Israeli Children's Songs | Mama Lisa's World Blog

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Can Someone Help with a Kids Song that’s either Belarussian, Russian or Yiddish?

Sunday, January 25th, 2009

Martin wrote:

Hello from a sunny but quite COLD New York City!

I am wondering if anyone knows the answer to this. Not being too knowledgeable about the Belarusian language, I’m assuming that this song my maternal grandmother used to sing to me when I was in my single digits was in Russian or Yiddish or a combination of any or all of the three languages, something that sounded like:

Kot, mama, kot, mama, kot, kot, kot
Ona dyela masu
Manichka klapot.

Does anyone have the full lyrics and musical notation for this song please, and what language(s) constitute the song? Please email as soon as possible. Thank you very much? Martin Peck

If anyone if familiar with this song, and could provide any information about it, please let us know anything you can in the comments below. We’d also love an English translation of possible.

Thanks!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Belarus, Belarusian, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Israel, Israeli Children's Songs, Languages, Mama Lisa, Questions, Readers Questions, Russia, Russian, Russian Children's Songs, USA, Yiddish, Yiddish Children's Songs | 1 Comment »

“Oy Chanukah” – The Yiddish Version of “Oh, Hanukkah” with a YouTube Video

Wednesday, December 10th, 2008

The other day I posted the popular English version of “Oh, Hanukkah” with a YouTube rendition of the song. Here’s the Yiddish version of “Oh, Hanukkah”. It was originally written by Mordkhe Rivesman (1868 – 1924), who was born in Lithuania. The song was also called “Latke Song” and “Khanike Oy Khanike”.

Below you’ll find a YouTube video of 7 year old Aviv singing “Oy Chanukah”, followed by the transliterated Yiddish lyrics, and then an English translation I did to go along with it.

Chanukah, Oy Chanukah
Yiddish Transliteration

Oy Chanukah, Oy Chanukah
a yontif a sheiner,
A lustiger; a freilicher
nito noch a zeyner.

Alle nacht in dredlech,
Shpiln mir,
zudig heise latkes, es un a shir.
tsindt kinder geshvinder*
Di dininke lichtlech ohn.**

Lumir ale singen
Und lumir ale shpringen
Und lumir ale tantzen in khur.

Lumir ale singen
Und lumir ale Shpringen
Und lumir ale tantzen in khur.

Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah
(English Translation)

Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah,
A holiday, a lovely one,
A cheerful and happy one,
There’s none other like it.

Every night with dreidels
Do we play,
Fresh*** hot latkes, do we eat.
Quickly children light
The thin, little candles!

Let’s all sing,
And let’s all jump,
And let’s all dance together!

Let’s all sing,
And let’s all jump,
And let’s all dance together!

*Normally this line is in reverse: “geshvinder tsindt kinder”.
**Alternatively: “Di Chanukah lichtlech on” = “The Chanukah candles!”
***Literally: Scalding or burning hot.

I welcome comments and suggestions on the transliteration and translation and we would also love for someone to send in the Yiddish text in the original characters to the version above.

Happy Hanukkah!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Hanukkah, Hanukkah Songs, Holiday Songs, Holidays Around the World, Israel, Israeli Children's Songs, Languages, Mama Lisa, Oh Hanukkah, USA, Yiddish, YouTube | 4 Comments »

Oh Hanukkah – A Holiday Song with a YouTube Video

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008

My mother-in-law sent me the lyrics to Oh Hanukkah. She sings it while lighting the Menorah* every year.

Oh Hanukkah was originally Yiddish. I believe the original version was written by Mordkhe Rivesman (1868 – 1924), who was born in Lithuania. This song is extremely popular in English now.

Here is a YouTube video rendition by the Chicago Children’s Choir, followed by the English lyrics.

Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah

Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah,
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
S’vivivim*** to play with, and latkes**** to eat.

And while we are playing,
The candles are burning 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.

*A Menorah is a nine-branched candelabrum used on Hanukkah.
**The horah is a popular Jewish circle dance that’s still done at special functions. It’s often done to the song Hava Nagila (see video below of people dancing it).
***S’vivim (also spelled ‘Sivivon’) is the Hebrew word for Dreidel or top.
****Latkes are potato pancakes.

Here’s a video of people dancing the Horah…

Next I’ll post the Yiddish version of Oh Chanukah with a Video!

Happy Chanukah!

Mama Lisa

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Posted in Countries & Cultures, English, Hanukkah, Hanukkah Songs, Holiday Songs, Holidays Around the World, Israel, Israeli Children's Songs, Languages, Mama Lisa, Oh Hanukkah, USA, YouTube | 1 Comment »

A Hebrew Song for Mother’s Day called “Mommy, Precious to Me”

Thursday, April 26th, 2007

Deborah Ivri sent me a wonderful song and recording recently that sounded perfect for Mother’s Day. Though Mother’s Day is not officially celebrated in Israel, it is unofficially. Here’s what Deborah said about it…

Here in Israel Mother’s Day is not an official holiday, but because of the vast amount of American Jews and South African Jews, maybe even Russians also, it is celebrated. Even schools and kindergartens do something for Mother’s and Father’s Day. The song I sent you was sung at my son’s kindergarten last year for all the Moms.

The song Deborah sent me is called Eima Yikara Li in Hebrew. Below you’ll find the mp3 recording of Deborah singing it, then you’ll find the Hebrew transliteration, and finally, the English translation.

MP3 of Eima Yikara Li

Eima Yikara Li

Eima Yikara Li
Yikara
Eima Yikara Li
Yikara
Eima Yikara Sheli
Me-od Ohevet He Oti
Me-od Me-od
Me-od Me-od

Achi-ech el-iyech
Achi-ech
Achi-ech el-iyech
Achi-ech
Shir katan a-shir al-ach
Ci ani Ohev otach
Ohev otach
Ohev otach

Mommy, Precious to Me

Mommy, precious to me
Precious mommy.
Mommy, precious to me
Precious mommy.
My precious mommy
Loves me very much
Loves me very much.

I will smile at you
I will smile
I will smile at you
I will smile
I will sing a little song about you
Because I love you
I love you.