one worker, my father the boss bought for two bucks. Ḥad Ovadya, Ḥad Ovadya.
וְאָתָא בַּטְלָן וְאָכַל לְעוֹבַדְיָה, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא־מַסְטֶרָא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי — חַד עוֹבַדְיָה, חַד עוֹבַדְיָה.	און ער איז געקומען, אַ לײדיג־געהער, און ער האָט פֿערדרענגט דעם אַרבײטער, װעמען מײן טאַטע דער מײסטער האָט געקויפֿט פֿאַר צװײ גולדען. חד עובדיה, חד עובדיה.	Then came a loafer and ousted the worker my father the boss bought for two bucks. Ḥad Ovadya, Ḥad Ovadya.
וְאָתָא חֶנְוָנִי וְאָכַל לְבַטְלָן, דְּאָכַל לְעוֹבַדְיָה, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא מַסְטֶרָא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי — חַד עוֹבַדְיָה, חַד עוֹבַדְיָה.	און איז געקומען דער קרעמער און האָט אַרויסגעשטופט דעם לײדיג־געהער, װאָס האָט פֿערדרענגט דעם אַרבײטער, װעמען מײן טאַטע דער מײסטער האָט געקויפֿט פֿאַר צװײ גולדען. חד עובדיה, חד עובדיה.	Then came the shopkeeper and pushed out the loafer, who ousted the worker my father the boss bought for two bucks. Ḥad Ovadya, Ḥad Ovadya.
וְאָתָא מַלְוֶה ובָלַע לְחֶנְוָנִי, דְּאָכַל לְבַטְלָן דְּאָכַל לְעוֹבַדְיָה, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא־מַסְטֶרָא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי — חַד עוֹבַדְיָה, חַד עוֹבַדְיָה.	און איז געקומען דער װאוכערער און האָט אײנגעשלונגען דעם קרעמער, װאָס האָט אַרויסגעשטופט דעם לײדיג־געהער, װאָס האָט פֿערדרענגט דעם אַרבײטער, װעמען מײן טאַטע דער מײסטער האָט געקויפֿט פֿאַר צװײ גולדען. חד עובדיה, חד עובדיה.	Then came the loan shark and swallowed up the shopkeeper, who pushed out the loafer, who ousted the worker my father the boss bought for two bucks. Ḥad Ovadya, Ḥad Ovadya.
וְאָתָא בַּנְקיִרָא וְאָכַל לְמַלְוֶה, דְבָלַע לְחֶנְוָנִי, דְּאָכַל לְבַטְלָן דְּאָכַל לְעוֹבַדְיָה, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא־מַסְטֶרָא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי — חַד עוֹבַדְיָה, חַד עוֹבַדְיָה.	און איז געקומען דער באַנקיר און האָט אויפֿגעפֿרעסן דעם װאוכערער, װאָס האָט אײנגעשלונגען דעם קרעמער, װאָס האָט אַרויסגעשטופט דעם לײדיג־געהער, װאָס האָט פֿערדרענגט דעם אַרבײטער, װעמען מײן טאַטע דער מײסטער האָט געקויפֿט פֿאַר צװײ גולדען. חד עובדיה, חד עובדיה.	Then came the banker and devoured the loan shark, who swallowed up the shopkeeper, who pushed out the loafer, who ousted the worker my father the boss bought for two bucks. Ḥad Ovadya, Ḥad Ovadya.
וְאָתָא בַּנְקְרוּטָא וְהִכָּה לְבַּנְקיִרָא, דְּאָכַל לְמַלְוֶה, דְבָלַע לְחֶנְוָנִי, דְּאָכַל לְבַטְלָן דְּאָכַל לְעוֹבַדְיָה, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא־מַסְטֶרָא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי — חַד עוֹבַדְיָה, חַד עוֹבַדְיָה.	און איז געקומען אַ באַנקראָט און האָט פֿערניכטעט דעם באַנקיר, װאָס האָט אויפֿגעפֿרעסן דעם װאוכערער, װאָס האָט אײנגעשלונגען דעם קרעמער, װאָס האָט אַרויסגעשטופט דעם לײדיג־געהער, װאָס האָט פֿערדרענגט דעם אַרבײטער, װעמען מײן טאַטע דער מײסטער האָט געקויפֿט פֿאַר צװײ גולדען. חד עובדיה, חד עובדיה.	Then came a bankruptcy and annihilated the banker, who devoured the loan shark, who swallowed up the shopkeeper, who pushed out the loafer, who ousted the worker my father the boss bought for two bucks. Ḥad Ovadya, Ḥad Ovadya.
