LORD OUR GOD, KING WORLD~GENERAL, WE PRAISE. WHY? PEOPLE GROUP"each", YOU PICK JEWISH PEOPLE HELP BECOME HOLY. COMMAND CHANNUKAH¹ LIGHT-CANDLE"each"².

LORD OUR GOD, KING WORLD~GENERAL, WE PRAISE. WHY? LONG-AGO God-SHOW-TO-us JEWISH PEOPLE, MIRACLE³ GO-IN-CYCLES⁴, ARRIVE NOW, CELEBRATE.

LORD OUR GOD, KING WORLD~GENERAL, WE PRAISE. WHY? (1-OF-3)⁵ GIVE-TO-us LIFE, (2-OF-3) HELP-us BE-STRONG, (2-OF-3) ALLOW US ARRIVE NOW+ TIME-PERIOD.

DURING CHANNUKAH, WE LIGHT-CANDLE"each" CONTINUE"over time" EIGHT D-A-Y-S. FOR-FOR? IF WE LOOK-AT-"reg" CHANNUKAH LAMP⁶, REMIND-us LOOK-BACK REMEMBER. LONG-AGO, YOU HELP-"all" COHEN⁷ GROUP DO MIRACLE. AWESOME THINGS, PAY-OFF OUR DEBT AND FIGHT FOR OUR FOREFATHERS DURING THIS TIME-PERIOD. WAR FINISH, JEWISH PEOPLE OPPRESSION-OFF⁸. USE LIGHT OTHER REASON, FORBIDDEN. LOOK-AT FOR-FOR? EXPRESS THANKS AND PRAISE FOR YOUR-rt GREAT NAME, FOR YOUR MIRACLES, AWESOME THINGS, AND HOW YOU-rt SAVE US.

(Raot shavah) MY SOUL HAD-FILL-OF¹¹ TROUBLE. ME GRIEVE"over time" LEAD-TO EXHAUSTED.
ENEMY THEY-lf MAKE MY LIFE BITTER. WE SLAVE EGYPT, ITSELF-ctr WORSHIP BABY COW.
BUT HE USE HIS WONDERFUL POWER HELP PEOPLE HE CHERISH.
EGYPT KING HIS-lf ARMY (2h)#ALL¹² CONFRONT¹³ SEA DROWN LIKE STONE.

(D'vir qadsho) HE BRING-TO-me HIS-God's TOP* HOLY PLACE, BUT STILL ME REST NONE.
OPPRESSOR COME FORCE ME LEAVE ISRAEL. ME SERVE STRANGER MUST.
ME DRINK WINE MAKE MIND N-U-M-B. SOON SALVATION ARRIVE AGAIN.
(<) SEVENTY YEARS LATER, ENEMY COLLAPSE. (>) OUR Z-E-R-U-B-A-V-E-L STAND-FIRM.¹⁴

(K'rot qomat) (2h)YOU REMEMBER PURIM? H-A-M-A-N TRY KILL M-O-R-D-E-C-H-A-I.
PRIDE LEAD H-A-M-A-N FAIL. BIG-HEADED¹⁵ GULP¹⁶ QUIET.
JEWISH PEOPLE DOMINANT¹⁷, H-A-M-A-N HIS-left NAME YOU DESTROY FINISH.
HIS-left SON TEN, HANGED¹⁸ (2h)V-CL'bodies on gallows from top to bottom'¹⁹ THAT'S-IT²⁰.

(Y'vanim nikb'tzu) LATER GREEK PEOPLE TRY DESTROY OUR CULTURE.
WALL OUR RAMPARTS²¹ THEY-lf OVER MAKE TEMPLE O-I-L DIRTY*.
ONLY-ONE* CUP LEFT CLEAN*. SHOW GOD HIS-God's MIRACLE BLOSSOM²².
RABBI²³ WISE SET-UP CELEBRATE EIGHT D-A-Y-S, SING, CANDLE LIGHT-CANDLE"each".

