Chad Gadya

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Jewish and Israeli Music
Religious music:
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Israeli • Klezmer • Sephardic • Mizrahi
Not Jewish in Form: Classical • Mainstream and Jazz
Dance:
Israeli Folk Dancing • Ballet Horah • Hava Nagila • Yemenite dance
Israel
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Adon Olam • Geshem • Lekhah Dodi Ma'oz Tzur • Yedid Nefesh • Yigdal
Music for Holidays
Hanukkah • Passover • Shabbat
Music of the Haggadah
My Ass is like Whoa! • Dayenu • Adir Hu Chad Gadya • Echad Mi Yodea
Music of Hanukkah
Blessings • Oh Chanukah • Dreidel Song
Al Hanisim • Mi Y'malel • Ner Li

Chad Gadya (Aramaic: חַד גַדְיָה chad gadya, "one little goat, or "one kid"; Hebrew: "echad gedi") is a playful cumulative song, written in Aramaic with Hebrew words interspersed. In Ashkenazi Jewish custom, it concludes the Passover Seder. It is believed to be derived from Medieval German folk music.

The song is popular with children and similar to other cumulative songs^[1]: Echad Mi Yodea, ("Who Knows 'One'?) another cumulative song, is also in the Passover Haggadah.

Contents 1 Lyrics 2 Symbolism of Chad Gadya 3 Other usage 4 See also 5 References

[edit] Lyrics

	English ONE LITTLE GOAT	Transliteration Chad Gadya	Aramaic חַד גַּדְיָא
Verse 1:
	One little goat, one little goat:	Chad gadya, chad gadya,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
	Which my father bought for two zuzim.	dizabin abah bitrei zuzei.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
Verse 2:
	One little goat, one little goat:	Chad gadya, chad gadya,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
	The cat came, and ate the goat,	ve-ata shunra ve-akhlah le-gadya	וְאָתָא שׁוּנְרָא, וְאָכְלָה לְגַּדְיָא
	Which my father bought for two zuzim.	dizabin abba bitrei zuzei.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
Verse 3:
	One little goat, one little goat:	Chad gadya, chad gadya,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
	The dog came, and bit the cat, that ate the goat,	ve-ata kalba ve-nashakh le-shunra, de-akhlah le-gadya	וְאָתָא כַלְבָּא ,וְנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַּדְיָא
	Which my father bought for two zuzim.	dizabin abba bitrei zuzei.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
Verse 4:
	One little goat, one little goat:	Chad gadya, chad gadya,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
	The stick came, and beat the dog,	ve-ata chutra, ve-hikkah le-khalba	וְאָתָא חוּטְרָא, וְהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא
	that bit the cat, that ate the goat,	de-nashakh le-shunra, de-akhlah le-gadya	דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַּדְיָא
	Which my father bought for two zuzim.	dizabin abba bitrei zuzei.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
Verse 5:
	One little goat, one little goat:	Chad gadya, chad gadya,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
	The fire came, and burned the stick,	ve-ata nura, ve-saraf le-chutra	וְאָתָא נוּרָא, וְשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא
	that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the goat,	de-hikkah le-khalba, de-nashakh le-shunra, de-akhlah le-gadya	דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא ,דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַּדְיָא
	Which my father bought for two zuzim.	dizabin abba bitrei zuzei.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
Verse 6:
	One little goat, one little goat:	Chad gadya, chad gadya,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
	The water came, and extinguished the fire,	ve-ata maya, ve-khavah le-nura	וְאָתָא מַיָּא, וְכָבָה לְנוּרָא
	that burned the stick, that beat the dog,	de-saraf le-chutra, de-hikkah le-khalba	דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא ,דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא
	that bit the cat, that ate the goat,	de-nashakh le-shunra, de-akhlah le-gadya	דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַּדְיָא
	Which my father bought for two zuzim.	dizabin abba bitrei zuzei.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
Verse 7:
	One little goat, one little goat:	Chad gadya, chad gadya,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
	The ox came, and drank the water,	ve-ata tora, ve-shatah le-maya	וְאָתָא תוֹרָא, וְשָׁתָה לְמַיָּא
	that extinguished the fire, that burned the stick,	de-khavah le-nura, de-saraf le-chutra	דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא ,דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא
	that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the goat,	de-hikkah le-khalba, de-nashakh le-shunra, de-akhlah le-gadya	ּ דהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַּדְיָא
	Which my father bought for two zuzim.	dizabin abba bitrei zuzei.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
Verse 8:
	One little goat, one little goat:	Chad gadya, chad gadya,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
	The slaughterer came, and killed the ox,	ve-ata ha-shochet, ve-shachat le-tora	וְאָתָא הַשּׁוֹחֵט, וְשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא
	that drank the water, that extinguished the fire,	de-shatah le-maya, de-khavah le-nura	דְּשָׁתָה לְמַיָּא ,דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא
	that burned the stick, that beat the dog,	de-saraf le-chutra, de-hikkah le-khalba	דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא
	that bit the cat, that ate the goat,	de-nashakh le-shunra, de-akhlah le-gadya	דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַּדְיָא
	Which my father bought for two zuzim.	dizabin abba bitrei zuzei.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
Verse 9:
	One little goat, one little goat:	Chad gadya, chad gadya,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
	The Angel of Death came, and slew the slaughterer,	ve-ata mal'akh ha-mavet, ve-shachat le-shochet	וְאָתָא מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת, וְשָׁחַט לְשׁוֹחֵט
	who killed the ox, that drank the water,	de-shachat le-torah, de-shatah le-maya	דְּשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא,דְּשָׁתָה לְמַיָּא
	that extinguished the fire, that burned the stick,	de-khavah le-maya, de-saraf le-chutra	דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא
	that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the goat,	de hikkah le-khalba, de-nashakh le-shunra, de-akhlah le-gadya	דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַּדְיָא
	Which my father bought for two zuzim.	dizabin abba bitrei zuzei.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
Verse 10:
	One little goat, one little goat:	Chad gadya, chad gadya,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
	Then came the Holy One, Blessed be He,	ve-ata ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu	וְאָתָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא
	and smote the Angel of Death, who slew the slaughterer,	ve-shachat le-mal'akh ha-mavet, de-shachat le-shochet	וְשָׁחַט לְמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת ,דְּשָׁחַט לְשׁוֹחֵט
	who killed the ox, that drank the water,	de-shachat le-tora, de-shatah le-maya	דְּשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא, דְּשָׁתָה לְמַיָּא
	that extinguished the fire, that burned the stick,	de-khavah le-nura, de-saraf le-chutra	דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא
	that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the goat,	de-hikkah le-khalba, de-nashakh le-shunra, de-akhlah le-gadya	דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא ,דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַּדְיָא
	Which my father bought for two zuzim.	dizabin abba bitrei zuzei.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
Verse 11:
	One little goat, one little goat.	Chad gadya, chad gadya,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא

[edit] Symbolism of Chad Gadya

At first glance, this song seems merely a playful, cumulative song, much akin to "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," but deep symbolism is a part of Chad Gadya. Many, many explanations have been written, and a few follow:

Some Jewish or Zionist thinkers believe Chad Gadya shows the different nations that have inhabited Israel: the kid being the Jewish people, the cat, Assyria; the dog, Babylon; the stick, Persia; the fire, Macedonia; the water, Rome; the ox, the Saracens; the slaughterer, the Crusaders; the Angel of Death, the Turks. At the end, God returns to send the Jews back to Israel.

Or, of course and more prosaically, it may be just something for the children to look forward to so that they will stay awake. It is also often sung with animal noises to represent each of the characters^[2].

[edit] Other usage

• In Yiddish slang, the term "chad gadya" is a euphemism for jail. A prisoner is said to languish in a chad gadya — that is, all alone.^[3]
• Chad Gadya was the pseudonym of Marousia (Miriam) Nissenholtz, the only female student at Bezalel Art School in Palestine in 1912. ^[4]

[edit] See also

• Passover

[edit] References

1. ^ For example, "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly".
2. ^ "Chad Gadya". JCC Association 'This New Month' Project. Jewish Community Center Association. March-April 2009. http://www.jccathisnewmonth.org/5769/Nisan/nisanson2.asp. Retrieved 25 December 2009. 
3. ^ [1] Google Books view of Inside Judaism: The Concepts, Customs, and Celebrations of the Jewish People, by Alfred Kolatch.
4. ^ I lived life to the fullest, Haaretz

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