וְאָתָא קְריִזיִסָא וְשָׂרַף לְבַּנְקְרוּטָא, דְּהִכָּה לְבַּנְקיִרָא, דְּאָכַל לְמַלְוֶה, דְבָלַע לְחֶנְוָנִי, דְּאָכַל לְבַטְלָן דְּאָכַל לְעוֹבַדְיָה, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא־מַסְטֶרָא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי — חַד עוֹבַדְיָה, חַד עוֹבַדְיָה.	און איז געקומען אַ קריזיס און האָט פֿערברענט דעם באַנקראָט, װאָס האָט פֿערניכטעט דעם באַנקיר, װאָס האָט אויפֿגעפֿרעסן דעם װאוכערער, װאָס האָט אײנגעשלונגען דעם קרעמער, װאָס האָט אַרויסגעשטופט דעם לײדיג־געהער, װאָס האָט פֿערדרענגט דעם אַרבײטער, װעמען מײן טאַטע דער מײסטער האָט געקויפֿט פֿאַר צװײ גולדען. חד עובדיה, חד עובדיה.	Then came a crisis and burned up the bankruptcy, that annihilated the banker, who devoured the loan shark, who swallowed up the shopkeeper, who pushed out the loafer, who ousted the worker my father the boss bought for two bucks. Ḥad Ovadya, Ḥad Ovadya.
וְאָתָא הַרֶיווֹלוּצְיָא הַגְדוֹלָה וְשָׁחֲטָה לְקְריִזיִסָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְבַּנְקְרוּטָא, דְּהִכָּה לְבַּנְקיִרָא, דְּאָכַל לְמַלְוֶה, דְבָלַע לְחֶנְוָנִי, דְּאָכַל לְבַטְלָן דְּאָכַל לְעוֹבַדְיָה, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא־מַסְטֶרָא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי — חַד עוֹבַדְיָה, חַד עוֹבַדְיָה.	און איז געקומען די סאָציאַלע רעװאָלוציע און האָט געקוילעט דעם קריזיס, װאָס האָט פֿערברענט דעם באַנקראָט, װאָס האָט פֿערניכטעט דעם באַנקיר, װאָס האָט אויפֿגעפֿרעסן דעם װאוכערער, װאָס האָט אײנגעשלונגען דעם קרעמער, װאָס האָט אַרויסגעשטופט דעם לײדיג־געהער, װאָס האָט פֿערדרענגט דעם אַרבײטער, װעמען מײן טאַטע דער מײסטער האָט געקויפֿט פֿאַר צװײ גולדען. חד עובדיה, חד עובדיה.	Then came the social revolution and slaughtered the crisis, that burnt up the bankruptcy, that annihilated the banker, who devoured the loan shark, who swallowed up the shopkeeper, who pushed out the loafer, who ousted the worker my father the boss bought for two bucks. Ḥad Ovadya, Ḥad Ovadya.
וְאָתָא הַסוֹצִיאַלִיזְמוּס בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְשָׁחַט לְרֶיווֹלוּצְיָא, דְּשָׁחֲטָה לְקְריִזיִסָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְבַּנְקְרוּטָא, דְּהִכָּה לְבַּנְקיִרָא, דְּאָכַל לְמַלְוֶה, דְבָלַע לְחֶנְוָנִי, דְּאָכַל לְבַטְלָן דְּאָכַל לְעוֹבַדְיָה, דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא־מַסְטֶרָא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי — חַד עוֹבַדְיָה, חַד עוֹבַדְיָה.	און איז געקומען דער סאָציאַליזם, געבענשט זאָל ער זײן, און האָט געמאַכט א סוף צו דער רעװאָלוציע, װאָס האָט געקוילעט דעם קריזיס, װאָס האָט פֿערברענט דעם באַנקראָט, װאָס האָט פֿערניכטעט דעם באַנקיר, װאָס האָט אויפֿגעפֿרעסן דעם װאוכערער, װאָס האָט אײנגעשלונגען דעם קרעמער, װאָס האָט אַרויסגעשטופט דעם לײדיג־געהער, װאָס האָט פֿערדרענגט דעם אַרבײטער, װעמען מײן טאַטע דער מײסטער האָט געקויפֿט פֿאַר צװײ גולדען. חד עובדיה, חד עובדיה.	Then came Socialism, blessed be, and made an end to the revolution, that slaughtered the crisis, that burnt up the bankruptcy, that annihilated the banker, who devoured the loan shark, who swallowed up the shopkeeper, who pushed out the loafer, who ousted the worker my father the boss bought for two bucks. Ḥad Ovadya, Ḥad Ovadya.

