Oh Chanukah

(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.

And while we are playing The candles are burning bright (or low[2]) 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.

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

[3] The words correspond roughly to the original (more so than the English version), with slight variations for rhyme and rhythm’s sake, to match the Sephardic pronunciation which serves as the basis for Modern Standard Hebrew.

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".

Dati Leumi Jews sing an altered version of the line which includes a call to praise God.