Chad Gadya
Chad Gadya is written in Aramaic and has been translated into most Jewish languages. It is a cumulative song that traces the fate of the young goat that was purchased by 'my father' for two coins. The Jewish Music Research Centre at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem traces the history of Chad Gadya and includes examples from various Jewish traditions. The Jewish Chronicle examines the possible metaphorical meaning of the song. Several samples are included on this page. For more examples in these and other languages, click on the buttons below.
Chad Gadya in Hebrew
Chad Gadya
in Hebrew, Transliteration, and English
One little goat
Then came the Holy One, Blessed be He
and smote the angel of death,
who slew the slaughterer,
who killed the ox, that drank the water,
that extinguished the fire, that burned the stick,
that beat the dog, that bit the cat, that ate the goat,
Which my father bought for two zuzim.
One little goat, one little goat
Chad gadya
V’ata Hakodesh Baruch Hu
v’shachat l’malach hamavet,
d’shachat l’shocheit,
d’shachat l’tora, d’shata l’maya,
d’chava l’nura, d’saraf l’chutra,
d’hikah l’chalba, d’nashach l’shunrah,
d’achlah l’gadya,
d’zabin aba bitrei zuzei,
chad gadya, chad gadya.
חַד גַדְיָא
וְאָתָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא
וְשָׁחַט לְמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת, דְּשָׁחַט לְשׁוֹחֵט
דְּשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא, דְּשָׁתָה לְמַיָּא
דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחוּטְרָא
דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשׁוּנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַּדְיָא
דְּזַבִּין אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי
חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא
Judeo-Greek
Excerpts from a Passover seder from Ioannina, Greece, performed by Anna Rafael in 1970. 22:50–25:07: חד גדיא Ένα κατσίκι [ˈena kaˈt͡siki], in Hebrew and Judeo-Greek.
Ladino lyrics, in Latin-lettered transliteration, of Un Kavretiko in a Haggadah published in Salonica, 1955. (Courtesy of Deb Henigson, Mountain View, CA from haggadot.com)
Chad Gadya in Ladino/Judeo-Spanish from Greece
Di Tsigele, performed by Book of J
Haggadah from Altona, Germany, 1766. Chad Gadya with Yiddish translation.
Chad Gadya in Ladino/Judeo-Spanish
Chad Gadya in Ladino/Judeo-Spanish from Turkey, performed by Chloe Pourmorady and Asher Shasho Levy
Examples from Judeo-Italian, Judeo-Piedmontese, and Judeo-Provencal courtesy of George Jochnowitz.
Chad Gadya from Rome
Recording of Chad Gadya in Judeo-Provencal sung by Eliane Amado Levi-Valensi around 1972. Her family was from Salonica, but her husband was Max Amado, whose mother was a Bédarride from Carpentras. Provided by Peter Nahon.
Judeo-Arabic
Chad Gadya in Aleppo Syrian Judeo-Arabic, performed by Chloe Pourmorady and Asher Shasho Levy
Chad Gadya in Damascus Syrian Judeo-Arabic
from Sha'ar Binyamin in Mexico
Nathan Cohen, Chad Gadya in Tunisian Judeo-Arabic
The Judeo-Arabic version of Had Gadya included in Shelomo Belforte’s Haggadah published in Livrono for the Jews in Baghdad, 1935. From haggadot.com
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Chad Gadya in Bukharian/Judeo-Tajik (Jon buzghole), performed by Chloe Pourmorady and Asher Shasho Levy
From Ezra Malakov, Musical Treasures of the Bukharian Jewish Community. Tel Aviv, USA: World Bukahrian Jewish Congress, 2007.
Judeo-Georgian
Who Knows One and Chad Gadya in Judeo-Georgian
Chad Gadya in Judeo-Georgian
Text, transliteration, and translation courtesy of Tamari Lomtadze and Reuven Enoch
Click Judeo-Georgian link for full text
ერთი თიკანი
და მობრძანდა აკადოშ
ბარუხუ და დაკლა მალახ
ამავეთი, რომ დაკლა შოხეტი,
რომ დაკლა ხარი, რომ დალია
წყალი, რომ ჩააქრო ცეცხლი,
რომ დაწვა ჯოხი, რომ ცემა
ძაღლი, რომ უკბინა კატას,
რომ შეჭამა თიკანი, რომ
იყიდა მამაჩემმა ორ აბაზად,
ერთი თიკანი, ერთი თიკანი!
erti tikani
da mobrdzanda akadom
baruxu da dakla malax
amaveti, rom dakla shoxeti,
rom dakla xari, rom dalia
tskali, rom chaakro cecxli,
rom datsva joxi, rom cema
dzagli, rom ukbina katas,
rom shechama tikani, rom
ikida mamachemma or abazad,
erti tikani, erti tikani!
A Goatling
And there came Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu
Killing Malah Hamavet that had killed the shochet
That had killed the bull that had drunk the water
That had extinguished the fire
That had burnt the stick
That had beaten the dog
That had bitten the cat
That had eaten the goatling
Bought by my daddy for two abazi,
One goatling, one goatling!
Chad Gadya in English sung by Cantor Ken Richmond and Rabbi Shira Shazeer