Taken from the הגדה של פסח – מיט אַ סאָציאַליסטישען נוסח (from the פאָדגורזש printing in 1919, revised 1900 from an edition first published in 1888). The authorship of the Aramaic source is uncertain. It first appears in the 1888 “second edition” of the Haggadah (the 1888 brochure), written under the pseudonym “Der Nayer Velt-Magid” (the New World-Preacher). Benjamin Feigenbaum was probably involved, but it can’t be said for sure. Leon Zolotkoff was less likely to be involved with that edition since by 1888 he was already in the United States.

The authorship of the Yiddish translation is unknown. It is original to the 1919 Haggadah (though based on the earlier Aramaic text).

The English translation was made by Shlomo Jack Enkin Lewis, with thanks to Daniel Kaplan, 2024.

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“חַד עוֹבַדְיָה | Ḥad Ovadya (One Worker), a Yiddish Socialist adaptation of Ḥad Gadya (1888/1919)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.

Shlomo Enkin Lewis (translation)

Shlomo Jack Enkin Lewis is a Yiddish translator and student of Judaic Studies.

Unknown (translation)

Sometimes the best we can do in attributing a historical work is to indicate the period and place it was written, the first prayer book it may have been printed in, or the archival collection in which the manuscript was found. We invite the public to help to attribute all works to their original composers. If you know something not mentioned in the commentary offered, please let us know!

Benjamin Feigenbaum

Benjamin Feigenbaum (1860–1932), born in Warsaw, Poland, was a Jewish socialist, newspaper editor, translator, and satirist. Feigenbaum was an associate editor of the Yiddish language The Forward, its predecessor Di Arbeter Tsaytung, and the literary monthly Di Tsukunft, co-founder of the Workmen's Circle, and a pioneer of the Socialist Party of America. Born to a prominent Ḥassidic family in Warsaw, he studied in Yeshivah, but became a free-thinker. According to colleague Israel Joshua Singer, Feigenbaum's "conversion" to secularism happened when his teacher, the Gerer rebbe, discovered that Feigenbaum was not wearing tsitsit, a ritual garb. The rebbe beat him as a punishment. As a young socialist in 1887, Feigenbaum considered starting a socialist Yiddish newspaper. To his delight, he discovered the newly created London-based Arbeter Fraynd. He contacted them immediately. Feigenbaum moved to London towards the end of 1888 to join their editorial board. During Yom Kippur in 1888, Feigenbaum hosted the first public Yom Kippur Ball. In 1889 at another Yom Kippur Ball, Feigenbaum famously declared "If there is a God and if he is Almighty as the clergy claims he is, I give him just two minutes' time to kill me on the spot, so that he may prove his existence!". After two minutes he declared "See! There is no God!". He then announced a location for the workers to eat instead of fasting, as traditionally done during Yom Kippur. In 1891, Feigenbaum immigrated to New York to work on New York's first Yiddish-language socialist newspaper, Di Arbeter Tsaytung (The Workman's Paper). He co-founded the Workmen's Circle, serving as its first general secretary. In New York, Feigenbaum developed a relationship with Bolesław Miklaszewski, a representative of the London affiliate of the Polish Socialist Party (PPS), named the Union of Polish Socialists Abroad (ZZSP). After vetting Feigenbaum's circles to ensure they did not have "a gravitational pull" to Russia, ZZSP announced the creation of a "Jewish Socialist Post from America to Poland" in 1896 to publish and disseminate Yiddish socialist literature.

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17

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