Mose Salio de Misrayim

This romansa (ballad) tells the story of Moses in the wilderness of Midian, where he lived for forty years as a shepherd tending sheep that belonged to Jethro, his father-in-law. At Mt. Horeb, in the well-known story of the burning bush, God orders Moses to deliver the people of Israel from oppression.
This romansa was sung during the Passover holiday by women in the sizable Jewish community centered around Tangier and Tetuan, across the Straits of Gibraltar from Spain. Following the infamous edict of expulsion in 1492, thousands of Spanish Jews crossed the straits of Gibraltar to North Africa, where Jewish communities flourished until the mid-twentieth century.
After the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, a majority of the Jews from Morocco and other North African countries immigrated to the new Jewish state.

Source: Susana Weich Shahak, Musica y Tradiciones Sefardies (Salamanca: Centro de Cultura Tradicional Diputacion de Salamanca, 1992).

Susan, vocals; Tina, bass viola da gamba; Howard, guitar
Ladino English
Mose saliyo de Misrayim Moses went out of Egypt
Huyendo del rey Paroh Fleeing from King Pharoah
Se fue derecho a Midian He went straight to Midian
I se encontro con Ytro And met with Jethro
Le diyo a Sipora, su hija He was given his daughter, Sipora
Porke era temiente a Dyio Because he was a God-fearing man.
Mose pacia el ganado Moses tended his flock
Ke su suegro l’entrego Which his father-in-law assigned to him
Mose paciyendo el ganado While following his flock
Al monte de Horeb llego He came to the mountain of Horeb
Mose se kubrio sus ojos Moses covered his eyes
Temiendo ver a Diyo Fearing God
Oyo una voz que decia: He heard a voice which said:
Mose, Mose mi siervo Moses, Moses my servant
Descalzate tus zapatos Take off your shoes
Ke en lugar santo estas tu You are in a holy place
Te iras derecho a Misrayim Go straight to Egypt
I diras al rey Paroh and tell King Paroh
Que te entregue a mi pueblo To send out my people
Mi pueblo, Hebreo My Hebrew people
Y si no te las entregare And if he will not let them go
Kastigarle kero yo I want to punish him
Kun diez plagas ke le mande With ten plagues I will send him
Pa’ke sepa kyen soy yo So that he will know who I am
Hodu l’Adoshem  ki tov Give thanks to the Lord for his goodness
ki le’olam hasdo For his everlasting graciousness
Alabado sea su nombre Praised be his name
Porke siyempre bien nos diyo Because he is always good to us
I en los cielos, i en la tiyera And in the heavens and on the earth
Su merced nunka falto  His mercy never faltered