The Lazarus Rose: Ladino Lyrics & Translations
ALTA ES LA LUNA
Alta, alta es la luna
Cuando empesa ‘sclareser
Hija hermoza sin ventura
Nunca llegue a nacer
Los ojos ya me s’incheron
De tanto mirar l’amor
Vapores ya van y vienen
Letra para mi no hay
Letras alegras areciviremos
Y los dos nos veremos
En un nido dormiremos
Y enjuntos conversaremos
- Greece
HIGH IS THE MOON
High is the moon
When it begins to shine
Lovely daughter without fortune
Better to never have been born
My eyes well with tears
Having searched so for love
The ships come and go
But no letters for me
We’ll receive joyous letters
And we’ll read them together
We’ll sleep in a nest
And together we shall talk
YA VIENE EL CATIVO
Ya viene el cativo
Con todas las cativas
Dientro de ellas
Está la blanca niña
Ni amanecía
Ni era el día
Cuando la blanca niña
Cantaba su manzía
O que campos verdes
Campos de olive
Onde mi madre Gracia
Lavava y espandía
O que pino hermoza
Onde con mi espozo
Baxo su sombra
Dormíamos con gozo
O que tombas blancas
Tombas de avuelos
Paso sovre ellas
Como páxaro en su vuelo
- Eastern Mediterranean
HERE COMES THE CAPTIVE
Here comes the captive
With all the captive women
And among them
The white girl
It was not even dawn
Nor even day
When the white girl
Sang her misfortunes
O the green fields
Fields of olive
Where my mother Grace
Washed and hung clothes
O beautiful pine tree
Where with my husband
In its shade
We slept with joy
O the white tombs
Tombs of our forefathers
I pass over them
Like a bird in flight
LA ADULTERA
Yo en estando en la mi cama
Dormiendo como solia
Tomi viguelita en mano
Temblila como solia
Donde me fuera temblala
En casa de mi amiga
Abre la dije mi alma
Abre la dije mi vida
El nino tengo en los brazos
Si abro despertaria
Ponle un higuito en la mano
De suyo se venceria
Las puertas tengo I de piño
Si abro rechinaria
Echa vinagre en los quicios
De suyo abriria
El mal viejo esta dormiendo
Si abro despertaria
Echale trapos al viejo
El sueño le venceria
El los en estas pal abras
El viejo despertaria
Que tienes tu la mi mujer
Que te veo y sof ocada
Con el hijo de la vecina
Que me trujo el pan quemado
Te vea yo lami mujer
En un patin ladrillado
Te veas tu el mal viejo
Con las cien hozmas de lena
Con las cien hozmas de lena
Al forno vayas de mado
- Morocco
THE ADULTRESS
I lie in bed
Sleeping as usual
I pick up my vihuela
Pluck it as usual
To pluck it I went
To the house of my girlfriend
Open, I said, my soul
Open, I said, my life
I have the child in my arms
If I open it will awaken
Put a fig in its hand
The problem will solve itself
I have pine doors
If I open they will squeak
Put vinegar on the hinges
They’ll open by themselves
The wicked old man is sleeping
If I open he will awaken
Throw covers over him
Sleep will triumph over him
As these words were spoken
The old man awoke
What’s the matter, my wife
That you are disturbed
With my neighbor’s child
Who gave me burnt bread
I see you, my wife
On slippery pavement
Wicked old man, I wish
That you, with 100 logs
With 100 logs
Would burn like the bread
UNA MATIKA DE RUDA
Una matica de ruda
Una matica de flor
Hija mia, mi querida
Dime a me quien te la dio
Una matica de ruda
Una matica de flor
Me la dio un mancevico
Que de mi s’enamoro
Con lagrimas en los ojos
A mi mama le rogui
Que este lindo mancevico
Tiene que ser para mi
Hija mia, mi querida
No te eches a perdicion
Mas vale un mal marido
Que un mancevico de amor
Mal marido la mi madre
El pellisco y la maldicion
Mancevo de amor, mi madre
La mansana y el buen limon
- Turkey
A SPRIG OF RUE
A sprig of rue
A sprig of flowers
My daughter, my dear
Tell me who gave it to you
A sprig of rue
A sprig of flowers
It was given by a young man
Who is in love with me
With eyes full of tears
I begged my mother
For this beautiful man
To have as mine
My daughter, my dear
Don’t ruin yourself
A bad marriage is better
Than a young love
Bad marriage, my mother
Is sorrow and damnation
Young love, my mother
Is an apple and fine lemon
ADON HASELICHOT
Adon haselichot
Bochen levavot
Goleh amukot
Dover tzedakot
Chatanu lefaneicha
Rachem aleinu
Hadur benifla'ot
Vatik benechamot
Zocher b'rit amo
Choker kelayot
Chatanu lefaneicha
Rachem aleinu
Male zakiyut
Nora tehino
Tzone'ach avonot
Oneh be'etzavot
Chatanu lefaneicha
Rachem aleinu
- Jerusalem
MASTER OF FORGIVENESS
Master of forgiveness
Examiner of hearts
Revealer of depths
Speaker of justice
We have sinned before You
Have mercy upon us
Glorious in wonder
Great in consolation
Remembering the covenant of his nation
Investigating annihilation
We have sinned before You
Have mercy upon us
Full of gain
His entreaty is awesome
Drops evil to the ground
Answers sorrows
We have sinned before You
Have mercy upon us
VENTANAS ALTAS
Ventanas altas tienes tu
Con velas amarillas
Esta noche rogo al Dio
Que me suvas arriba
El anillo que llevas tu
El diamante es mio
El kuyumci que te lo dio
Es primo hermano mio
Quien es aquella de la ventana
Que me mostra tanto amor?
