Kuando el Rey Nimrod - Sephardi Ladino Song

Vocals & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a song from the Sephardi music repertoire; the Jewish community that was expelled from Iberia at the end of the Reconquista, and settled around the Mediterranean, developping diverse regional styles based on where they settled.

This specific song is from Tangiers, Morocco, and was written by an anonymous author in 1890. Different songs using this text, or similar ones detailing the birth of Abraham have existed during the centuries, but this one in Maqam Hijaz is the most well known one.

My arrangement pays homage to the Moroccan-Spanish background of the song by mixing a Moroccan string section, percussions and oud with a Spanish guitar chord progression similar to Flamenco’s.

Lyrics in Ladino:
Kuando el rei Nimrod al kampo salia
mirava en el sielo i en la estreyeria
vido una lus santa en la juderia
Ke avia de naser Avraham Avinu.

Chorus:
Avraham Avinu, Padre kerido
Padre bendicho, lus de Israel.

Luego a las komadres enkomendava
Ke toda mujer ke prenyada kedara
si paria un ijo, al punto la matara
Ke avia de naser Avraham Avinu.

La mujer de Terah kedo prenyada
i de dia en dia el le preguntava (or demandava)
"¿De ke teneix la kara tan demudada?"
Eya ya savia el bien ke tenia.

En fin de mueve mezes parir keria
iva caminando por kampos i vinyas,
a su marido tal ni le descubria
topo una meara, ayi lo pariria

En akella ora el nasido avlava:
"Anda vos, la mi madre, de la meara,
yo ya topo kien m'alechara,
Malah de sielo me acompanyara.

Grande zekhut tiene el senyor Avraham,
que por él conocemos el Dío de la verdad.
Grande zekhut tiene el senyor parido,
que afirma la mitsvá de Avraham Avinu.

English translation:

When King Nimrod went out to the countryside
He was looking at heaven and at the stars
He saw a holy light in the Jewish quarter
[A sign] that Abraham, our father, was about to be born.

Chorus:
Abraham our Father, beloved father,
Blessed father, light of Israel.

Then he told the midwives
That every woman who was still pregnant
If she gave birth to a male child at once he will be killed
because Abraham our father was about to be born.

Terach's wife was pregnant
and each day he would ask her
"Why do you look so pale?"
She already knew the blessing that she had.

At the end of nine months she wanted to give birth,
She walked through fields and vineyards
She didn't tell her husband anything,
She found a cave; there, she would give birth.

At that time the newborn spoke:
"Walk away from the cave, my mother
I have already found someone who will take me away.
An angel from heaven will accompany me
Because I am a child of the blessed God."

After twenty days she went to visit him.
She saw in front of her a young man leaping,
Looking at the sky and (looking carefully/noticing everything),
In order to know the God of Truth.

Great merit has honorable Abraham
Because of him we recognize the true God.
Great merit has the father of the newborn
Who fulfills the commandment of Abraham our father (circumcision).

[faryafaraji]

Vocals & arrangement by Farya Faraji. This is a song from the Sephardi music repertoire; the Jewish community that was expelled from Iberia at the end of the Reconquista, and settled around the Mediterranean, developping diverse regional styles based on where they settled.

This specific song is from Tangiers, Morocco, and was written by an anonymous author in 1890. Different songs using this text, or similar ones detailing the birth of Abraham have existed during the centuries, but this one in Maqam Hijaz is the most well known one.

My arrangement pays homage to the Moroccan-Spanish background of the song by mixing a Moroccan string section, percussions and oud with a Spanish guitar chord progression similar to Flamenco’s.

Lyrics in Ladino:
Kuando el rei Nimrod al kampo salia
mirava en el sielo i en la estreyeria
vido una lus santa en la juderia
Ke avia de naser Avraham Avinu.

Chorus:
Avraham Avinu, Padre kerido
Padre bendicho, lus de Israel.

Luego a las komadres enkomendava
Ke toda mujer ke prenyada kedara
si paria un ijo, al punto la matara
Ke avia de naser Avraham Avinu.

La mujer de Terah kedo prenyada
i de dia en dia el le preguntava (or demandava)
"¿De ke teneix la kara tan demudada?"
Eya ya savia el bien ke tenia.

En fin de mueve mezes parir keria
iva caminando por kampos i vinyas,
a su marido tal ni le descubria
topo una meara, ayi lo pariria

En akella ora el nasido avlava:
"Anda vos, la mi madre, de la meara,
yo ya topo kien m'alechara,
Malah de sielo me acompanyara.

