About “The Four Questions” / “Ma Nishtana מה נשתנה”
The festival of Passover is among the most important and beloved of Jewish holidays. Central to Passover is a family meal called the Seder, which incorporates a ritualized retelling of the story of Exodus from the Old Testament. The Passover Seder commemorates the Israelites’ journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom. Passover is a celebration of liberation, resilience, and the hope for a better future.
At the heart of the Passover Seder are the Four Questions, traditionally asked by the youngest person at the table. They begin with, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” These questions highlight the unique rituals of the evening—eating matzah instead of regular bread, dipping food twice, eating bitter herbs, and reclining at the table. Their purpose is to spark curiosity and invite the telling of the Exodus story, connecting each generation to its past.
Increasingly, Passover Seders are organized and attended by people who speak Mandarin Chinese. Since our children study Mandarin, we searched without success for a musical rendition of the Four Questions translated to Chinese. We found a translation of the Four Questions on the Chinese Wikipedia, but it had not been set to music. My son Sam方平山 set the Chinese translation of the Four Questions to music and made a little video. We’re happy to share it with you now. We hope that this version will help Mandarin-speaking Seder participants feel the sense of community and joy that defines the Passover Seder.
The Four Questions in Chinese Hanzi
The following translation of “The Four Questions” to Chinese Hanzi characters originally came from the entry “是什么让” in the Chinese version of Wikipedia:
是什么让今夜与有 所有
其他夜晚有所不同.
其他夜晚有所不同
在所有其他夜晚吃
酵饼或无酵饼
酵饼或无酵饼
为什么在今晚今晚
我们只吃无酵饼.
为什么在今晚今晚
我们只吃无酵饼.
在所有其他夜晚
吃各个种类的蔬菜
吃各个种类的蔬菜
为什么在今晚今晚
只有苦菜.
为什么在今晚今晚
只有苦菜.
在所有其他夜晚
不把蔬菜沾盐水吃
不把蔬菜沾盐水吃
为什么在今晚今晚
却要如此两次.
为什么在今晚今晚
却要如此两次.
在所有其他夜晚
直坐或斜靠进餐
直坐或斜靠进餐
为什么在今晚今晚
我们只斜靠进餐.
为什么在今晚今晚
我们只斜靠进餐.
Blast from the past: “The Four Questions” a few octaves higher
Sam方平山 first prepared this musical arrangement for our Passover Seder in 2022. For the historical record, here’s a version with Sam a few years younger and a few octaves higher. 🙂