(Chasof z'roa) SHOW"all" WORLD YOUR POWER. HURRY TIME-PERIOD JEWISH PEOPLE FINALLY SAVE.
BAD COUNTRY VARIOUS RESPONSIBLE SPILL-OUT²⁴ OUR BLOOD, PLEASE REVENGE"each".
OUR VICTORY POSTPONED TOO LONG. BAD HAPPEN SAME-OLD-THING, DON'T.
LONG-AGO BAD INFLUENCE PUSH-ASIDE²⁵. LET OUR SEVEN HERO²⁶ TAKE-UP CONTROL.

To hear the music (without words), go to Inner Realm of Patria scroll down to "National Anthem" and click on "Listen to a MIDI version here."

Footnotes

1. All glosses marked with a footnote are described below. For an explanation of other glossing symbols used, see Explanation of glossing used. CHANNUKAH - (2h)[4], POs away , FOs up, index fingers touch and then separate while sweeping up in an arc, like the arms of a candelabra.
2. LIGHT-CANDLE"each" - (2H)[bX] strikes match and DH successively lights wicks.
   MIRACLE - WONDERFUL* WORK.
   GO-IN-CYCLES - (2h)[1^], POs ><, FOs away, index fingers touch and then DH circles vertically several times orthogonal (perpendicular) to the chest, each time coming back to where it contacted the other finger.
   (1-OF-3), (2-OF-3), (3-OF-3) - NDH [3], PO > signer, FO > DS, and DH taps thumb for "(1-OF-3)", taps index finger for "(2-OF-3)", and taps middle finger for "(3-OF-3).
   LAMP - [8] flicks middle finger against chin.
   COHEN - The hands are held with thumbs touching, POs face away from signer, and the fingers are held together but split between the middle and ring fingers, like Mr. Spock on Star Trek (Leonard Nemoy is a cohen and got the gesture from this one which is used to bless the people during holidays).
   OPPRESSION-OFF - DH [B] lifts upwards and off from contacting [S], PO > DS while mouthing "off".
   FOUNDATION - NDH [S], PO > signer, FO > DS, is held out with arm parallel to the chest and DH [S], PO > signer, strikes hand from below and then strikes elbow from below.
   PREPARED - (2h)[S] are held at the chest as if holding a rope and move forward while opening to (2h)[5]. For a QuickTime movie of this sign, see ASL browser - cause.
   HAD-FILL-OF - [5:], PO down, FO > NDS is held under chin and drawn > DS while closing to an [S].
   (2h)#ALL - (2h)[A], POs ><, FOs up, are held at shoulder height and move away while opening to (2h)[L].
   CONFRONT - (2h)[B], start with FOs away, DPO down, NDPO up, hands move away together, then circle back slightly and end with FOs up.
   STAND-FIRM - Elbow of DH [S] is placed firmly against the backhand of NDH [B], PO down.
   BIG-HEADED - (2h)[L:], POs ><, are held at sides of head and seperate like the sign BIG with pc.
   GULP - [5:], PO > throat, FO up, closes to [S], while compressing mouth.
   DOMINANT - (2h)[A], FOs away, DH starts below NDH and arcs around it until it is on top.
   HANGED - [S], PO away, FO > NDS, pulls at neck like rope and head moves > NDS.
   (2h)V-CL'bodies on gallows from top to bottom' - (2h)[V^], POs down, FOs away, hands are held high, DH below NDH, and with NDH in place, DH descends in a jerky motion to show people hanged one below the other.
   THAT'S-IT - (2h)[5], POs ><, FOs away, both hands rise while shaking at the wrists.
   RAMPARTS - (2h)[S] places D arm on top of ND arm like TABLE and then ND on D.
   BLOSSOM - (2h)[A] press palms together and twist like CHANGE, opening to (2h)[5;].
   RABBI - (2h)[R], POs > signer, fingertips touch the top of the chest at each side and descend straight down the chest while touching it. For a QuickTime movie of this sign, see ASL browser - rabbi.
   SPILL-OUT - (2h)[C] spill out an imaginary liquid.
   PUSH-ASIDE - (2h)[B], POs > NDS, FOs away, push an imaginary object > NDS.
   HERO - BRAVE BOY.

Lyrics:

Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam, asher kideshanu be-mitzvotav, ve-tzivanu le-hadlik ner shel Hanukah. (To see this in Hebrew letters, click here.)

