Eight Hanukkah candles.
"Ocho kandelikas" (or "Eight Little Candles" in English) is a simple but catchy Hanukkah song which describes a child's joy of celebrating the holiday and of lighting the candles in the menorah in particular. It was written by Flory Jagoda, a Jewish-American composer, singer and guitarist, born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1925.
The song is in Ladino, the Spanish-derived language traditionally associated with the Sephardic Jewish community, Jews whose ancestors lived in Spain before the 15th century CE. Flory Jagoda was born into the Sephardic community. Her music has been significant in reviving and maintaining interest in Ladino, which has long been facing the threat of language extinction.
Lyrics and English translation
The lyrics of Ocho kandelikas state that Hanukkah has arrived, it is time to have parties, eat special food and, above all, light the candles in the menorah. A large part of the lyrics is made up of the numbers one to eight in Ladino.
The following are the full lyrics of the song in the original language and an English translation.
Ladino language lyrics
Children lighting Hanukkah candles in Israel circa 1950.
- Hanukah linda sta aki, ocho kandelas para mi, O...
- Una kandelika, dos kandelikas, tres kandelikas,
- kuatro kandelikas, sintyu kandelikas,
- sej kandelikas, siete kandelikas, ocho kandelas para mi.
- Muchas fiestas vo fazer, kon alegria i plazer,
- Muchas fiestas vo fazer, kon alegria i plazer, O...
- Una kandelika, dos kandelikas, tres kandelikas,
- kuatro kandelikas, sintyu kandelikas,
- sej kandelikas, siete kandelikas, ocho kandelas para mi.
- Los pastelikos vo kumer, kon almendrikas i la myel,
- Los pastelikos vo kumer, kon almendrikas i la myel. O...
- Una kandelika, dos kandelikas, tres kandelikas,
- kuatro kandelikas, sintyu kandelikas,
- sej kandelikas, siete kandelikas, ocho kandelas para mi.
English translation
A boy lighting Hanukkah candles.
- Beautiful Hanukkah is here. Eight candles for me, Oh...
- One little candle, two little candles, three little candles,
- four little candles, five little candles,
- six little candles, seven little candles, eight candles for me.
- There will be a lot of parties, with joy and happiness,
- There will be a lot of parties, with joy and happiness, Oh...
- One little candle, two little candles, three little candles,
- four little candles, five little candles,
- six little candles, seven little candles, eight candles for me.
- We're going to eat little pastries, with small almonds and honey,
- We're going to eat little pastries, with small almonds and honey. Oh...
- One little candle, two little candles, three little candles,
- four little candles, five little candles,
- six little candles, seven little candles.