Grande zekhut tiene el senyor Avraham,
que por él conocemos el Dío de la verdad.
Grande zekhut tiene el senyor parido,
que afirma la mitsvá de Avraham Avinu.


English translation:

When King Nimrod went out to the countryside
He was looking at heaven and at the stars
He saw a holy light in the Jewish quarter
[A sign] that Abraham, our father, was about to be born.

Chorus:
Abraham our Father, beloved father,
Blessed father, light of Israel.

Then he told the midwives
That every woman who was still pregnant
If she gave birth to a male child at once he will be killed
because Abraham our father was about to be born.

Terach's wife was pregnant
and each day he would ask her
"Why do you look so pale?"
She already knew the blessing that she had.

At the end of nine months she wanted to give birth,
She walked through fields and vineyards
She didn't tell her husband anything,
She found a cave; there, she would give birth.

At that time the newborn spoke:
"Walk away from the cave, my mother
I have already found someone who will take me away.
An angel from heaven will accompany me
Because I am a child of the blessed God."

After twenty days she went to visit him.
She saw in front of her a young man leaping,
Looking at the sky and (looking carefully/noticing everything),
In order to know the God of Truth.

Great merit has honorable Abraham
Because of him we recognize the true God.
Great merit has the father of the newborn
Who fulfills the commandment of Abraham our father.

[tylerbrubaker]

Yazdan: How much talent?
Ahura Mazda: Yes

[whothefluff]

As a Spaniard this was fascinating. Cool stuff

[robertfranklin]

As always thank you for your work. As a Jew, this is fascinating to hear. You really are a genius of our time.

[sharkoj]

As a sephardi-turkish jew this moved my heart, thank you very much

[KC_]

As a native Spanish speaker, it is interesting to note the similarity between Ladino and Spanish. I understood most of the song, barring some words that read like they are from Hebrew. Thank you for making this, I have always been fascinated by the evolution of languages.

[smileyboi]

Sadly, Ladino is not that common anymore. Hopefully we can continue to keep this language alive. I saw books in Ladino and they look very cool, and I only know one person who can speak Ladino.

[DrAnarchy]

I’m Ashkenazi myself but it’s so cool to see my Sephardic siblings’ music represented and specifically Ladino

[Yesaua]

I am who I am and I love this music and I love our Lord blessed be who comes in The name of our Lord 🙏

[velteau]

This guy is just the Persian version of Gigachad at this point.

[rmcdaniel]

As a white guy from the U.S., with no connection to any country around the Mediterranean, and no connection to any particular religion, and no cultural connection to any of these musical instruments or traditional songs . . . I'll just say I'm tired of the nonstop insanity going on in my nation right now and just wanted to escape into some good music tonight. This was enjoyable music. Thank you for sharing.

[dshevach]

La kantiga ke mi padre siempre kantava, y mozotros siempre mantenemos la tradicion, siempre despues de kabalat sabat, y en celebraciones y pascua komo kuando fue lo brit mila de mi hijo. Mozotros veniamos de Fez.

[nininits]

Wow been looking at your channel ! You really carry out your projects down to the smallest detail and justify your artistic choices with erudition, you pronounce each language well, in any case your French is great, and you are really beautiful, I am short of compliments, excellent work sir !

[snakeySnakeybakey]

Farya, I just wanna say, as an Iranian Jew, I love the respect and skill with which you handle all of these songs! These ones are no exception! Your channel is my favorite music channel!

I find this amazing as a Mountain jew. Shalom to our sephardic brothers.

[oman.]

Es alucinante pensar que puedo comprender perfectamente una lengua que otros miran con fascinación y como algo "exótico" de cierta forma

[turrican]

Civilization 6: Great Musician Farya Faraji has come to your capital! His masterful compositions can inspire our people and initiate a Concert Tour. (Five turns later) "Your influential culture has inspired the world. Great works of art, music, and writing will be celebrated for generations. Your civilization will be remembered for all time."

[superwarrior]

سلام! من آشوری هستم و در مسکو زندگی می کنم. ولی من هر روز آهنگ هاتون گوش می دادم. خیلی ممنون!

[ImmanuelTheKing]

SIR: I am in utter disbelief. Today is a historic day, because today is the day that we BOTH uploaded Sephardic Jewish songs to our respective channels!! Too much of a coincidence. This is one of my absolute favorites and you did justice to it!!!
P.S: I just uploaded my version of "La Komida La Mañana", which I also think you should cover!

[Apogee]

you can really hear the morrocan and spanish blend, it goes excellent together!