Chad gadja

Chad gadja

Chad Gadja Pillar in Haifa .

Chad gadja ( Aramaic חַד גַדְיָא 'A little lamb' or 'a fawn '; Hebrew גדי אחד gedi echad ) are the opening words of an Aramaic folk song that is sung on the Seder evening at Passover at the end of the Haggadah .

song lyrics

Chad gadja - a little lamb

German	Hebrew transliteration	Aramaic
A lamb, a lamb	Chad gadja, chad gadja,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
that my father bought for two coins;	dizabin abah bitrei zuzej.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
a lamb, a lamb.	Chad gadja, chad gadja,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
The kitten came and ate the lamb	ve-ata schunra ve-achlah le-gadja	וְאָתָא שׁוּנְרָא, וְאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא
that my father bought for two coins;	dizabin abba bitrei zuzej.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
a lamb, a lamb.	Chad gadja, chad gadja,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
Then the puppy came and bit the kitten	ve-ata kalba ve-naschach le-schunra,	, וְנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא
that the lamb ate,	de-achlah le-gadja	וְאָתָא כַלְבָּא
that my father bought for two coins;	dizabin abba bitrej zuzej.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
a lamb, a lamb.	Chad gadja, chad gadja,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
Then the stick came and hit the dog	ve-ata chutra, ve-hikkah le-chalba	וְאָתָא חוּטְרָא, וְהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא
that bit the kitten, that ate the lamb,	de-naschach le-schunra, de-achlah le-gadja	דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא
that my father bought for two coins;	dizabin abba bitrej zuzej.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
a lamb, a lamb.	Chad gadja, chad gadja,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
Then the fire came and burned the stick,	ve-ata nura, ve-saraf le-chutra	וְאָתָא נוּרָא, וְשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא
that the puppy hit	de-hikkah le-chalba,	דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא
who bit the cat	de-naschach le-schunra,	דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא
who ate the lamb	de-achlah le-gadja	דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא
that my father bought for two coins;	dizabin abba bitrej zuzej.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
a lamb, a lamb.	Chad gadja, chad gadja,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
Then the water came and put out the fire,	ve-ata maya, ve-chavah le-nura	וְאָתָא מַיָּא, וְכָבָה לְנוּרָא
that burned the stick and hit the puppy	de-saraf le-chutra, de-hikkah le-chalba	דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא
who bit the cat	de-naschakh le-schunra,	דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא
who ate the lamb	de-achlah le-gadja	דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא
that my father bought for two coins;	dizabin abba bitrej zuzej.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
a lamb, a lamb.	Chad gadja, chad gadja,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
Then the ox came and drank the little water,	ve-ata tora, ve-schatah le-maja	וְאָתָא תוֹרָא, וְשָׁתָה לְמַיָּא
that put out the fire	de-chavah le-nura,	דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא
that burned the stick	de-saraf le-chutra	דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא
that the puppy hit	de-hikkah le-chalba,	דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא
who bit the cat	de-naschach le-schunra,	דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא
who ate the lamb	de-achlah le-gadja	דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא
that my father bought for two coins;	dizabin abba bitrej zuzej.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
a lamb, a lamb.	Chad gadja, chad gadja,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
Then the shochet came and slaughtered the ox,	ve-ata ha-shochet, ve-shachat le-tora	וְאָתָא הַשּׁוֹחֵט, וְשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא
who drank the little water	de-schatah le-maja,	דְּשָׁתָה לְמַיָּא
that put out the fire	de-chavah le-nura,	דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא
that burned the stick	de-saraf le-chutra	דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא
that the puppy hit	de-hikkah le-chalba,	דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא
who bit the cat	de-naschach le-schunra,	דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא
who ate the lamb	de-achlah le-gadja	דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא
that my father bought for two coins;	dizabin abba bitrej zuzej.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
a lamb, a lamb.	Chad gadja, chad gadja,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
Then came the angel of death	ve-ata mal'ach ha-mavet,	וְאָתָא מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת,
and slaughtered the butcher	ve-schachat le-schochet	וְשָׁחַט לְשׁוֹחֵט
who killed the ox	de-schachat le-tora,	דְּשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא
who drank the little water	de-schatah le-maya,	דְּשָׁתָה לְמַיָּא
that put out the fire	de-chavah le-nura,	דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא
that burned the stick	de-saraf le-chutra	דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא
that the puppy hit	de-hikkah le-chalba,	דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא
who bit the cat	de-naschach le-chunra,	דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא
who ate the lamb	de-achlah le-gadja	דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא
that my father bought for two coins;	dizabin abba bitrej zuzej.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
Then came the Holy One, blessed be HE	ve-ata ha-Kadosch Baruch Hu	וְאָתָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא
and slew the angel of death,	ve-schachat le-mal'ach ha-mavet,	וְשָׁחַט לְמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת, דְּשָׁחַט לְשׁוֹחֵט
who slaughtered the shochet,	de-schachat le-schochet	דְּשָׁחַט לְשׁוֹחֵט
who slaughtered the ox, who drank the water,	de-schachat le-tora, de-schatah le-maja	דְּשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא, דְּשָׁתָה לְמַיָּא
that put out the fire, that burned the stick,	de-chavah le-nura, de-saraf le-chutra	דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא
that hit the puppy that bit the kitten,	de-hikkah le-chalba, de-naschach le-schunra,	דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא
who ate the lamb	de-achlah le-gadja	דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא
that my father bought for two coins;	dizabin abba bitrej zuzej.	דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
a lamb, a lamb.	Chad gadja, chad gadja,	חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא

origin

The tradition in the Aramaic language can be interpreted as an indication of Babylonian origin and thus for an age of at least 2500 years. In the Middle Ages, Chad Gadja was included as a cheerful closing song in the Haggada (Book of the Passover Festival).

Other sources suspect the origin of the song in the German folk ballad Der Bauer sends the Jockel , which in turn is said to be based on an old French lullaby . However, the fact that the Jockel has only been in print since 1609 would speak against it, so the Jockel ballad was inspired by Chad gadja .

Chad gadja belongs to the literary genre of counting history , which is believed to have its origins in Jewish culture. According to the folksong collectors Ludwig Erk and Franz Magnus Böhme , the oldest written counting story is the likewise Jewish song of the twelve sacred numbers .

reception

Jewish commentators have interpreted the song allegorically in various ways : The lamb stands for the Jewish people who are bought by God with two coins ( Aaron and Moses ) and subsequently oppressed by various peoples, up to the final hope of messianic redemption.

Heinrich Heine takes up this tradition by having the jester Jäkel sing a "song from the Agade" in Rabbi von Bacherach . All stanzas from "Böcklein" to "Todesenglein" are quoted. Jäkel only omits the last stanza, but still speaks to his Jewish listeners of God's vengeance.

Christian writers from the Age of Enlightenment such as Hermann von der Hardt , Johann Christoph Wagenseil and Johann Christian Georg Bodenschatz (1717–1797) also dealt with the subject of Chad gadja.

Based on the song, Chad Gadja is also the name of a daily column in the Ma'ariv newspaper , which Ephraim Kishon was responsible for for about 30 years .

Chad Gadja was adapted and made known in 1976 by the Italian musician Angelo Branduardi under the title Alla fiera dell'est (also English Highdown Fair ). The little lamb became a mouse.

Related songs in the English-speaking world are The House that Jack built and I know an old Lady who swallowed a Fly .

El Lissitzky created a series of color lithographs on Chad gadja, which were published in 1919 in Kiev in only 75 hand-printed copies.

literature

• Encyclopaedia Judaica . Volume 7, pp. 1048-1050.
• Efrat Gal-Ed : The Book of the Jewish Annual Feasts. Insel, Frankfurt / M., Leipzig 2001, pp. 57-67.270 f.

Web links

Commons : Chad Gadja  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Wikisource: The text of חד גדיא  - Sources and full texts (Hebrew)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Jockel article on the website of the songwriter and collector Holger Saarmann http://www.holger-saarmann.de/texte_jockel.htm
2. ↑ Jockel article on the website of the songwriter and collector Holger Saarmann http://www.holger-saarmann.de/texte_jockel.htm
3. ↑ Ludwig Erk, Franz Magnus Böhme: Deutscher Liederhort , Volume 3. Leipzig 1925.
4. ^ Heinrich Heine: The Rabbi von Bacherach , Project Gutenberg-De, accessed on July 31, 2020