Quando el Rey Nimrod

"Quando el Rey Nimrod" (Judaeo-Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkwando el rei nimˈroð], or [nimˈrod] modern Spanish spelling: Cuando el Rey Nimrod; "When Nimrod was king") is a Sephardic folk song. It is sung in Judaeo-Spanish, the Jewish-Spanish language, and tells the story of the birth of Abraham, the biblical prophet. In one view, opposite to most of the Ladino repertoire, this song comes from North Africa and not from the former Ottoman Empire.This view of the song's origin is highly debatable, however, as the Hejaz mode of the song is on the face of it more Ottoman than North African.

Interpretations

Anachronistically, Abraham — who in the Bible is the very first Jew and the ancestor of all who followed, hence his appellation "Avinu" (Our Father)—is in the Judaeo-Spanish song already born, in the juderia (modern Spanish: judería, Judaeo-Spanish: djudería), the Jewish quarter. Abraham became the first Jew by acknowledging the existence of one G-d. Abraham in the Bible is the very first man to be circumcised and perform circumcision.

Much of this story is based on the account of Abraham's life written in the book "Maaseh Avraham Avinu Alav HaShalom"^[1] as well as the Medrash^[2] regarding the furnace and Zohar^[3] concerning Elijah the Prophet.

Lyrics

Ladino original	English translation
Quando el Rey Nimrod al campo salia mirava en el cielo y en la estrelleria vido una luz santa en la juderia que havia de naser Avraham Avinu.	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: (Avraham Avinu, Padre querido Padre bendicho, luz de Yisrael) (x2).	chorus: (Abraham Avinu [our Father], beloved father Blessed father, light of Israel) (x2).
Luego a las comadres encomendava que toda mujer que prenyada quedara si no pariera al punto la matara que havia de naser Avraham Avinu.	Then he told the midwives That every woman who was still pregnant Who did not give birth at once will be killed because Abraham our father was about to be born.
(chorus)	(chorus)
La mujer de Terach quedó prenyada y de dia en dia le preguntava (or demandava) "¿De que teneix la cara tan demudada?" Ella ya savia el bien que tenia.	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.
(chorus)	(chorus)
En fin de nueve meses parir queria iva caminando por campos y vinyas, a su marido tal ni le descubria topó una meara, alli lo pariria	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.
(chorus)	(chorus)
En aquella hora el nasido avlava: "Anda vos, la mi madre, de la meara, yo ya topó quien m'alechará, Malakh de cielo me accompanyará porque so criado del Dio bendicho."	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."
(chorus)	(chorus)
En fin de veinte dias lo fue a visitar, lo vido d'enfrente, mancevo saltar, mirando al cielo y bien atinar, para conocer el Dio de la verdad.	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.
(chorus)	(chorus)
"Madre, la mi madre, que buscaix aqui? Un hijo preciado pari yo aqui. Vine a buscarlo, si se topa aqui, si está bivo me consolaré yo."	"Mother, my mother, what are you looking for here?" "I gave birth to a precious son here. I came to look for him here, if he is still here. If he is alive I will be consoled."
(chorus)	(chorus)
"Madre, la mi madre, que avlaix? Un hijo preciado, como lo dexaix? A fin de veinte dias, como lo visitaix? ¡Yo so vuestro hijo preciado!"	"Mother, my mother, what are you saying? How could you leave your precious son? After twenty days how is it that you're visiting him? I am your precious son!
(chorus)	(chorus)
Mirad la mi madre, que el Dio es uno, el crio los cielos uno per uno. Dizedle a Nimrod que perdio su tino porque no quiere creer en el Verdadero.	"Look, mother: God is one, He created the heavens one by one. Tell Nimrod that he has lost his mind Because he does not want to believe in the True One."
(chorus)	(chorus)
Lo alcanzó a saver el rey Nimrod esto, "¡dixo que lo traigan aina y presto antes que desreinen a todo el resto y dexen a mi ya crean en el Verdadero!"	IThe knowledge [of Abraham's birth] reached King Nimrod. "Bring him here immediately Before everyone else rebels And say to me they already believe in the True One!"
(chorus)	(chorus)
Ya me lo truxeron con grande albon y el travó de la silla un buen travon. "¿Di, raxa—por que te tienes tu por Dio? ¿Por que no quieres creer en el Verdadero?"	They brought him in great humility. He strongly seized the throne. "Tell me, evil one: why do you think you are God?" Why do you not wish to believe in the True One?"
(chorus)	(chorus)
"¡Acendiendo un horno, bien acendido, echadlo presto qu'es entendido! Llevadlo con trabucos, qu'es agudo, si d'aqui el Dio lo escapa, es el Verdadero."	"Light a fiery furnace, Throw in the one who has learned immediately! Protect yourself from him because he is sharp. If God allows him to escape from here, then He is the Real One."
(chorus)	(chorus)
Echandolo al horno, iva caminando, con los malakhim iva paseando, y todos los lenyos fruto ivan dando; d'aqui conocemos al Dio verdadero.	Thrown into the furnace, he walked With the angels he wandered. All the firewood gave forth fruit, And that is how we know the true God.
(chorus)	(chorus)
Grande zekhut tiene el senyor Avraham, que por el conocemos el Dio de la verdad. Grande zekhut tiene el senyor parido, que afirma la mitsva de Avraham Avinu.	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).
(chorus)	(chorus)
Saludemos agora al senyor parido, que le sea besiman-tov este nacido, qu'Eliahu Hanavi mos sea aparecido, y daremos loores al Verdadero.	We greet now the father of the newborn We wish mazel tov (good luck) to this newborn. Because Elijah the Prophet appeared to us And we will give praises to the True One.
(chorus)	(chorus)
Saludemos agora al compadre [sandak] y tambien al mohel que por su Zehut mos venga el Goel y Rahma a todo Yisrael, cierto loaremos al Verdadero.	We greet now the godfather and also the circumciser, Because of his merit the Redeemer and Merciful One [God] will come to all Israel, Sure of this, we will praise the True One.
(chorus)	(chorus)

References

1. Bernard H. Mehlman. "Maayanot (Primary Sources) : The Maaseh Avraham Avinu Alav HaShalom: Translation, Notes, and Commentary" (PDF). Ccarnet.org\accessdate=2015-06--11.
2. "פרשת נח". Daat.ac.il. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
3. "אנציקלופדיה יהודית דעת - כסא של אליהו". Daat.ac.il. Retrieved 2015-06-11.