“Muerte que a todos convidas” (“La muerte personificada”)
Más que un romance éste es un poema narrativo que deriva de poemas castellanos antiguos. Como comentó Paloma Díaz Mas en su tesis sobre ‘Temas y tópicos en la poesía luctuosa sefardí’ (1982: 303), la versión sefardí combina “el comienzo de un Razonamiento de Juan de Mena con unas renacentistas Coplas de la Muerte como llama a un poderoso caballero atribuidas a Juan del Enzina.” En el texto, la muerte (el Huerco) acude a llevarse a un caballero, discute con el portero y rechaza los intentos del caballero de retrasar su hora, y la despedida de éste de su llorosa madre, de su familia y de sus amigos. Por su tema doloroso lo cantan las mujeres sefardíes como endecha, tanto para la ocasión de un duelo familiar como para el día del ayuno de Tish’a beAv (el 9 del mes hebreo Av), que es la fecha conmemorativa de la destrucción del Templo de Jerusalén.
“Death who comes for all of us” (“The personified death”).
This is more a narrative poem that emanated from old Castilian poems than a romance. As Paloma Díaz Mas comments in her thesis on 'Themes and topics in Sephardic lugubrious poetry' (1982: 303), the Sephardic version interconnects elements out of the book “el comienzo de un Razonamiento” by Juan de Mena with others from “Coplas de la Muerte cómo llama a un poderoso caballero”. It tells us about how death (el Huerco) approaches to come for a cavalier, how he argues with him but rejects the knight's attempts to delay his time, and about his farewell to his tearful mother, family and friends. Due to its painful subject Sephardic women sing it as an elegy, as a lament during funerals just as on the day of fasting, on Tish’a beAv (which is the 9th day of the hebrew month Av), the commemoration day of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
lyrics
– ‘Muerte que a todos convidas, dime qué son tus manjares?’. –
– ‘Son tristuras y pesares, altas voces doloridas’. –
– ‘Quién es ese que a mí llama, váyase en muy hora mala’. –
– ‘Mensajero soy del cielo, del rey alto y de la altura’. –
– ‘Ya que no me apresta nada en una hora como esta.
Llamaime ahora a los míos, amigos y compañeros.
Daime madre mis antojos y que sean cristalinos.
Triste de mi mocedad, ya no veo con los ojos.
Ya que me lleváis el alma y me deĵais con dolor
de las penas de la muerte tú me dirás la mayor’. –
– ‘De las penas de la muerte yo te diré la mayor,
la salida de la puerta y la echada en el arón’. –
– ‘Quién es esa que así llora, con dolor de corazón?’.
– ‘Esa era una bien casada si bien la oyistis nombrar.
Esa era una bien casada si bien la oyistis nombrar
se le ha quebrado el espejo en que se solía mirar’. –
– ‘Basta de tantas palabras, basta de tantas manzias,
batallando con el Huerco no se muda su color. –
– ‘Lloraré toda mi vida, como triste y sin fortuna
por la su despartición y su negra desventura’.-
– ‘ El que no tiene fortuna no debía de nacer’
más que abrir la tierra dura –
Notas:
-Huerco: ángel de la muerte
-Manzia: mancilla, lástima
-Despartir: separar, apartar
Death who comes for all
Death who comes for all of us, tell me what your delicacies are?
They are sadness and sorrows and anguished voices.
Who is he that calls to me, who wants to take me at an hour way before time?
I am a messenger from heaven, from the heavenly king.
Because you do not prepare anything for me in an hour like this,
send for my loved ones, my friends and companions.
Tell my mother of my cravings and make them crystal clear.
Sad about my youth, I can not see with my eyes anymore.
Since you take my soul and leave me in pain of death you will tell me just the best.
About the pains of death I will tell you just the best,
about the departure through the door to death.
Who is the crying with so much sorrow in her heart?
That was a well-married one, if you ever heard her name.
That was a well married, if you ever heard her name.
she has broken the mirror in which she used to look.
There is an end to all these words, there is an end to all those regrets.
Fighting with the angel of death will not chance whose intentions.
I will cry all my life, sad and without happiness,
for the separation from him and his bad misfortune.
Don’t break open the hard earth just in order to prevail.
He who has no fortune should not be born.
Mara Aranda: the undisputed voice of the Mediterranean
After 30 years on stage she has become
one of the most highly acclaimed names on the 21st Century Spanish music scene. Since 1990 she has toured many parts of the world, performing across the world medieval and sephardic music....more
supported by 6 fans who also own “Muerte que a todos convidas”
the music is like the picture, full of power an warmth, remembering on celtic myth of fertility. There's even a song about St. Johns day (Rana na Ivana), the ancient summer solstice.
topsycat
supported by 5 fans who also own “Muerte que a todos convidas”
Like their earlier albums, Laboratorium Pieśni comes back with great vocals, with the added benefit of more instrumentals on the back of the track. It's a wonderful folk album, and I suggest giving it a listen. witcheroid
