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Israel Chava Alberstein - Chad gadia 1989 Aviad

CHAD GADIA

Dezabin abba bitrey zuzey
Chad gadia, chad gadia

Kana avinu gdi bishney zuzim,
Kach mesaperet hahagadah

Uva hechatul vetaraf et hagdi,
Gdi katan, gdi lavan
Uva hakelev venashach lechatul
Shetaraf et hagdi she'avinu hevi

Dezabin abba bitrey zuzey
Chad gadia, chad gadia

Ve'ey mi ze hofia makel gadol
Shechavat bakelev shenavach bekol
Hakelev shenashach et hechatul
Shetaraf et hagdi she'avinu hevi

Dezabin abba bitrey zuzey
Chad gadia, chad gadia

Ve'az partza ha'esh vesarfa et hamakel
Shechavat bakelev hamishtolel
Shenashach lechatul shetaraf et hagdi
She'avinu hevi

Dezabin abba bitrey zuzey
Chad gadia, chad gadia

Uva'u hamayim vekibu et ha'esh
Shesarfa et hamakel shechavat bakelev
Shenashach lechatul
Shetaraf et hagdi she'avinu hevi

Dezabin abba bitrey zuzey
Chad gadia, chad gadia

Uva hashor veshata et hamayim
Shekibu et ha'esh shesarfa et hamakel
Shechavat bakelev shenashach et hechatul
Shetaraf et hagdi she'avinu hevi

Dezabin abba bitrey zuzey
Chad gadia, chad gadia

Uva hashochet veshachat et hashor
Sheshata et hamayim shekibu et ha'esh
Shesarfa et hamakel shechavat bakelev
Shenashach lechatul shetaraf et hagdi
She'avinu hevi

Uva MAL'ACH HAMAVET veharag et hashochet
Sheshachat et hashor sheshata et hamayim
Shekibu et ha'esh shesarfa et hamakel
Shechavat bakelev shenashach lechatul
Shetaraf et hagdi she'avinu hevi

Dezabin abba bitrey zuzey
Chad gadia, chad gadia

Uma pit'om at shara 'Chad Gadia'?
Aviv od lo hegia uPessach lo ba

Uma hishtana lach, ma hishtana?
Ani hishtaneti li hashana

Shebechol haleylot, bechol haleylot
Sha'alti rak arba kushiyot
Halayla haza yesh li od she'ela
Ad matay yimashech ma'agal ha'eima?

Halayla haze yesh li od she'ela
Ad matay yimashech ma'agal ha'eima?
Rodef venirdaf, make umuke
Matay yigamer hateiruf haze?

Uma hishtana lach, ma hishtana?
Ani hishtaneti li hashana

Hayiti pa'am keves ugdi shalev
Hayom ani namer uze'ev toref
Hayiti kvar yona vehayiti tzvi
Hayom eini yoda'at mi ani...

Dezabin abba bitrey zuzey
Chad gadia, chad gadia

Kana avinu gdi bishney zuzim
Shuv matchilim mehatchala...

.
ONE LAMB

Daddy bought it with two coins
One lamb, one lamb*

Our daddy bought a lamb with two coins
So tells the Hagadah*

And then came the cat and ate the lamb
A little lamb, a white lamb
And then came the dog and bit the cat
That ate the lamb that our daddy brought

Daddy bought it with two coins
One lamb, one lamb

And along came a big stick
That hit the dog that barked loudly
The dog that bit the cat
That ate the lamb that our daddy brought

Daddy bought it with two coins
One lamb, one lamb

And then came the fire and burned the stick
That hit the raging dog
That bit the cat that ate the lamb
That our daddy brought

Daddy bought it with two coins
One lamb, one lamb

And then came the water and extinguished the fire
That burned the stick that hit the dog
That bit the cat
That ate the lamb that our daddy brought

Daddy bought it with two coins
One lamb, one lamb

And then came the bull and drank the water
That extinguished the fire that burned the stick
That hit the dog that bit the cat
That ate the lamb that our daddy brought

Daddy bought it with two coins
One lamb, one lamb

And then came the slaughter and slaughtered the bull
That drank the water that extinguished the fire
That burned the stick that hit the dog
That bit the cat that ate the lamb
That our daddy brought

And then came the Angel of Death and killed the slaughter
That slaughtered the bull that drank the water
That extinguished the fire that burned the stick
That hit the dog that bit the cat
That ate the lamb that our daddy brought

Daddy bought it with two coins
One lamb, one lamb

And why do you sing 'One Lamb' all of a sudden?
It's not springtime yet, and it's not Passover

And what has changed for you? what has changed?*
I have changed this year

And every night, every night,
I only asked 4 questions
Tonight I have one more question
When will this cycle of horror end?

Tonight I have one more question
When will this cycle of horror end?
Pursuer and opressed, Beater and beaten
When will this insanity be over?

and what has changed for you? what has changed?
I have changed this year

I used to be a sheep and a peaceful lamb
Today I am a tiger and a preying wolf
I was once a dove and was even a dear
Today I don't even know who I am anymore...

Daddy bought it with two coins
One lamb, one lamb

Our daddy bought a lamb with two coins,
Here we go again...

*'Chad Gadia' - 'One Lamb' - The chant that comes at the end of the
Passover tale that Jews read every year on the Passover feast

*'Dezabin abba bitrey zuzey, Chad gadia, Chad gadia' - The original chorus of the
chant from the Passover tale, in the armaic language

*Hagadah - The book of the Passover tale

*'What has changed...?' - Another famous Passover chant is 'The Four Questions'
In which the smallest kid sings to the people round the table and asked them 4 questions
regarding "what has changed this year?"

This song was released in the beginning of 1989 and topped the charts almost instantly,
After a few weeks, the then-right-wing government (led by Yitzhak Shamir) banned this song
from airplay completely, and it stayed banned until the early 00's, The ban came due to the
extreme allegory in the lyrics, that brutally criticised the foreign policy of the right-wing
Israeli governments, especially the line "I used to be a sheep and a peaceful lamb, today I
am a tiger and a preying wolf". However, that did not stop an entire half of the country to
embrace the song even more and turn it into an anthem of representing the resent it felt
toward the right-wing foreign policy.

The first part of the song tells the story of the chant 'One lamb' in modern-Hebrew, with only
the chorus repeating in the original armaic line, the second part of the song reflects what
it's really about, brutally criticising the government by using several Passover motives.

Nowadays the song is no longer banned, and it is considered a classic, and is especially popular
Among the followers of the path and ideas of Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres.

The song was also used as the opening song of the award-winning film "Free Zone" (2005)
Starring Natalie Portman, in what is known as the most emotional scene in the film called
"The Crying Scene".

A link to that scene from the film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlSRlCS8dbA