Hava Nagila Хава нагила Jewish Songs. For All Russian text: Olga Anikina Project producer: Walter J. Kin https://jewishhit.com/create/hava-nagila/ ABOUT THIS WORKING TEXT Complete 75-line Russian master, including every repetition and partial-word buildup. English explains meaning; it is not a singable adaptation. STORY Anikina answers poverty, regret and mortality with singing, dancing and hospitality: a warm, wry celebration of being alive. Hava Nagila began as a Sadigora Hasidic melody; Abraham Zvi Idelsohn adapted it with Hebrew words in 1918. Olga Anikina's Russian text (2009) creates its own story rather than translating those short Hebrew words. RUSSIAN / LITERAL ENGLISH 1. Встань с той ноги да Get up on the right side of the bed, now 2. Встань с той ноги да Get up on the right side of the bed, now 3. Чтоб легче было So that it will be easier 4. Петь да плясать To sing and dance 5. Хава нагила Hava Nagila [let us rejoice] 6. Хава нагила Hava Nagila [let us rejoice] 7. Было да сплыло What happened has passed 8. Не вернёшь назад You cannot bring it back 9. Жизнь нам не зря дана Life was not given to us for nothing 10. Жизнь нам не зря дана Life was not given to us for nothing 11. Жизнь нам не зря дана Life was not given to us for nothing 12. Слёзы не лей Do not shed tears 13. Жизнь нам не зря дана Life was not given to us for nothing 14. Жизнь нам не зря дана Life was not given to us for nothing 15. Жизнь нам не зря дана Life was not given to us for nothing 16. Слёзы не лей Do not shed tears 17. У ру [First fragment of 'The shirt has...'] 18. У ру бахи [Longer fragment of 'The shirt has...'] 19. У рубахи два кармана The shirt has two pockets 20. У рубахи два кармана The shirt has two pockets 21. Нам о смерти думать рано It is too early for us to think about death 22. Нам о смерти думать рано It is too early for us to think about death 23. А грехи And as for our sins 24. А грехи And as for our sins 25. Отпоём отпляшем We will sing them away and dance them away 26. Встань с той ноги да Get up on the right side of the bed, now 27. Встань с той ноги да Get up on the right side of the bed, now 28. Чтоб легче было So that it will be easier 29. Петь да плясать To sing and dance 30. Хава нагила Hava Nagila [let us rejoice] 31. Хава нагила Hava Nagila [let us rejoice] 32. Было да сплыло What happened has passed 33. Не вернёшь назад You cannot bring it back 34. В ботинках рваных нам In our torn shoes, we 35. В ботинках рваных нам In our torn shoes, we 36. В ботинках рваных нам In our torn shoes, we 37. Каблуков не жаль Do not mind wearing out the heels 38. В ботинках рваных нам In our torn shoes, we 39. В ботинках рваных нам In our torn shoes, we 40. В ботинках рваных нам In our torn shoes, we 41. Каблуков не жаль Do not mind wearing out the heels 42. Ку рам [Stretched-out 'chickens' fragment] 43. Курам на смех Enough to make even chickens laugh 44. Всё богатство курам на смех All this wealth is enough to make even chickens laugh 45. Открывайте двери настежь Open the doors wide 46. Открывайте двери настежь Open the doors wide 47. Будут гости будет счастье There will be guests, and there will be happiness 48. А грехи And as for our sins 49. А грехи And as for our sins 50. Отпоём отпляшем We will sing them away and dance them away 51. Встань с той ноги да Get up on the right side of the bed, now 52. Встань с той ноги да Get up on the right side of the bed, now 53. Чтоб легче было So that it will be easier 54. Петь да плясать To sing and dance 55. Хава нагила Hava Nagila [let us rejoice] 56. Хава нагила Hava Nagila [let us rejoice] 57. Было да сплыло What happened has passed 58. Не вернёшь назад You cannot bring it back 59. Жизнь нам не зря дана Life was not given to us for nothing 60. Жизнь нам не зря дана Life was not given to us for nothing 61. Жизнь нам не зря дана Life was not given to us for nothing 62. Слёзы не лей Do not shed tears 63. Жизнь нам не зря дана Life was not given to us for nothing 64. Жизнь нам не зря дана Life was not given to us for nothing 65. Жизнь нам не зря дана Life was not given to us for nothing 66. Слёзы не лей Do not shed tears 67. У ру [First fragment of 'The shirt has...'] 68. У ру бахи [Longer fragment of 'The shirt has...'] 69. У рубахи два кармана The shirt has two pockets 70. У рубахи два кармана The shirt has two pockets 71. Нам о смерти думать рано It is too early for us to think about death 72. Нам о смерти думать рано It is too early for us to think about death 73. А грехи And as for our sins 74. А грехи And as for our sins 75. Отпоём отпляшем We will sing them away and dance them away IDIOMS AND MEANING Встань с той ноги да Literal: Get up on that [right] foot, now. A positive reversal of the Russian expression for getting up on the wrong side of the bed. The point is waking in the right mood, not merely beginning an undertaking successfully. Было да сплыло Literal: It happened and has passed away. What is past is past; it cannot be brought back. Keep the shrug and the lightness, not a tone of bereavement. У рубахи два кармана / Нам о смерти думать рано Literal: The shirt has two pockets. It is too early for us to think about death. One obvious fact is followed by another equally obvious fact: the shirt has two pockets, and thoughts of death can wait. Keep the deadpan parallelism, without a mystical explanation or a claim about every shirt. Каблуков не жаль Literal: We do not mind wearing out the heels. The shoes are already torn, so there is no reason to spare their heels while dancing. The thought is practical and playful, not mournful. Курам на смех Literal: Enough to make even chickens laugh. An idiom for something laughable or ridiculous. 'Chicken feed' is not exact: it narrows the phrase to a small amount of money. Отпоём отпляшем Literal: We will sing them away and dance them away. The implied object is the sins just mentioned. Preserve the paired physical actions without inventing a doctrine of atonement. YOUR BRIEF Preserve the light, deadpan folk humor. Keep the acceptance of the past conversational, without adding mourning or motivational slogans. Use the linked recording to explore delivery, then confirm the exact version and permissions for your own adaptation or recording. SOURCES RIGLI Russian recording: Hava Nagila https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFg43B6MvS8 National Library of Israel: Hava Nagila https://exhibition.nli.org.il/en/exhibition-items-en/hava-nagila 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. 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