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So goes the childhood rhyme. Songs, like friends, may be thought of as silver (new) and
gold (traditional or old). This album represents both. Though Sephardic culture, customs
and language are rapidly fading away, there are a number of Sephardic poets and songwriters
who continue to create new material. a few are included in this collection.
The Sephardim are the descendants of the Spanish Jews who were exiled from Spain in the late 15th century. Many went to live in the Ottoman Empire (in the Eastern Mediterranean area) while others crossed over the Straits into North Africa.
Because of Spain s proximity to North Africa, the Spanish spoken by Sephardim living in Tetuan, for example, is closer to modern (Standard) Spanish than the Ladino spoken by their counterparts in more distant lands. Furthermore, three of the songs in this collection, "Una Tarde De Verano", "La Vida Es Un Pasaje" and "Gerineldo", are versions which come to us from North Africa where c and z are pronounced in the Ansalusian (southern Spanish) manner, without the Castilian "lisp".
The remaining songs, sung in Ladino (which is similar to Medieval Spanish), include now-obsolete words (abufaron), non-Spanish words (bre which is Turkish and saar which is Hebrew), and pronunciations which differ from Standard Spanish.
The letters b and v are pronounced as in English; x is pronounced like sh in English (except for words such as existía); g (before e and i) and j are similar to the French pronunciation; z is voiced while c (before e and i ), ç and s are not voiced. In regard to spelling, we have used Standard Spanish (ella, que) rather than the Turkish Sephardic system (eya, ke). To indicate an h that should be pronounced, we have underlined it(hanukia). Italics indicate non-Spanish and antiquated Spanish words.
Lyrics
“Una tarde de verano pasé por la morería, Vi una mora lavando al pie de una fuente fría. Yo le dije, `Mora bella,' yo le dije, `Mora linda, Deja beber mis caballos de estas aguas cristalinas'.” “No soy mora, caballero, que soy cristiana nacida, Que me cautivaron moros días de Pascua florida.” “Si quieres venirte a España, en mis caballos vendrías.” “Y la ropa, el caballero, ¿con quién yo la dejaría?” “La que es de seda y lana en mis maletas vendría, Y la que de nada sirve por el río pasaría.” “Y la honra, el caballero, ¿con quién yo la dejaría?” “Te juro por la mi madre, por la mi madre querida, Que no te toque la honra hasta los montes de oliva.” Al llegar a aquellos montes la niña llora y suspira. (2) “¿Por qué lloras, niña guapa? ¿Por qué lloras, niña linda?” “Lloro porque en estos campos mi padre a cazar venía Con mi hermanito Alejandro, y yo en su compañia.” “Abrisme, madre, la puerta, balcones y galerías, Que en vez de traerte esposa te traigo una hermana mía. Abrisme, madre, la puerta, balcones y galerías, Que aquí te traigo la prenda por quien lloras noche y día.” |
“One summer afternoon, passing through the Moorish country, I saw a Moorish maiden washing clothes by a cold spring. I said to her, `lovely Moor,' I said to her, `pretty Moor, Let my horses drink from these crystalline waters.” “I am not a Moor, knight, I was born a Christian, I was captured by Moors at Eastertime.” “If you wish to come to Spain, you may come on my horses.” “And the clothes, Sir Knight, with whom shall I leave them?” “Those that are of silk and fleece can come in my valises, And those of no use can go into the river.” “And my honor, Sir Knight, with whom shall I leave it?” “I swear to you by my mother, by my dear mother, That I will not touch your honor up to the olive mountains.” Arriving at those mountains, the girl weeps and sighs. “Why do you weep, lovely girl? Why do you cry, pretty girl?” “I weep because in these fields my father went hunting, With my little brother Alejandro and me accompanying him.” “Mother, open the door, the balconies and the galleries! Instead of bringing you a wife I brought you my sister. Mother, open the door, the balconies and the galleries! Here, I bring you the jewel for whom you weep night and day.” |
Ay Sarica bre, tráeme un poco de agua. (2)
Qué, por qué? Que porque descalça,
Hay rocío en baxo, me se hiela el pie. |
Hey little Sara hey, bring me some water. (2)
Why, oh why? Because I am barefoot.
Dew is on the ground, and my feet will freeze. |
Yo m'enamorí d'un aire, (2)
D'un aire d'una mujer,
D'una mujer muy hermoza,
Linda de mi coraçón. |
I fell in love with the charms,
With the charms of a woman,
Of a very beautiful woman,
The beauty of my heart. |
| Cuántas vezes ya te dixe,
Cuando sales a la kioshé,
Que lo tengas más cerrado
A tu grande decolté. |
How many times have I told you,
When you go out to the corner
To keep your plunging neckline
Buttoned up a little more. |
Una matica de ruda,
Una matica de flor,
Me la dio un mancevico
Que de mi se enamoró. |
A sprig of rue,
A flowering sprig,
A young man gave it to me.
He has fallen in love with me. |
| La vida es un pasaje
Por ganar aventaje.
