hilaTraditionally sung in Aramaic and Hebrew, Chad Gadya is a playful cumulative song sung at the end of the Passover Seder. With a surprisingly upbeat melody, it tells the story of a father who bought a goat which was eaten by a cat, which was then bit by a dog, which was then beat by a stick, which was then burnt by fire, which was then quenched by water, which was then drank by an ox, which was then slaughtered by a butcher, which was then killed by the Angel of Death, which was finally slain by God. The karaoke-style video above presents an English translation of the song, and the video below presents the song with the original Hebrew and Aramaic words, sung by The Boys Town Jerusalem Choir. Although Chad Gadya is open to interpretation, one common suggestion is that it symbolizes the different nations that have conquered the Land of Israel and ruled over the Jewish people throughout history, with the goat symbolizing the Jewish people and each of the following items in the list representing the various nations. The “two zuzim” with which the father initially bought the goat represent the two tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments that Moses received from God on Mount Sinai. To see the original and translated lyrics, click here.