Description
It is a love song that appears in a variety of sources from Thessaloniki, Rhodes, Egypt, Turkey and Bulgaria. Each recording shows significant variations in the title, while multiple variations are found in both lyrics and melody. Variations of this kind are common in oral tradition, and this song is no exception.
Moreover, it is worth noting that variations in the pronunciation of the words can be observed between different recordings. This fact is of particular importance, as all the recordings examined in this study come from Greek Jews, mainly from Thessaloniki. Therefore, we can only assume the even greater variation in pronunciation that we would find in other Sephardic communities outside Greece.
Here we present two recordings from the Flora Molho archive as well as two from the Folkmasa archive.
Source 1: Flora Molho archive Sung by her father Isaac Molho and her mother Rita (Rachel) Molho (born Matalona)
Source 2: Flora Molho archive Singing Lady of Unknown Identity
Source 3: Maale Adumim Institute database, catalogue number: 689 Read more Sung by David Haim
Source 4: Maale Adumim Institute database, catalogue number: 1379 Read more Sung by Amelie Pinhas from Rhodes.
Note for the music guide. The musical guide was based on the version from the Flora Molho archive, as was the spelling (see source: 1). On this guide all other versions can be sung, either as they are or in combination.
Version from Flora Molcho Archive
Text in Ladino
A la una nasi yo a las dos me vaptizaron a las tres me [d]espozaron[1] a las kuatro me kazi[2] me kazi kon mucho amor, alma y vida y korason. Me kazi kon mucho amor, alma y vida y korason. Dimme ninya d’onde vyenes ke te kero konoser Si tu non tyenes amantes yo me vengo a prometer. En las guertas kresen flores I en la mar krese el kοral En mi korason amores En tu boka falsedad .
Translation
At one I was born On two I was baptized On three I was married In four I was mixed. I have mingled with much love, soul and life and heart. I've mixed with much love, soul and life and heart. Tell me, little one, where do you come from And I want to know you If you don't have a lover, I come to give you my word. In the gardens grow flowers And coral grows in the sea. In my heart of love And in your mouth lies.
Comments
- [1] "Desposar" instead of "esposar", which is the correct one.
- [2] From the verb "Kazar" which also means "to marry". In the context of the song, we translated it as "mingle" because that's obviously what he means poetically.
Version from Flora Molcho Archive
Text in Ladino
A la una nasi yo A las dos me vaptizaron A las tres me espozaron I a las kuatro me kazi me kazi kon mucho amor alma i vida i korason A la una nasi yo alma i vida i korason Dimme ninya d’onde vyenes ke te kero konoser Si tu non tyenes amantes yo me vengo a prometer.
Translation
I was born in one In two I was baptized In three I was married In four I was mixed. I've mixed with much love, soul and life and heart. I've mixed with much love, soul and life and heart. Tell me, little one, where do you come from And I want to know you If you don't have a lover, I come to give you my word.
Version from Folkmasa Archive
Text in Ladino
A la una nasi yo. A las dos me vaptizaron. A las tres despozi yo ninya de mi korason. A las kuatro me kazaron me kazi kon un amor, alma i vida i korason. Lo moreno izo el Dyo Lo blanko izo el platero.[3] Biva la djente morena ke por eyos bivo yo. Biva la djente morena ke por eyos muero yo. Alma i vida i korason Dimi ninya d'onde vienes ke te kero konoser. I si tu tienes amante yo te are pretender. I si tu no tienes amante Yo te are defender. Alma i vida i korason. En la guerta kresen flores I en la mar kresen Kurales[4] En mi korason amores En tu boka falsidad.[5]
Translation
I was born at one o'clock. At two I was baptized. On three I was betrothed. to the girl of my heart. At four I was married. I was married in love, soul and life and heart. The dark-haired son is God's, the white son is the silversmith's. Long live the brown people for whom I live. Long live the brown people for whom I die, soul and life and heart. Tell me, little one, where do you come from that I want to know you. If you have a loved one I'll claim you If you don't have a lover I'll protect you. My soul and my life and my heart. In the garden flowers grow and in the sea coral grows. In my heart of love And in your mouth lies.
Comments
- [3] Proverb in Hebrew-Spanish: Lo moreno fizo el Dyo, lo blanko fizo el platero or la Morena fija del Dyo, la blanka fija del platero meaning "the dark-haired one(s) are God's creation while the light-haired one(s) are artificial, created by the silversmith (el platero)"
- [4] "kurales" instead of "korales" which is the correct one. This is a peculiarity of pronunciation. Also here Haim uses the plural.
- [5] "Falsidad" instead of "Falsedad" which is correct. Also a peculiarity in pronunciation.
Version from Folkmasa Archive
Text in Ladino
A la una nasi yo (ή a una yo nasi) A las dos mi engrandesi A las tres mi baptisaron I a las kuatro me kazi. Me kazi kon mi amor Alma i vida i kurason.[6] Dime ninya de onde vienes Ke te kero konoser. Dime si tienes amante Te lo are deprender. A las tres despozi yo Alma i vida i korason. Lo moreno krio el Dio Lo blanko i lo platero. Bivan la djente morena Ke por eyοs muero yo. A las tres despozi yo Alma i vida i kurason. En la guerta kresen flores I en la mar kresen kurales[7] En mi korason amores I en tu boka falsidad.
Translation
In one I was born On two I grew up On three I was baptized And in four I was married. I was married to my love Soul and life and heart. Tell me, girl, where do you come from For I want to know you Tell me if you have a lover I'll take him away. At three o'clock I was married Soul and life and heart. The dark-haired one was made by God The white one and the silver one. Long live the brown people. For for them I die. At three o'clock I was married Soul and life and heart. In the garden flowers grow And in the sea coral grows. In my heart of love And in your mouth lies.
Comments
- [6] "kurason" for the word "korason" which means heart.
- [7] "kurales" instead of "korales" (koral means coral).
Music Guide
BibliographyEl Trezoro de Kantes de Sefarad. El Instituto Maale Adumim para la documentación de la lengua judeo-española y su cultura, folkmasa.org.
Hemsi, Alberto. “Las horas de la vida.” In Canciones Sefardi, 227. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, 1995.
Nar, Alberto. "A la una yo naci." In Our Songs, 54-55. IANOS. Thessaloniki, 2021
Nehama, Joseph. Dictionnaire du Judéo-Espagnol. Consejo superior de investigaciones cientificas. Madrid, 1977.
Source 1: Flora Molho Archive Sung by her father Isaac Molho and her mother Rita (Rachel) Molho (born Matalona).
Source 2: Flora Molho archive Sings Lady of Unknown Identity.
Source 3: Maale Adumim Institute database, catalogue no.: 689 Read more Sung by David Haim.
Source 4: Maale Adumim Institute database, catalogue number:1379 Read more Sung by Amelie Pinhas from Rhodes.
