Oh Chanukah

Oh Chanukah (also Chanukah, Oh Chanukah) is an English version of the Yiddish Oy Chanukah (Yiddish: חנוכּה אױ חנוכּה Khanike Oy Khanike‎). The English words, while not a translation, are roughly based on the Yiddish. "Oy Chanukah" is a traditional Yiddish Chanukah song. "Oh Chanukah" is a very popular modern English Chanukah song. This upbeat playful children's song has lines about dancing the Horah, playing with dreidels, eating latkes, lighting the candles, and singing happy songs. The song was written by Mordkhe (Mark) Rivesman, and first published in Susman Kiselgof's 1912 Lider-Zamlbukh [Song anthology].

According to archives at the University of Pennsylvania Library, "Freedman Jewish Music Archive", alternate names the Yiddish version of song has been recorded under include "Khanike Days, "Khanike Khag Yafe", "Khanike Li Yesh", "Latke Song (Khanike Oy Khanike)", "Yemi Khanike", and "Chanike Oy Chanike." Chanukah is and was sometimes written as Khanike as that was the standard transliteration from Yiddish according to the YIVO system.

The Society for Jewish Folk Music in St. Petersburg published two classical compositions which make extensive use of this tune:

There is no formal connection between Achron's work and Kopyt's, except for the shared tune. According to the musicologist Paula Eisenstein Baker, who published the first critical edition of Leo Zeitlin's chamber music (2008), Zeitlin wrote an orchestral version of Kopyt's piano piece sometime before June 13, 1913 (Zeitlin conducted it four times that summer) and later included this orchestral version in his overture "Palestina." Joachim Stutschewsky elaborated on Kopyt's piece in a work for cello and piano called "Freylekhs: Improvisation" (1934).

The works by Kopyt, Achron, and Stutschewsky share two distinct melodies: the one that later became "Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah" and an arpeggiated tune. In all three pieces, this arpeggiated melody comes first, followed by "Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah." However, both tunes are written together as one single melody at the top of Achron's score, and the structure of these compositions suggest that the two melodies were in fact a single one. The arpeggiated tune does not feel introductory, and it returns several times throughout Achron's work. If they were one tune and not two, then we have an interesting question: Why did only half the tune get lyrics?

(Oh), Hanukah, Oh Hanukah 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 Dreidels (or "sevivon") to play with, and latkes (or "levivot") to eat

חנוכה אוי חנוכה אַ יום-טוב אַ שיינער אַ לוסטיקער אַ פריילעכער נישט דאָ נאָך אַזוינער אַלע נאַכט מיט דריידלעך שפילן מיר, פרישע הייסע לאַטקעס, עסן אָן אַ שיעור.

(Oy), Khanike oy Khanike A yontef a sheyner, A lustiker a freylekher Nisht do nokh azoyner Ale nakht mit dreydlekh shpiln mir, Frishe heyse latkes, esn on a shir.

(Oh), Chanukah, Oh Chanukah A beautiful celebration. Such a cheerful and happy one, There is none like it. Every night with the dreidels we will play, Fresh, hot latkes we will eat endlessly.

And while we are playing The candles are burning bright (or low) One for each night, they shed a sweet light To remind us of years (or days) long ago One for each night, they shed a sweet light To remind us of years (or days) long ago.

געשווינדער, צינדט קינדער די חנוכה ליכטלעך אָן, זאָגט על-הניסים, לויבט גאָט פאַר די נסים, און לאָמיר אַלע טאַנצען אין קאָן. זאָגט על-הניסים, לויבט גאָט פאַר די נסים, און לאָמיר אַלע טאַנצען אין קאָן.

Geshvinder, tsindt kinder Di Khanike likhtlekh on, Zogt "Al Hanisim", loybt Got far di nisim, Un lomir ale tantsn in kon. Zogt "Al Hanisim", loybt Got far di nisim, Un lomir ale tantsn in kon.

Come quickly children Light the Chanukah candles Say "Al HaNissim", praise God for the miracles, And we will all dance together in a circle! Say "Al HaNissim", praise God for the miracles, And we will all dance together in a circle!

A very common Yiddish version of the song is below with alternate words, lines, verses, or pronunciations on the right. This version follows the original published version rather than the more popular variant given above. The bolded words are what is changed. The "(x2)" in the bottom left indicated that part is repeated.

Di Chanukah likhtlekh on,

Di dininke likhtlekh on,

Di Chanukah likhtlekh veln mir ontsindn,

Zol yeder bazunder Bazingen dem vunder Un tantsen freylekh in kon.

There is also a Hebrew version (ימי החנוכה), which has the same melody, its words penned by Avraham Avronin. The words correspond roughly to the original (more so than the English version), with slight variations for rhyme and rhythm’s sake. Thus the first line names the holiday; the second calls for joy and happiness (using two synonyms); in the third the speakers say they'll spin dreidels all night; in the fourth they will eat latkes (note that sufganiyot (סופגניות) could also mean latkes in early Modern-Hebrew); in the fifth the speaker calls everyone to light the Chanukah candles; the sixth mentions the prayer Al Hanissim, "On the miracles". The only big change is in the last line - whereas the original calls to praise God for the miracles he performed, the Hebrew one praises the miracles and wonders performed by the Maccabees. This reflects the anti-religious polemic of early Zionism, evident in many other Israeli Chanukah songs. In Israel, it’s still a very popular song, but since the country has a rich inventory of Chanukah songs it is not as exclusively popular as the English version in English speaking countries, or the Yiddish version in the past.