Original lyrics and translations of some of the songs on the album “Echoes of Qiyan”
(All translated by Josefine Liftig, unless otherwise stated)
CD1:
Kol dodi
(trad. Sephardic song)
Kol dodi, kol dodi
Voice of my lover
kol dodi hineh ze ba
voice of my lover and behold he comes!
M’daleg al heharim
Leaping on the mountains
m’kapetz al hagva’ot
skipping on the valleys.
Translation: George Jakubovits
Etz harimon
(Sephardic song)
Composer: Yedidia Admon
Lyrics: Yaakov Orlandt
Etz harimon natan recho
Pomegranate tree has emanated its fragrance
ben yam hamelach ad Y’richo
between the Dead Sea and Jericho,
Shav chomati g’dudech mindod
My fortress, your regiment returned from patrol,
Shav tamati dodech midod
My innocent your lover returned from wondering.
Otzrot Ofir utzri Gilad
Treasures of Ofir and fragrance of Gile’ad,
Rechev mitzrayim shalati lach, bat
Chariots of Egypt I sent to you, girl
Elef hazemer etle lach magen
Thousand songs I will hang for your shield
min hay’or ad hayarden
From the Nile to the Jordan.
Translation: Hagai Halamish
Kuando veyo ijo ermozo
(trad. Sephardic song)
Kuando veyo ijo ermozo ayi me vo yo
Kon las paras, sin las paras
When I see a handsome boy, I go to him
Si me dan, si no me dan,
With money, without money
Whether they give it to me or not
me yo lo vo tomar
I will take him
Och när som jag var på mitt artonde år
(trad. Swedish ballad)
Och när som jag var på mitt artonde år
det var en vacker pojke som föll uti min håg
en tänkte jag för evigt att älska
Men denna min tanke rätt snarligt försvann:
Det var en annan flicka som lades i hans famn
Den kallar han för ”rosende blomma”
And when I was going on eighteen
there was a handsome boy whom I fancied
I thought that I would love him forever
But this my intention soon vanished:
It was another girl who was lain in his arms
He calls her ”rosy blossom”
Una mática de ruda
(trad. Sephardic song)
Una mática de ruda, una mática de flor
hija mia querida
dime a mi quien te la dió
Una mática de ruda, una mática de flor
Me la dió un mancevico
que de mi se enamoró
Hija mia querida, no te eches a perdición
Más vale un mal marido
que es mejor de nuevo amor
Mal marido, la mi madre, no hay más maldición
Nuevo amor, la mi madre
la manzana y el buen limón
A branch of rue, a flowering branch
My darling daughter
tell me who gave it to you
A branch of rue, a flowering branch
A young man gave it to me
because he fell in love with me
My darling daughter, do not ruin your life
A bad husband is more worth
He is better than a new lover
A bad husband, mother, is a real curse
A new lover, mother
is like the apple and the good lemon
Mi yitneni of
(trad. Sephardic song)
Lyrics: David Shimoni
Mi yitneni of
tzi por kanaf k’tana
Habindude en sof
nafshi ma mitana
Ah, bindude en sof
nafshi ma mitana
Oh, that I had wings
like those of a little bird!
I wander endlessly
to find shelter for my soul