Sunday, August 16, 2009

Jonah and the Whale Song (tune: I had a little dreidel)

This has more to do with Judaism in pre-school than with the Hebrew language, but I can't find the lyrics to this particular version on the internet. Here's a linguistic angle: Nineveh / נינוה lies within modern-day Mosul / الموصل‎ in Iraq. What better time than the week of Rosh Chodesh Elul / ראש חדש אלול to transcribe this ? (tune) Thanks to Morah Chana and Morah Cha-Cha.

There was a man named Jonah.
He was swallowed by a whale.
He did tshuva for three days and nights
and lived to tell the tale.

Refrain:
Oh Jonah, Jonah, Jonah,
was swallowed by a whale.
Oh Jonah, Jonah, Jonah,
he lived to tell the tale.

There was a man named Jonah.
Hashem sent him to Ninveh.
The people there were wicked
and had to change their way.

Refrain

But Jonah didn't listen.
To a ship he ran away.
So, Hashem sent a great big storm
to help Jonah to obey.

Refrain

So Jonah did Teshuva in the belly of the whale.
Hashem gave him one more chance,
this time he did not fail.

Refrain.

A pre-schooler's version of the story of Jonah and the Big Fish :
Hashem told Jonah to go to Ninveh and tell the King that the people were wicked. Jonah was afraid the people of Ninveh would hurt him so he ran away and bought a ticket on a boat. There was a big storm and the people on the boat drew sticks. Jonah got the black stick and told the people on the boat that he didn't listen to Hashem. They threw him overboard and Jonah was swallowed by a whale. He did Tehsuvah for three days and Hashem gave him one more chance to listen. Then Jonah went to Ninveh and told the King the people had to stop being wicked.

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