Hava Nagilla:

"Hava Nagila" (Hebrew:"Let us rejoice") is probably the most well-known and widespread Hebrew folk song around the world, traditionally sung at Jewish celebrations. The melody is based on a Hassidic Nigun from the early 1900s, when Hebrew was being revived as a spoken language for the first time in almost 2,000 years (since the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE). For the first time, Jews were being encouraged to speak Hebrew as a common language, instead of Yiddish, Arabic, Ladino, or other regional Jewish languages. The Hebrew lyrics were added by musicologist and pioneer scholar of Jewish Music, Abraham Zevi Idelsohn (1882–1938).

The current arrangement was commissioned by composer and Music Director, Gee-Bum Kim. It starts with a slow, quasi-improvisatory introduction that sets the Phrygian mode and the initial relaxed tempo. The song’s tempo increases with each repetition, to become vibrant, enthusiastic, and devout.

Lyrics:

Hava nagila                                Let's rejoice
Hava nagila                                Let's rejoice
Hava nagila ve-nismeha            Let's rejoice and be happy

(repeat)

Uru, uru achim!                         Awake, awake, my brothers!
Uru ahim be-lev sameah            Awake my brothers with a happy heart

(repeat line four times)

Uru ahim, uru ahim!                  Awake, my brothers, awake, my brothers!
Be-lev sameah                         With a happy heart