Do you remember this Chanukah song?

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Yom Tov / Holidays -> Chanukah

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother

Tue, Dec 12 2023, 10:27 pm

It's been so long, yet suddenly looking at the Chanukah candles tonight snippets of this song came back to me. But I don't remember the words! Can you help me?

Some snippets:

As I sit alone in this cell
The answer to me has finally come

After night there must always come day...

Under the leadership of the macabim
... our nation did win

Although we were so greatly outnumbered
With the help of Hashem we never blundered

Our nation fought a vindictive foe
Few in number but great in faith
.... of our race

... one small flask
The fire it contained did last and last

Anybody recognize this?

Queen Of Hearts

Tue, Dec 12 2023, 11:51 pm

amother OP wrote:

You remember more than me...

As you see I am here in a cell
....

Yet as I watch your shimmering light
I remember the story behind your light

Not only now but long ago
Our nation fought a vindictive foe
Few in number
But great in faith
The Torah is the weapon of our race

Under the leadership of the Macaabim
....our nation did win

cbsp

Wed, Dec 13 2023, 12:36 am

I also only remember a few snippets (if it's even the same song...) the first letters of each stanza spell Chanukah

Candles with flames of red and blue
One small wish I ask of you
On this cold and dreary night
Tell me the (something. Secret? Story? Tale?) of your light

How clearly I remember
When I was young
............
Now that I'll soon die
Please grant my wish and reply

As you see I'm here in a cell
For in the Nazis hands my family fell
....

That's it for my memory. I remember a substitute (or possibly our regular teacher) taught it to us in the mid '80s for Chanukah in BYBP 6th or 7th grade.

amother

Snowdrop

Wed, Dec 13 2023, 12:53 am

cbsp wrote:

I'll add the few additional lines I remember. Learned it around the same year in BYA 6th grade

Candles with flames of red and blue
One small wish I ask of you
On this cold and dreary night
Tell me the story behind your light

As you see I'm here in a cell
For in the Nazis hands my family fell
....

How clearly I remember
When I was young
The song that to you my father had sung
But now that I'll soon die
Please grant my wish and reply

Not only now but long ago
Our nation fought a vindictive foe
Few in number but great in faith
The Torahs the weapon of our race

Under the leadership of the Macabbim
That bitter war our nation did win
Although we were greatly outnumbered
With the help of H' we never blundered

....
And though there remained just one small flask
The oil it contained did last and last

.....
You're answer to me has finally come
....
After night there must always come day..

amother

Honeydew

Wed, Dec 13 2023, 12:59 am

I'll add to the pp

As you see I'm here in a cell
For in the Nazis hands my family fell
Yet as I watch your shimmering lights
I know they'll lose their inhuman fight

amother

Honeydew

Wed, Dec 13 2023, 12:59 am

I'll add to the pp

As you see I'm here in a cell
For in the Nazis hands my family fell
Yet as I watch your shimmering lights
I know they'll lose their inhuman fight

amother

Mayflower

Wed, Dec 13 2023, 3:06 am

We learned it from our teacher Mrs Simi Schlafrig in 10th grade, Bais Yaakov High School of Boro Park. I believe she said that one of her former students had composed it.

amother

Wed, Dec 13 2023, 9:13 am

Thanks everyone! I don't know why this song is stuck in my head and I was so desperate to remember the words!

So this is how I pieced it together so far:

Candles with flames of red and blue
One small wish I ask of you
On this cold and dreary night
Tell me the story behind your light

How clearly I remember
When I was young
The song that to you my father had sung
But now that I'll soon die
Please grant my wish and reply

As you see I'm here in a cell
For in the Nazis hands my family fell
Yet as I watch your shimmering lights
I know they'll lose their inhuman fight

Not only now but long ago
Our nation fought a vindictive foe
Few in number but great in faith
The Torah is the weapon of our race

Under the leadership of the Macabbim
That bitter war our nation did win
Although we were so greatly outnumbered
With the help of H' we never blundered

..............
Although there remained just one small flask
The oil it contained did last and last

(although the light may seem far away
After night there must always come day?)

