Chris Rael CHURCH OF BETTY

 

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