Description
A bouncing rhyme which, according to Rabbi Michael Molho, was sung by the father to his young son. Molho notes that “the first thing the father did as soon as he returned from work was to play with his beloved child. He would balance the child on his knees, with the child’s back resting against his chest. Then he would hold the child by the arms and rock him back and forth while singing.” Isaac Molho, the father of Flora Molho, mentions that parents used this song to entertain their young children, a fact also confirmed by Flora herself in her book Στην σκιά της μνήμης [Stin skia tis mnimis or at the shadow of memory], where she writes: “How sweet that song seemed to me and how much I loved that rocking motion with those such tender words! Of course, the song had a religious character, but at the time I paid no attention to the words. The only thing I understood was that it was sung to me with boundless love and tenderness, and that was the only thing that mattered to me.” [1] The Flora Molcho archive includes two recordings of the song sung by her father. In terms of lyrics they are identical and differ only in the way he performs them. The song also appears in the archive of the Maale Adumim Institute with slightly different lyrics and, of course, in Rabbi Michael Molho’s book Traditions and Customs of the Sephardic Jews of Salonica, where the lyrics are exactly the same as in Isaac Molho’s version.[2] Notes [1] Molcho, Flora, In the Shadow of Memory, 62. [2] Molho, Michael, Traditions and Customs of the Sephardic Jews of Salonica, 75.
Version 1
El meldar de la Tora
Flora Molcho archive. Performed by her father Isaak Molcho.
Alternative Title: La Tora, la tora
Lyrics
La Tora, la Tora /la ˈtoɾa la ˈtoɾa/ The Torah, the Torah,
mi fijiko [1] ala havra /mi fiˈʒiko a la ˈxavɾa/ my little son at the synagogue
kon el pan i el kezo /kon el pan i el ˈkezo/ with the bread and the cheese
i el livriko al pecho, /i el liˈβɾiko al ˈpetʃo/ and the little book on his chest.
- “Onde vas fijo del Dio?”, /ˈonde vas ˈfiʒo del ˈdjo/ “Where are you going, son of God?”
- “a meldar la ley del Dio”, /a melˈdaɾ la leɪ del ˈdjo “To read the law of God.”
-“Εl Dio ke te guadre a ti i a tu madre /el ˈdjo ke te ˈɡwadɾe a ti i a tu ˈmadɾe/ “May God protect you and your mother
i a tu sinyor ke es un buen djidyo /i a tu siˈɲoɾ ke es un ˈbwen ˈdʒidjo/ and your master, who is a good Jew
i a la kumadre ke te aresivyo” /i a la kuˈmaðɾe ke te aɾeˈsiβjo/ and the midwife who received you.” Notes [1] In her book, Flora Molcho, referring to this song, records the lyrics using the feminine gender, as her father apparently sang it to her, namely mi fijika and fija. In the Shadow of Memory, 62.
Version 2
El meldar de la Tora
Flora Molcho archive. Performed by her father Isaak Molcho.
Alternative Title: La Tora, la tora
Lyrics
La Tora, la Tora /la ˈtoɾa la ˈtoɾa/ The Torah, the Torah,
mi fijiko [1] ala havra /mi fiˈʒiko a la ˈxavɾa/ my little son at the synagogue
kon el pan i el kezo /kon el pan i el ˈkezo/ with the bread and the cheese
i el livriko al pecho, /i el liˈβɾiko al ˈpetʃo/ and the little book on his chest.
- “Onde vas fijo del Dio?”, /ˈonde vas ˈfiʒo del ˈdjo/ “Where are you going, son of God?”
- “a meldar la ley del Dio”, /a melˈdaɾ la leɪ del ˈdjo “To read the law of God.”
-“Εl Dio ke te guadre a ti i a tu madre /el ˈdjo ke te ˈɡwadɾe a ti i a tu ˈmadɾe/ “May God protect you and your mother
i a tu sinyor ke es un buen djidyo /i a tu siˈɲoɾ ke es un ˈbwen ˈdʒidjo/ and your master, who is a good Jew
i a la kumadre ke te aresivyo” /i a la kuˈmaðɾe ke te aɾeˈsiβjo/ and the midwife who received you.” Notes [1] In her book, Flora Molcho, referring to this song, records the lyrics using the feminine gender, as her father apparently sang it to her, namely mi fijika and fija. In the Shadow of Memory, 62.
Version 3
El meldar de la Tora
Archive of the Maale Adumim Institute. Catalogue number: 2540 https://folkmasa.org/avshir/shirp.php?mishtane=2540.
Performed by Benrubi Yitshak from Thessaloniki.
Alternative Title: La Tora, la tora
Lyrics
La Tora, la Tora /la ˈtoɾa la ˈtoɾa/ The Torah, the Torah,
mi fijiko [1] ala havra /mi fiˈʒiko a la ˈxavɾa/ my little son at the synagogue
kon el pan i el kezo /kon el pan i el ˈkezo/ with the bread and the cheese
i el livriko al pecho, /i el liˈβɾiko al ˈpetʃo/ and the little book on his chest.
- “Onde vas fijo del Dio?”, /ˈonde vas ˈfiʒo del ˈdjo/ “Where are you going, son of God?”
- “a meldar la ley del Dio”, /a melˈdaɾ la leɪ del ˈdjo “To read the law of God.”
-“Εl Dio ke te guadre a ti i a tu madre /el ˈdjo ke te ˈɡwadɾe a ti i a tu ˈmadɾe/ “May God protect you and your mother
i a tu sinyor ke es un buen djidyo /i a tu siˈɲoɾ ke es un ˈbwen ˈdʒidjo/ and your master, who is a good Jew
i a la kumadre ke te aresivyo” /i a la kuˈmaðɾe ke te aɾeˈsiβjo/ and the midwife who received you.” Notes [1] In her book, Flora Molcho, referring to this song, records the lyrics using the feminine gender, as her father apparently sang it to her, namely mi fijika and fija. In the Shadow of Memory, 62.
BibliographyEl Trezoro de Kantes de Sefarad. El Instituto Maale Adumim para la documentación de la lengua judeo-española y su cultura, folkmasa.org.
Molho, Flora. Στη σκιά της μνήμης. Thessaloniki: University Studio Press, 2016
Molho, Michael. Traditions and Customs of the Sephardic Jews of Salonica. Edited by Robert Bedford. Translated by Alfred A. Zara. 1944. Reprint, New York: Foundation for the Advancement of Sephardic Studies and Culture, 2006.
Nar, Alberto "Κειμένη επί ακτής θαλάσσης...“Μελέτες και άρθρα για την Εβραϊκή Κοινότητα Θεσσαλονίκης.” Thessaloniiki: University Studio Press, 1997.
Nehama, Joseph. Dictionnaire du Judéo-Espagnol. Madrid: Consejo superior de investigaciones cientificas, 1977.
Research, analysis, translations and IPA transcriptions: Mariangela Chatzistamatiou Aural transcriptions and lead sheets: Nikos Panagiotides
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