Almost!

Thanks so much to all who responded. Looks like I'm still missing the C or K for chanukah and the last paragraph.

I don't even remember when I heard this song, it might have been in the late 1970's.... I wonder who wrote it and for what.

amother

Purple

Wed, Dec 13 2023, 9:18 am

amother Mayflower wrote:

We learned it from our teacher Mrs Simi Schlafrig in 10th grade, Bais Yaakov High School of Boro Park. I believe she said that one of her former students had composed it.

I learned it in YOB, somewhere between 4-8 grade.

amother

Clover

Wed, Dec 13 2023, 9:20 am

amother Mayflower wrote:

We learned it from our teacher Mrs Simi Schlafrig in 10th grade, Bais Yaakov High School of Boro Park. I believe she said that one of her former students had composed it.

Mrs. Schlafrig wrote the song herself.

imasinger

Wed, Dec 13 2023, 9:22 am

Was it an original tune?

hanna2010

Wed, Dec 13 2023, 9:42 am

How can I get the tune to this?

amother

Snowdrop

Wed, Dec 13 2023, 2:54 pm

imasinger wrote:

Was it an original tune?

I think it is, I can't think of anything else in that tune...

amother

Snowdrop

Wed, Dec 13 2023, 2:56 pm

hanna2010 wrote:

How can I get the tune to this?

You'll have to fine a poster here who's willing to sing it an upload it or email it to you. I can barely carry a tune so it won't be me;-)

amother

Seashell

Wed, Dec 13 2023, 7:18 pm

[quote="amother OP"]Thanks everyone! I don't know why this song is stuck in my head and I was so desperate to remember the words!

So this is how I pieced it together so far:

Candles with flames of red and blue
One small wish I ask of you
On this cold and dreary night
Tell me the story behind your light

How clearly I remember
When I was young
The song that to you my father had sung
But now that I'll soon die
Please grant my wish and reply

As you see I'm here in a cell
For in the Nazis hands my family fell
Yet as I watch your shimmering lights
I know they'll lose their inhuman fight

Not only now but long ago
Our nation fought a vindictive foe
Few in number but great in faith
The Torah is the weapon of our race

Under the leadership of the Macabbim
That bitter war our nation did win
Although we were so greatly outnumbered
With the help of H' we never blundered

Kept tahor was one small flask
But the oil it contained did last and last
Eight days til fresh oil could be made
With this neis their emunah Hashem repaid

As I watch your flames burn like tiny suns
The answer to me has finally come
Although the light may seem very far away
After light there must always come day

.....
Given that the tune doesn't end here, there is probably an H paragraph at the end as well.

amother

Leaf

Thu, Dec 14 2023, 5:35 pm

I may not be 100% right but the last paragraph is something like this.

How hard those murderers may plot and try
The Jewish nation will never die
Cause there will always remain at least one flask
And the oil it contains will last and last

ittsamother

Thu, Dec 14 2023, 9:33 pm

Now I am so curious about the tune of it! Do we have any brave imamothers who might record it and upload it??

amother

Thu, Dec 14 2023, 11:10 pm

ittsamother wrote:

Now I am so curious about the tune of it! Do we have any brave imamothers who might record it and upload it??

I'm going to try to write it out in music (A-A-A-A). I'm not a musician so I can't do it the real way, but maybe that will help.

Bli neder a little later.

amother

Thu, Dec 14 2023, 11:11 pm

amother Leaf wrote:

I think this is it!!!

I got the whole song!

Thank you so much to all of you that posted.

This song made such a strong impression on me when I was younger, and I was so sad to think that it might forever be lost.

cbsp

Thu, Dec 14 2023, 11:16 pm

amother OP wrote:

Same here. Every Chanukah I'd sing the the opening stanza to try and retain at least that in my memory.

I so appreciate the group effort in getting the entire lyrics!

(I'm not volunteering to sing it, though! Smile

)

Page 1 of 1