I Have a Little Dreidel

"I Have a Little Dreidel" is a children's Hanukkah song in the English-speaking world that also exists in a Yiddish version called "Ikh bin a kleyner Dreydl",. The song is about making a dreidel, a four-sided spinning top, and playing with it.

History

The lyrics for the English version were written by Samuel S. Grossman and the composer of the English version is listed as Samuel E. Goldfarb There is a question about who composed this music since the melody for both the Yiddish and the English versions are precisely the same. The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism is believed to be the first to publish the song in a collection of songs with its first printing in 1950 of the book, The Songs We Sing by Harry Coopersmith. The writers of the song in English only translated the original Yiddish version which was considered a folk song with the lyrics written by Mikhl Gelbart. Most believe that neither Goldfarb nor Grossman actually copyrighted the song and it was not included in Goldfarb's own printed book of songs because of this fact.
The meaning of the lyrics to the Yiddish and English versions is largely the same. However, in the original Yiddish version, the singer is referring to themself as the dreidel – a four-sided spinning top – made out of "blai" . In the English version, the lyrics refer to the singer having a dreidel made out of clay.

Versions

English version

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

It has a lovely body, with legs so short and thin.
When it gets all tired, it drops and then I win!
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay;
And when it's dry and ready, then dreidel I shall play.

My dreidel's always playful; it loves to dance and spin.
A happy game of dreidel, come play now, let's begin.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay;
And when it's dry and ready, then dreidel I shall play.

Yiddish version	Transliteration	Translation
איך בין אַ קליינער דריידל, געמאַכט בין איך פון בלײַ. קומט לאָמיר אַלע שפּילן, אין דריידל – איינס, צוויי, דרײַ. אוי, דריידל, דריידל, דריידל, אוי, דריי זיך, דריידל, דריי. טאָ לאָמיר אַלע שפּילן, אין דריידל, איינס און צוויי.	Ikh bin a kleyner dreydl, gemakht bin ikh fun blay. Kumt lomir ale shpiln, in dreydl – eyns, tsvey, dray. Oy, dreydl, dreydl, dreydl, oy, drey zikh, dreydl, drey To lomir ale shpiln, in dreydl, eyns un tsvey.	I am a little dreidel, I am made from lead. Come let's all play dreidel – one two three. Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, oh, dreidel, dreidel, spin. So let's all play dreidel, one and two.
און איך האָב ליב צו טאַנצן, זיך דרייען אין אַ ראָד. טאָ לאָמיר אַלע טאַנצן אַ דריידל-קאַראַהאָד. אוי, דריידל, דריידל, דריידל, אוי, דריי זיך, דריידל, דריי. טאָ לאָמיר אַלע שפּילן, אין דריידל, איינס און צוויי.	Un ikh hob lib tsu tantsn, zikh dreyen in a rod. To lomir ale tantsn, a dreydl-karahod. Oy, dreydl, dreydl, dreydl, oy, drey zikh, dreydl, drey. To lomir ale shpiln, in dreydl, eyns un tsvey.	And I love to dance, to spin in a circle. So let's all dance a dreidel-circle. Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, oh dreidel, dreidel, spin. So let's all play dreidel, one and two.