Blessed are you, Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, Who sanctified us by his commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukah.

Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam, she-asa nisim la-avotenu ba-yamim ha-hem ba-zeman ha-zeh.

Blessed are you, Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, Who wrought miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.

First night of Chanukah only:

Baruch ata Adonai, Elohenu melech ha-olam, she-hecheyanu, ve-kiyemanu, ve-higiyanu la-zeman ha-zeh.

Blessed are you, Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, Who has kept us alive, and has preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season.

Hanerot halalu anachnu madlikin
Al hanissim ve'al haniflaot
Al hatshu-ot ve'al hamilchamot
She-asita la'avoteynu
Bayamim hahem, bazman hazeh
Al yedey kohanecha hakdoshim.

Vechol shmonat yemey Chanukah
Hanerot halalu kodesh hem,
Ve-ein lanu reshut lehishtamesh bahem
Ela lirotam bilvad
Kedai lehodot leshimcha
Al nissecha veal nifleotecha ve-al yeshuotecha.

We light these lights
For the miracles and the wonders,
For the redemption and the battles
That you made for our forefathers
In those days at this season,
Through your holy priests.

During all eight days of Chanukah
These lights are sacred
And we are not permitted to make
Ordinary use of them,
But only to look at them;
In order to express thanks
And praise to Your great Name
For your miracles, Your wonders
And your salvations.

Ma-oz Tzur Y'shu-a-si Le-cha Na-eh L'sha-bei-ach
Ti-kon Beis T'fi-la-si V'sham To-da N'za-bei-ach
L'eis Ta-chin Mat-bei-ach Mi-tzar Ha-mi-ga-bei-ach
Az Eg-mor B'shir Miz-mor Cha-nu-kas Ha-miz-bei-ach

Y'va-nim Nik-bi-tzu A-lai A-zai Bi-may Chash-ma-nim
U'far-tzu Chomos Migda-lai V'tim-u Kol Ha-shma-nim
U'mi-no-sar Kan-ka-nim Na-a-sa Neis La-sho-sha-nim
B'nei Vi-nah Y'mei Sh'mo-nah Kav-u Shir U'ri-na-nim

O mighty stronghold of my salvation,
to praise You is a delight.
Restore my House of Prayer
and there we will bring a thanksgiving offering.
When You will have prepared the slaughter
for the blaspheming foe,
Then I shall complete with a song of hymn
the dedication of the Altar.

My soul had been sated with troubles,
my strength has been consumed with grief.
They had embittered my life with hardship,
with the calf-like kingdom's bondage.
But with His great power
He brought forth the treasured ones,
Pharaoh's army and all his offspring
Went down like a stone into the deep.

To the holy abode of His Word He brought me.
But there, too, I had no rest
And an oppressor came and exiled me.
For I had served aliens,
And had drunk benumbing wine.
Scarcely had I departed
At Babylon's end Zerubabel came.
At the end of seventy years I was saved.

To sever the towering cypress
sought the Aggagite, son of Hammedatha,
But it became [a snare and] a stumbling block to him
and his arrogance was stilled.
The head of the Benjaminite You lifted
and the enemy, his name You obliterated
His numerous progeny - his possessions -
on the gallows You hanged.

Greeks gathered against me
then in Hasmonean days.
They breached the walls of my towers
and they defiled all the oils;
And from the one remnant of the flasks
a miracle was wrought for the roses.
Men of insight - eight days
established for song and jubilation

Bare Your holy arm
and hasten the End for salvation -
Avenge the vengeance of Your servants' blood
from the wicked nation.
For the triumph is too long delayed for us,
and there is no end to days of evil,
Repel the Red One in the nethermost shadow
and establish for us the seven shepherds.

To hear a performance of the blessings and "Maoz Tzur" (not "Hanerot halalu"), go to Maoz Tzur Medley - miami boys choir - hanukkah. The first melody for Maoz Tzur is less traditonal, and the second one performed is the one more often used. To hear the more traditional melody in a complete version, go to Steve Brodsky & Friends Maoz Tzur - Boulder, CO 2007.