Write it. Sing it. Make it yours
Adapt Olga Anikina’s Russian lyric into singable English. Keep her images, word meanings, expressions and structure. No Russian needed. Write, sing or collaborate.
Song story · Make a recording · Full working text
Literal English and idiom notes are working materials, not finished lyrics.
The song’s story
A small-town song finds humor in cooking, rain, a boastful rebbe and the uncertain boundary between wisdom and foolishness.
Olga Anikina's Russian version draws on the Yiddish folk-song tradition of Chiribim Chiribom; Elechka performs the linked recording.
Start from Olga’s Russian
Her Russian text is our starting point. Olga reimagines earlier songs while keeping their spirit.
Keep her images, word meanings, expressions and structure. Make the English sing without replacing her story.
Producer-confirmed: exclusive rights to these Russian lyrics. Rights to underlying music and recordings are separate.
Russian → literal English
Meaning to work from, not words to sing.
All 14 written lines from the source text. The refrain appears once here and repeats between verses in performance. Explanatory English only.
| Russian source | Literal English meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 Чирибим чирибом | Chiribim, chiribom [wordless refrain] |
| 2 Чирибим бом бом бом бом бо-бом | Chiribim bom bom bom bom bo-bom [wordless refrain] |
| 3 Я вчера у нас в местечке песенку услышал | Yesterday I heard a little song in our small town |
| 4 Воробьи сидят по веткам голуби по крышам | Sparrows sit on the branches, pigeons on the roofs |
| 5 Мама варит суп с лапшой и кнелики с пореем | Mama is cooking noodle soup and little dumplings with leek |
| 6 В праздник мир цветной волчок вертится быстрее | On a holiday the world, a colorful spinning top, spins faster |
| 7 Жил на свете мудрый ребе каждый день молился | There lived a wise rebbe who prayed every day |
| 8 Он сказал нам будто с небом он договорился | He told us that he had supposedly made an arrangement with heaven |
| 9 Без зонта гулять пошёл вышел из калитки | He went out for a walk without an umbrella, stepping through the little gate |
| 10 Всё местечко хоть бы что а он промок до нитки | The whole town was unaffected, but he was soaked to the skin |
| 11 Есть одно местечко Хелем там и днём и ночью | There is a little town called Chelm, where both day and night |
| 12 Дураки поют и пляшут над собой хохочут | Fools sing and dance and laugh at themselves |
| 13 Ну а мы всё время ноем что ж нам делать братцы | But we complain all the time; what are we to do, friends? |
| 14 Кто дурак из нас кто умный вот бы разобраться | Which of us is foolish and which is wise? If only we could work it out |
Idioms & meaning
В праздник мир цветной волчок вертится быстрее
Literal: On a holiday the world, a colorful spinning top, spins faster.
The world itself is compared to a colorful spinning top. Keep this single image; the line does not describe a separate toy or specifically identify a dreidel.
Всё местечко хоть бы что а он промок до нитки
Literal: The whole town was unaffected, but he was soaked to the skin.
The joke punctures the rebbe's claim to have made an arrangement with heaven. 'To the last thread' is the Russian image behind 'soaked to the skin.'
Кто дурак из нас кто умный
Literal: Which of us is foolish, and which is wise?
The question turns back toward the narrator and companions. Do not make the townspeople the sole target of a condescending joke.
Местечко
Literal: A small town; a shtetl in this setting.
The word names the intimate Jewish small-town world of the lyric. It is a community setting, not a synonym for a ghetto.
Ребе
Literal: Rebbe: a religious teacher or rabbi.
A Jewish religious title, not an ordinary first name. The comic story questions this particular man's confident claim, not the worth of the whole community.
Хелем
Literal: Chelm, a town name.
Here Chelm supplies the setting for the joke about foolishness and wisdom. Keep the named place rather than translating it as a generic village of idiots.
Кнелики с пореем
Literal: Little dumplings with leek.
A homely food detail. The line does not specify the dumplings' filling; no invented recipe or dietary claim is needed.
Your writing brief
Keep affectionate storytelling and ordinary pleasures alongside the jokes about wisdom.
Let the final question include the narrator and listeners, rather than treating the townspeople as the only fools.
Confirm permissions for the modern Russian adaptation and any recording used.
Your voice. Any lineup
Video or audio only. Solo, duet, band or choir. Write, sing, produce or collaborate; use your voice, Suno or other permitted tools.
Your voice and stage presence can shine even if the lyric needs work. Clear song, backing-track and tool permissions before posting.
Recording links: YouTube, Spotify or YouTube Music only. No files or other platforms.
Let us hear what you can do
Strong, original versions can be featured on JewishHit.com and possibly RIGLI’s music channel, with credit and permission.
Even if we do not accept your lyric, we may invite you to record our songs for a separately agreed fee. This is not an automatic payment for submitting.
Show us your strengths
Creative choices are partly subjective. Our selection is not an objective ranking of your talent.
Show us what you do best. A distinctive voice, an imaginative lyric or a compelling performance can start a conversation about collaboration.
Credits & sources
- Russian text
- Olga Anikina
- Producer
- Walter J. Kin
- Russian recording
- Elechka, voice and guitar.
Working materials, not a blanket recording license. Agree rights separately.