שירי חנוכה‎ A Freilichin Chanukah: Songs and a Paley poem for Hanukkah

Posted: December 8, 2012 | Author: Zócalo Poets | Filed under: English, Grace Paley, Ladino/Judeoespañol, Yiddish | Tags: Hanukkah poems | Comments Off on שירי חנוכה‎ A Freilichin Chanukah: Songs and a Paley poem for Hanukkah

שירי חנוכה‎

אוי חנוכה אוי חנוכה

א יום טוב א שיינע

א ליכטיגע א פרייליכע

נישט דא נאך א זיינע

אלע נאכט מיט דריידלעך ,שפילן מיר

פרישע הייסע לאטקעס ,עסן אן א שיעור

קומט קינדער געשווינדער

די חנוכה ליכט ,וועלן מיר אנצונדען

זאגט על הניסים

לובט ג-ט פאר די נסים

לאמיר אלע טאנצען צוזאמען

 

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Suki and Ding’s Chanukah Song

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Chanukah, oh Chanukah,

A holiday, a lovely one,

A happy and a joyful one,

There really is none like it!

Each night at ‘dreidl’ we do play,

fresh hot ‘latkes’ we eat all the day!

Come children, hurry,

the Chanukah candles we shall light!

Let us sing “al hanisim”*,

Let us thank G-d for his miracles,

And we’ll all dance together!

 

 

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*“Al hanisim” is a phrase often uttered at the start of a daily prayer or after meals as a grace.  Literally, it means “and for the miracles” – a reminder to thankfully acknowledge G-d for the miracles he has wrought…

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Chanukah, oh Chanukah song © Suki and Ding

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Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou

A song for Hanukkah:

“Eight Candles” (an excerpt)

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The holiday of lights is here,

Good friends and happiness to share,

Sweets with honey for us to eat,

Candles to light and friends to greet!

One little candle, One little candle!

Two little candles, three!

Four, five, six little candles, seven and eight for me!

 

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The original of “Eight Candles” follows below…

It is written in the language of mediaeval Spanish Judaism – Ladino or Judeoespañol – which is spoken by about 100,000 people worldwide, including the composer of the song and its lyrics, Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou.

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Canción para Janucá por Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou

(en el idioma ladino/judeoespañol):

“Ochu kandelas” (un extracto)

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Hanukka lindo sta aki,

ochu candelas para mi!

Una kandelika, dos kandelikas,

tres kandelikas, kuatro kandelikas,

sintju kandelikas, sysh kandelikas,

sieto kandelikas, ocho kandelikas para mi!

Muchas fiestas vo fazar,

con alegrias i plazar!

Una kandelika (etcetera…)

Los pastelikas vo kumer,

con almendrikas i la miel!

Una kandelika (etcetera…)

 

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“People in my Family”  by  Grace Paley:

Paley was a Jewish-American short-story writer, poet and political activist.  Born in 1922 in The Bronx, New York City, USA, she grew up hearing Russian and Yiddish at home – and the cadences of Yiddish influenced her poems written in English.  A pacifist who spoke out against nuclear proliferation, the Vietnam War and the gargantuan American military, Paley was a passionate person in every way.  She died in 2007.

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Grace Paley

“People in my Family”

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In my family

people who were eighty-two were very different

from people who were ninety-two.

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The eighty-two-year-old people grew up,

it was 1914 –

this is what they knew:

WarWorldWarWar.

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That’s why when they speak to the child

they say

poor little one…

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The ninety-two-year-old people remember

– it was the year 1905 –

they went to prison,

they went into exile,

they said ah soon…

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When they speak to the grandchild

they say

yes there will be revolution,

then there will be revolution, then

once more, then the earth itself

will turn and turn and cry out

oh I have been made sick…

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Then you my little bud

must flower and save it.

 

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