Chiribim Chiribom Чирибим-чирибом Jewish Songs. For All Russian text: Olga Anikina Project producer: Walter J. Kin https://jewishhit.com/create/chiribim-chiribom/ ABOUT THIS WORKING TEXT All 14 written lines from the source text. The refrain appears once here and repeats between verses in performance. Explanatory English only. 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. RUSSIAN / LITERAL ENGLISH 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 AND 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 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. SOURCES Elechka: Chiribim Chiribom, Russian adaptation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0xA1L4GWSc Share only a public-page link for review: https://jewishhit.com/create/#submit Review is not acceptance, a payment promise or a rights transfer. Work-for-hire terms and permissions are agreed separately. OUR SOURCE AND APPROACH Olga Anikina’s Russian texts can substantially reimagine earlier Yiddish, Hebrew, Polish or other sources while preserving their spirit and central idea. Adapt her Russian text, not the earlier original anew. Stay close to her images, word meanings, expressions and structure; make the English sing without replacing her story. The producer confirms exclusive rights to these Russian lyrics; underlying music and recording rights are separate. TAKE PART IN YOUR OWN WAY Write, sing, produce, collaborate, or combine roles. Video or audio-only recordings are welcome: solo, duet, band, choir or another ensemble; live, with collaborators, Suno or other permitted tools. Clear song, backing-track and tool permissions before publishing. Recording links must be YouTube, Spotify or YouTube Music only; no other platforms or files. Lyric-only submissions still use your own public webpage. Strong original versions may be featured on JewishHit.com and possibly RIGLI's music channel with credit and permission. A strong performer may be invited for separately paid recordings even if their lyric is not accepted. Recording fees are agreed separately, not covered automatically by writing fees. Creative choices are partly subjective, not an objective talent ranking. Show us your strengths; we welcome a conversation about collaboration. https://jewishhit.com/create/#perform