Merenda de Hanuka
[A Hanukkah snack]
See lecture: Sephardic Food
Here are several versions of the song "Aqui mos venimos" [Here we come]. The first is a shortened version with a refrain; it's followed by a longer version with an answer to the children's requests: "Y venía la rubisa" [And here comes the rabbi's wife].
| Y aquí mos venimos, | And here we come, |
| Un hijico mos trujimos, | We are bringing a boy, |
| Meldador y escribano, | A scholar and a scribe, |
| Con la péndola'n la mano. | With a pen in his hand. |
| Ya mos dan, | Give us, |
| Ya mos dan, | Give us, |
| El Dio vos dé beraha. | God will give you a blessing. |
| Damos un ajico, | Give us some garlic, |
| Qu'el Dio vos dé un hijico; | So that God will give you a boy; |
| Damos una cebollica, | Give us an onion, |
| Qu'el Dio vos dé una hijica; | So that God will give you a girl. |
| Ya mos dan, | Give us, |
| Ya mos dan, | Give us, |
| El Dio vos dé beraha. | God will give you a blessing. |
| Damos carbón | Give us coal |
| Qu'el Dio vos dé un hijo varon, | So that God will give you a fine lad. |
| Damos harina, | Give us flour |
| Qu'el Dio que mos dé la vida; | So that God will give you life. |
| Ya mos dan, | Give us, |
| Ya mos dan, | Give us, |
| El Dio vos dé beraha. | God will give you a blessing. |
| |
| Aquí mos venimos | Here we come, |
| Un hijico mos trujimos | We are bringing a boy, |
| Meldador y escribano, | A scholar and a scribe, |
| Con la péndola 'en la mano. | With a pen in his hand. |
| Damos aceite, | Give us oil, |
| el Dio que vo dé un presente; | God will give you a present; |
| Damos harina, | Give us flour, |
| El Dio que mos dé vidas; | God will grant us life; |
| Damos un ajico, | Give us a bit of garlic, |
| El Dio vos dé un hijico; | God will give you a boy; |
| Damos una cebollica, | Give us a little onion, |
| El Dio vos dé una hijica; | God will give you a girl; |
| Damos carbón, | Give us coal, |
| Dio vos da un hijico ladrón; | God will give you a young thief; |
| Damos azúcar, | Give us sugar, |
| Damos que mos queremos a ir. | Give us because we want to go. |
| Viva el hajam con los talmidim. | Long live the wise man and the pupils. |
| * * * * * | |
| Y venía la rubisa, | And the rabbi's wife is coming, |
| Tomaba la harina y la azúcar, | bringing the flour and the sugar, |
| Y hacía halvá, | And she's made halva, |
| Le daba a los hijicos | She gives it to the boys |
| Cada uno un pedacico, | Each one of whom is a scholar |
| Y decían berajá: | And they make a blessing: |
| Cada año mejorado, | May you have a successful year! |
| Hanuka sameah! | Happy Hanukkah! |
| Viva el haham | Long live the rabbi |
| Con la rubisa y los talmidim! | And the rabbi's wife and the pupils! |
Source: S. Weich-Shahak (Seminar at Bar-Ilan University)