I have a little dreidel - Sam Goldfarb

Translated into ASL by David Bar-Tzur

Created 9 December 2007, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

EXPLANATION OF THE GLOSSING SYSTEM
(to understand how I describe the signs in this translation).

HAVE LITTLE DREIDEL. ME MAKE USE C-L-A-Y.
BECOME DRY, READY, MY DREIDEL GO-AHEAD PLAY.
DREIDEL++, ME MAKE USE C-L-A-Y.
BECOME DRY, READY, MY DREIDEL GO-AHEAD PLAY.

DREIDEL SHAPE PRETTY. LEGS SHORT, THIN.
HAPPEN BECOME TIRED, FALL-OVER MEAN ME WIN.
DREIDEL++, LEGS SHORT, THIN.
DREIDEL++, FALL-OVER MEAN ME WIN.

MY DREIDEL TEND DEVILISH. SPIN, LAUGH, KISS-FIST.
HAPPY GAME DREIDEL. COME-ON PLAY, TIME BEGIN.
DREIDEL++, SPIN, LAUGH, KISS-FIST.
DREIDEL++, COME-ON PLAY, TIME BEGIN.

ONE PERSON SPIN DREIDEL,
HAPPEN SPIN FINISH,
FALL-OVER LOOK-AT-palm,
KNOW+ #DO-DO NEXT.

"N" MEAN GET NOTHING.
"G" MEAN YOU WIN.
"H" MEAN TAKE-UP HALF.
SHIN MUST ADD-TO~ONE-MORE.


Notes: DREIDEL - Hold out NDH palm up and use thumb and index finger of [bO] to twirl an imaginary top on the palm.

GO-AHEAD - (2h)[B^ dot], POs ><, FOs away, move forward in a jerk.

FALL-OVER - FT of [V] slip on upturned palm of NDH [B] and palm meets pal,

DEVILISH - DEVIL with circular vertical motion orthogoanl [perpendicular] to the forehead.

SPIN - [1^] circles around the FT of NDH [1], PO > DH, FO up.

KISS-FIST - Kiss the dorsal side (back) of hand to show you loves something other than a person.

COME-ON - (2h)[B^] move in circles pivoting at the wrists to beckon someone to do something.

SHIN - The Israeli fingerspelling for nun, gimmel, and hay are the same as the ASL "N", "G", and "H", but the shin holds three fingers straight up and PO away.

ONE-MORE - (2h)[O^], POs ><, FO s away, hold FTs against each other and the index finger of DH points straight up and then goes back to its oringinal position 2x.

Lyrics:

I have a little dreidel, I made it out of clay,
and when it's dry and ready, oh dreidel I shall play.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay,
and when it's dry and ready, oh dreidel I shall play.

It has a lovely body, with legs so short and thin,
and when it gets all tired, it drops and then I win.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, with legs so short and thin,
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, it drops and then I win.

My dreidel's always playful; it loves to laugh and spin; a happy game of
dreidel, come play, now let's begin.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, it loves to laugh and spin,
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, come play, now let's begin.

One person spins the dreidel
And when the spinning's through
The dreidel drops with one side up
And tells you what to do.

Nun means you get nothing
Gimmel means you win
Hay means you get half the pot
And Shin you put one in.

treble clef as a symbol for musicTo hear a musical setting of these lyrics (without words), go to Hanukkah Music at 101Kidz.co and click on "Dreidel".

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