Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Lyrics

[Harry Belafonte]

The music to 'Havah Nagila' is from a traditional Chassidic niggun (song without words). The words were composed by Abraham Idelson in 1918 to celebrate the British victory in freeing Palestine from the Turks.


Hava nagilaהבה נגילהLet's rejoice
Hava nagilaהבה נגילהLet's rejoice
Hava nagila v'nismeḥaהבה נגילה ונשמחהLet's rejoice and be happy
(repeat stanza once)
Hava neranenahהבה נרננהLet's sing
Hava neranenahהבה נרננהLet's sing
Hava neranenah v'nismeḥaהבה נרננה ונשמחהLet's sing and be happy
(repeat stanza once)
Uru, uru aḥim!!עורו, עורו אחיםAwake, awake, brothers!
Uru aḥim b'lev sameaḥעורו אחים בלב שמחAwake brothers with a happy heart
(repeat line four times)
Uru aḥim, uru aḥim!!עורו אחים, עורו אחיםAwake, brothers, awake, brothers
B'lev sameaḥבלב שמח

With a happy heart




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