La muerte es un viaje
Al mundo de la verdad. Mis hermanos, mis queridos, Venís a vuestros oídos! En qué vais al corrido En este mundo falso? Lo tenemos muy liviano De hablar mal del hermano En que sea la verdad o en vano. Aquel mundo es falso. Vestidos como señores, De las ropas mejores, Que sea de buenas colores, Y en su paño es falso! Hazerot y complimentos, Y la cara con cientos. Y a qué vamos al corrido En este mundo falso? La vida es un pasaje Por ganar aventaje. La muerte es un viaje Al mundo de la verdad. |
Life is a passage
For gaining advantage.
Death is a voyage
To the world of truth. |
| Estremecido miro el televizoro.
Destruyéndose está mi Saray de oro.
Nunca pensava que pudía ser verdad
Tanta inhumanidad y terrible crueldad.
Lo que se pasa hazen sus civdadinos,
Ayer amigos y tan buenos vizinos. |
Trembling, I watch the television.
My golden Sarajevo is being destroyed.
I never thought it could be true,
So much inhumanity and terrible cruelty.
What is happening is done by its citizens,
Yesterday's friends and good neighbors. |
Una noche al lunar
Yo salí a caminar,
Caminando y buxcando
Onde se topa la mar. |
One moonlit night
I went for a stoll,
Strolling and searching
For the sea. |
| “Gerineldo, Gerineldo, mi camarero pulido, ¿Quién te me diera esta noche tres horas en mi castillo?” “Como soy vuestro criado, señora, burláis conmigo.” “Yo no burlo, Gerineldo, que de veras te lo digo.” “¿A qué hora vendré, señora? ¿A qué hora daré al castillo?” “A eso de la medianoche, cuando canta el gallo primo. Esas horas son las doce, cuando el rey ya está dormido.” Dieron las doce y la una, Gerineldo no ha venido. “¡Malhaya tú, Gerineldo, quien amor puso contigo! Medianoche ya es pasada, y Gerineldo no ha venido.” Y ella en estas palabras, Gerineldo dio al castillo. “¿Quién será ese ladrón, quién será ese atrevido, Que a des horas de la noche viene a abatir el castillo?” “Gerineldo soy, señora, que vengo a lo prometido.” Tiró la escalera de oro, por ella se había subido. ¡Qué de besos y abrazos! hasta quedarse dormidos Ellos en el dulce sueño. El buen rey que ha consentido Encontró a los dos durmiendo como mujer y marido. “¿Qué haré de mí, mezquino? ¿Qué haré de mi paisano? Si matare yo a la reina viviré con su suspiro, Si matare a Gerineldo mi reino será perdido. Más vale que yo me calle y no lo diga a ninguno, Como la mujer que tapa las faltas de su marido.” |
“Gerineldo, Gerineldo, my butler so polished, Who would give you to me tonight for three hours in my castle?” “As I am your servant, Madam, you mock me.” “I do not mock, Gerineldo, I say it to you in truth.” “At what hour shall I come, Lady? At what hour shall I enter the castle?” “Come around midnight, when the first cock crows. That is at twelve o'clock, when the king is already asleep.” The clock strikes twelve, and one, and Gerineldo has not come. “Damn you, Gerineldo, who made me fall in love with you! It is already past midnight, and Gerineldo has not come!” Just as she said these words, Gerineldo arrived at the castle. “Who could be this thief? Who could be this daring man Who, at this hour of the night, comes to assault the castle?” “I am Gerineldo, Madam. I have come, as I promised.” She cast down the golden ladder, and he climbed up. Such kisses and embraces! until they fall asleep, Sweetly dreaming. The king unknowingly Found the two, sleeping as husband and wife. “What shall I do with my misery? What shall I do with my peasant? If I kill the queen, I must live with her sigh, If I kill Gerineldo, my kingdom will be lost. Better that I keep silent and tell no one, Like the wife who hides her husband's faults.” |
La donzella vido al sueño
Que un hombre la tocó.
No quería despertarse
Del plazer que ya tomó. |
The maiden saw in a dream
That a man caressed her.
She did not want to awaken
From the pleasure that she felt. |
Mos viene la fiesta de la hanukía
A todos mozos hinche de alegría.
La mujer nunca manca de su taría
Porqué a ella encombe hanukía. |
The festival of Hanuka is approaching,
It fills us all with joy.
A woman never fails to do her duty,
For she is entrusted with the Hanukiyah. |
Mi-pi El, Mi-pi El,
Mevorakh kol Yisrael.
De boca del Dio (2)
Somos bendichos
Todos los judios. |
From the mouth of G-d
All Jews are blessed. |
La comida la mañana,
La tadre la vuelvo atrás,
Que lo sepa la mi madre
Que yo quero despozar. |
The morning meal,
I bring it back in the afternoon,
So my mother will know
That I want to be engaged. |
Me acodro de mi nona,
Cada viernes por la tadre,
Como le havlava siempre
A su nuera, mi madre. |
I remember my grandmother,
How, every Friday afternoon,
She would always talk
To her daughter-in-law, my mother. |
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