Jewish folksongs

A while ago I asked for suggestions of kid friendly Israeli/Jewish folksongs or Psalms and you all came up with some wonderful suggestions, both in the comments and by email.  Here, belatedly, is the list.  There are some great ones here.  Enjoy.



Hineh lo Yanoum

"Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."

Psalm 121:14



Hevenu Shalom Aleichem

 "We brought peace"



Hineh Ma Tov

"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!"

Psalm 133:1

Hine mah tov
Behold how good

uMah-Nayim
and how pleasing

shevet achim gam yachad
if brothers could sit together in unity



Zum Gali Gali



And a second version of Zum Gali Gali.

Zum, gali-gali-gali, Zum gali-gali,
Zum, gali-gali-gali, Zum gali-gali,

Hechalutz lema'an avodah
avodah lema'an hechalutz
Hechalutz lema'an avodah
avodah lema'an hechalutz

Zum, gali-gali-gali, Zum gali-gali,
Zum, gali-gali-gali, Zum gali-gali,

Hechalutz lema'an avodah
avodah lema'an hechalutz
Hashalom lema'an ha'amin
Ha'amin lema'an hashalom

Zum, gali-gali-gali, Zum gali-gali,
Zum, gali-gali-gali, Zum gali-gali,

Zum, gali-gali-gali, Zum gali-gali,
Zum, gali-gali-gali, Zum gali-gali.

Pioneers all work as one
Work as one all pioneers
Pioneers all work as one
Work as one all pioneers

Zum, gali-gali-gali, Zum gali-gali,
Zum, gali-gali-gali, Zum gali-gali,

Pioneers all work as one
Work as one all pioneers
Peace shall be for all the world
All the world shall be for peace

Zum, gali-gali-gali, Zum gali-gali,
Zum, gali-gali-gali, Zum gali-gali.



Haikvah - The Israeli National Anthem.

Kol od balēvav pənima,
Nep̄eš yəhudi homiya,
Ulp̄aʾatē mizraḥ qadima,
Ayin leṣiyon ṣoviya;

Od lo avda tiqvatēnu,
Hatiqva bat šənot alpayim,
Liyot am ḥop̄ši bəʾarṣēnu,
Ereṣ-ṣiyon virušalayim.


As long as in the heart, within,

A Jewish soul still yearns,
And onward, towards the ends of the east,
An eye still gazes toward Zion.

Our hope is not yet lost,
The hope of two thousand years,
To be a free people in our land,
The land of Zion and Jerusalem.




Dayenu

(Apparently this is a Messianic version of the song. It's pretty, though!) If anyone can help with translation/transliteration, I'd love it!



Chiribim Chiribom

Chiribim chiribom
Chiribim-bom
bim-bom bim-bom-bom
Chiribim chiribom
chiribim-bom
bim-bom-bom
Chiri biri biri biri
biri biri biri biri
Chiri biri biri
biri bim-bom-bom
Chiri biri biri
biri chiri biri bom
Chiribim-bom
bim-bom-bom
bim-bom

Lomir zingen kinderlekh
a zemerl tsuzamen
A nigndl a freylekhn
mit vertelekh
vos gramen
Di mame kokht
a lokshnsup
mit kashe un
di kneydlekh
Kumt der yontev
dir in feld
mir spiln in zikh
in dreyd-lekh

Chiribim chiribom...

Amol iz indzer rebenyu
gegangen inter veygn
Mitamol heybt on tsu
plyukhen ongisn a regn
Shrayt der rebe
tsu der khmare
Her uf gisn vaser
Zenen-ale khsidim
trukn aroys
Ot der rebe iz
aroys a naser

Chiribim chiribom...

Men zugt atsind
in stetl
Khelem lebn
nor naronim
Oyb mir zaynen
shoyn klug
gevorn mir
a sheynem ponim
Di khelmer
lakhn fun di
nakht celokhes
di gazlonim
Un zogt zhe ver
es narish iz
dan zaynen mir
khakhomim

Chiribim chiribom...

Let us sing, children, a little song together,
A little melody, a happy one, with words that rhyme.
Mame cooks a noodle soup with kasha and with kneidlekh,
And when Purim comes, we’ll play dreidels

Chiribim, Chiribom . . .

Once our dear Rabbi was going down the road
All of a sudden it started to storm and the rain poured down.
Yells the Rabbi to the storm to stop this pouring water
All the Chassidim came out dry, but the Rabbi is drenched.

Chiribim, Chiribom . . .



Hava Nagila

Let us rejoice, let us rejoice
Let us rejoice and be glad
Repeat

Let us sing, let us sing
Let us sing and be glad

Awaken, awaken brethren
Awaken brethren with a cheerful heart.



Tumbalalaika

Shteyt a bokher, un er trakht (also shteyt un trakht)
Trakht un trakht a gantse nakht
Vemen tzu nemen un nisht farshemen
Vemen tzu nemen un nisht farshemen

Chorus

Tumbala, Tumbala, Tumbalalaika
Tumbala, Tumbala, Tumbalalaika
Tumbalalaika, shpil balalaika
Tumbalalaika (also Shpil balalaika), freylekh zol zayn

Meydl, meydl, kh'vil bay dir fregn,
Vos ken vaksn, vaksn on regn?
Vos ken brenen un nit oyfhern?
Vos ken benken, veynen on trern?

Narisher bokher, was darfst du fregn?
A shteyn ken vaksn, waksn on regn.
Libe ken brenen un nit oyfhern.
A harts ken benken, veynen on trern.

Vos iz hekher fun a hoyz?
Vos iz flinker fun a moyz?
Vos iz tifer fun a kval?
Vos iz biter, biterer vi gal?

A koymen iz hekher fun a hoyz.
A kats iz flinker fun a moyz.
Di toyre iz tifer fun a kval.
Der toyt iz biter, biterer vi gal.


A young lad stands, and he thinks
Thinks and thinks a whole night
Whom to take and not to shame
Whom to take and not to shame

Tumbala, Tumbala, Tumbalalaika
Tumbala, Tumbala, Tumbalalaika
Tumbalalaika, strum balalaika
Tumbalalaika, may we be happy


Girl, girl, I want to ask of you
What can grow, grow without rain?
What can burn and never end?
What can yearn, cry without tears?

Foolish lad, why do you have to ask?
A stone can grow, grow without rain
Love can burn and never end
A heart can yearn, cry without tears

What is higher than a house?
What is swifter than a mouse?
What is deeper than a well?
What is bitter, more bitter than gall
?
A chimney is higher than a house
A cat is swifter than a mouse
The Torah is deeper than a well
Death is bitter, more bitter than gall

Other suggestions in English:







Aren't there some absolutely wonderful songs here?  Thank you everyone who helped.

Have fun singing them, but beware - they're really catchy!!