Ladino
Non ay santo komo Adonai,
I non ay piyadozo komo ben Amram,
I non ay guardrada komo muestra ley,
I no ay ken la malde komo Israel.
De boka del Diyo,
de boka del Diyo,
Seamoz bendichos todoz loz djudiyoz
Mipi el, mipi el, yevorah kol Israel.
Non ay fuerte komo Adonai,
I non ay bendicho komo ben Amram,
I non ay grande komo muestra ley,
I no ay ken la malde komo Israel.
Non ay ermozo komo Adonai,
I non ay viejo komo ben Amram,
I non ay limpya komo muestra ley,
I no ay ken la malde komo Israel.
Non ay bueno komo Adonai,
I non ay limpyo komo ben Amram,
I non ay derecho komo muestra ley,
I no ay ken la malde komo Israel.
English
None is holy as God,
And none is as pious as Amram;
Nothing is guarded like our law,
Nor is there anyone to read it as Israel.
From the mouth of God,
from the mouth of God
All the Jews should be blessed,
from the mouth of God
There is none as mighty as God.
Nor any as blessed as the son of Amram;
Nor is there anything greater than our law,
Nor is there anyone to read it as Israel.
There is none as beautiful as God,
Nor any sage such as the son of Amram;
Nor anything purer than our law,
Nor is there anyone to read it as Israel.
There is none as good as God,
Nor anyone purer than the son of Amram;
Nor anything more righteous than our law,
Nor is there anyone to read it as Israel.
Description
One of the characteristics of Ladino, the language of Sephardic Jews, is the incorporation of words and phrases from local languages like Turkish or Arabic, but frequently Hebrew words and phrases are employed. This song is a particularly good example, as the Ladino “Del boka del Diyo” and the Hebrew “Mipi el” both mean “from the mouth of God.” We learned recently that “Mipi el” is often chanted at soccer games in Israel to encourage one’s favorite team.
Sources: Flory Jagoda. For a printed version, see Sephardic Songs in Judeo-Spanish, From the Collection of Judy Frankel (Owings Mills, MD: Tara Publications, 1981)
