אָי חֲנֻכָּה | Oy Ḥanukkah, a zemer for Ḥanukkah by Mordkhe Rivesman (1912)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=41033

Date: 2021-11-28

Last Updated: 2023-12-10

Categories: Ḥanukkah

Tags: 20th century C.E., 57th century A.M., blessings, kindling, lamp lighting, Yiddish songs, אױ חנוכה Oy Khanike

Excerpt: A popular song for Ḥanukkah in Yiddish with English translation. . . .

Content:

Source (Yiddish)	Transliteration (romanized Yiddish)	Translation (English)
אָי חֲנֻכָּה אָי חֲנֻכָּה — אַ יוֹם־טוֹב אַ שעהנער אַ לוּסטיגער אַ פררעליכער — ניטאָ נאָך אַזױנער…. אַלע נאַכט אין דרײדלאך שפיעלען מיר,‏ זודיג־הײסע לאַטקעס עסט אהן א שיער׃‏	Oy Ḥanukkah oy Ḥanukkah a yuntiv a sheyner a lustiker a freylikher nito nokh a zoyner ale nakht in dreydl shpiln mir zudik heyse latkes esn mir	O’ Ḥanukkah o’ Ḥanukkah a beautiful festive day a rager, a rave; there’s nothing like it. All night we’ll play the dreidl while endlessly eating piping hot latkes.
געשװינדער, צינדט קינדער די דיניגקע ליכטלעך אָן!‏ זאָגט „עַל־הַנִּיסִּים,“ לויבּט גאָט פאַר די נסים‏ און קומט גיכער טאנצען אין קאָן.‏…	Geshvinder, tsind kinder di Ḥanukkah likhtelekh on zogt al hanisim, loybt Gott far di nisim un lomir ale tansten in kon	Quickly, children kindle the Ḥanukkah lights, Say “Al hanissim,” praise God for the miracles, and let’s all dance around together.
יְהוּדָה האָט פערטריבען דעם שׂוֹנֵא, דעם רוֹצֵחַ און האָט אין בֵּית־הַמִּקְדָשׁ געזונגען „לַמְנַצֵחַ” די שטאָדט יִרוּשָׁלַיִם האָט װידער אױפגעלעבט, און צו אַ נייעם לעבן האָט יעדערער געשטרעבט…. דעריבער דעם גִיבּוֹר יְהוּדָה־הַמַּכְּבִּי לױבט הױך! זאָל יעדער באַזונדער באַזינגען דעם װוּנדער און ליעבּען דאָס פֿאָלק זאָלט איר אױך.	Yehudo HaMakkábi hott fartribbn dem sone der roitséiach, un hott in beisamęgdesh gezungen lamnatséiach, di shtót Jerusholáyem hott vidder oufgelébt, un tsu a naiem lébn hott jędderer geshtrebt; Deribber dem gibber Jehudo HaMakkábi loibt hoich, zoll jędderer bazunder bazingen dem vunder, un líb hóbn dós folk zollt ir oich.	Yehudah drove out the enemy, the murderer; And sang “lamnatse’aḥ” in the Temple! The city of Jerusalem was revived, And for a new life everyone strived. Therefore praise the hero Yehudah the Maccabee! Let every one sing of the miracle, And love the people too!

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“חנוכּה אױ חנוכּה‎” was written by Mordkhe (Mark) Rivesman (1868–1924), and first published in Susman Kiselgof’s 1912 Lider-Zamlbukh.

 

Source

Mordkhe Rivesman’s “Khaneke oy Khaneke” in Susman Kiselgof’s Lider-Zamlbukh (1912)

 

Contributor: Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Mordkhe Rivesman
  Bio: Mordkhe (Mark Semenovich) Rivesman (b. Vilna 1868- d. Leningrad 1924) was a teacher, writer, translator, and theatrical figure born in Vilna (now Vilnius, Lithuania). For his first twelve years, he studied in heder, and later graduated from the city gymnasium. For five years he taught Yiddish in Vilna. From 1896 onward he worked in the schools OPE (Society for the spread of education between Jews) in St. Petersburg. He was on the commission to help Jewish teachers who suffered during the First World War. He was published in Yiddish in periodicals (Der Freind, Der Derig). Rivesman was an active participant of the OENM (Society of Jewish Folk Music), whose board member was elected on October 1, 1912. At the meetings of the OENM, he read 4 reports: “Jewish Humorous Folk Songs” (1910), “Badkhon Song” (1911), “The Love Folk Song of the Jews “(1912),” Cultural and National Significance of the OENM “(1913). By the decision of the OENM, Zinoviy Kiselgof was assisted in the publication “Leader-zalbuh headlights der schidel schul un surname / Collection of songs for the Jewish school and family” (1912), which included his three own songs, as well as translations into Yiddish. In 1916 he participated in the creation of the ETO (Jewish Theater Society) and elected its Council. In 1919 in Petrograd as a teacher, Yiddish participated in the creation of the Jewish Theater Studio Alexei Granovsky. Later, he was in charge of the literary part created on the basis of the studio of the Jewish Chamber Theater. In 1923 he helped Moses Mlner in writing the libretto of the opera Der Chehmelen Brennen / Heaven is Blazing.
  Website:
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/mordkhe-rivesman
• 
  Name: Aharon N. Varady (editing/transcription)
  Bio: Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)
  Website: https://aharon.varady.net
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/aharon-varady-transcription

Featured Image:

Title: Ḥanukkah stamp (Tamar Fishman 2018)
Caption: Ḥanukkah stamp (Tamar Fishman 2018)