Lyrics - Transliteration

(Hassidic folk tune, Lyrics by Abraham Zevi Idelsohn, 1918)

Hava nagila, hava nagila
Hava nagila ve-nis’mecha

Hava neranena, hava neranena
Hava neranena venis’mecha

Uru, uru achim
Uru achim belev same’ach

English Translation - Let us rejoice

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

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

Awaken, awaken brethren
Awaken, brethren with a cheerful heart.

Hebrew – הבה נגילה

הבה נגילה
הבה נגילה
הבה נגילה ונשמחה

הבה נרננה
הבה נרננה
הבה נרננה ונשמחה

!עורו, עורו אחים
עורו אחים בלב שמח

!עורו אחים, עורו אחים
בלב שמח

Dance

Formation: Students stand in a circle and hold hands. Optional: Students can hold handkerchiefs between them.

Circle to the right in these 4 beats:

  1. Left foot steps over (in front of) the right foot.
  2. Right foot steps to the right of the left foot.
  3. Left foot steps behind the right foot.
  4. Right foot steps to the right of the left foot. (source)

See also

YouTube

  • PDF of song with chords
  • MIDI file
  • Listen to the melody

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1 thought on “Hava Nagila”

  1. Thanks for posting this! My primary teacher in the 70’s had us singing this and I always assumed he’d made up the lyrics himself! But it was the good old BBC after all…. now I can put that ear worm to bed…..

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