O es la estrella de la manana
O son los ojos de mi amor
- Andalusia
HIGH WINDOWS
You have high windows
With yellow curtains
This night, God willing
I’ll be coming up
Upon the ring you wear
The diamond is mine
The jeweler who gave it
Is my cousin
Who is the woman at the window
Who shows such love for me?
Perhaps it’s the morning star
Or perhaps my beloved’s eyes
VEN CHIKA NAZLIA
De ke me das rotas?
Tu ojos aboltas
I me miras kon yelor
De kolor de trokas
Ven! Ven, si no muero
Ainda! Ven yo te kero
Linda
Tus ojos luceros
Tus karas konjeros
Tus dos sejas arkol son
Mi kore firyeron
Ven! Ven en mis brasos
Poza, ven traye masos
Rosas
De ke chika bella
Ke mostras kruela
De ke me azes sufrir
I sos infidela
Ven! Ven alma mia
Djoya! Ven alegria
Poya
- Turkey
COME, LITTLE TEASE
Why do you dash my hopes?
You turn and shoot me a cold glance
Your face changes color
Come! Come on, I haven't died
Come I love you, my beauty
Your eyes are sparkling lights
Your cheeks are rosebuds
And your eyebrows are like arcs
That wound my heart
Come! Come into my arms
Come with bouquettes of roses
Why my little beauty
Are you so cruel to me?
Why do you cause sorrow
With your infidelity?
Come! Come my soul, my jewel
My joy, my little chick
LA ROSA ENFLORESE
La rosa enflorese
Hoy, en el mes de Mai
Mi alma s'escurese
Periendo el lugar
El bilbilico canta
El suspirando amor
Y la pasion lo mata
Non mira mi dolor
Las noches son furturna
Los dias son males
Amada, y mi vintura
Esta en tu poder
Mas presto, mi palomba
Mas presto ven cun mi
Mas presto tú, mi alma
Ven tú y salvame
- Turkey/Bulgaria
THE ROSE BLOOMS
The rose blooms
Oh, in the month of May
My soul is in shadows
And languishes in the moonlight
The nightingale sings
With sighs of love
And passion kills it
And does not see my sorrow
The nights are filled with fortune
The days are filled with evils
Beloved, my fate
Is in your hands
Quickly, my dove
Hurry and come with me
Hurry, my soul
Come and save me
- Translation by Carol Freeman
TRES HERMANIKAS
Tres hermanicas eran
Blancas de roz y ramas de flor
Tres hermanicas eran
Tres hermanicas son
Las dos eran cazadas
Blancas de roz y ramas de flor
Las dos eran cazadas
La una se deperdio
Sus padre con verguensa
Blancas de roz y ramas de flor
Sus padre con verguensa
A Rodes L'anbio
- Greece/Balkans
There were three sisters
White roses and flower branches
There were three sisters
Three sisters there were
Two of them were married
White roses and flower branches
Two of them were married
One lived in sin
Their father with shame
White roses and flower branches
Their father with shame
Banished her to Rhodes
LANDARIKO
Levantose el rey a cazar
Lunes por la mañana
Y fuera a ver la reina
A ver como alboreaba
Hallola lavando el rostro
De dormir se levantara
Y un espejo cristalino
Miranado su linda cara
Dando gracias a Dio padre
Que tan linda la criara
Y el rey por jugar con ella
Con vara de oro la daba
- Morocco/Turkey
LANDARIKO
The king woke up with the dawn
And went to see the queen
He found her combing her hair
Her hand holding a crystal mirror
And she whispered gratitude
Gratitude to God
Who made her so beautiful
The king, joking
Hit her with a golden rod