Words traditional, melody by Flory Jagoda
This is the final track on Flory’s “Arvoliko” album, and she wrote the following about this traditional Passover song: “The Passover Holiday was a very exciting time in my childhood. I remember my Nona’s house, like all the Jewish houses in the village, was full of fresh spring flowers. While the women were busy cleaning and preparing the special foods for the holiday, my cousins and I would come home after school to practice singing “‘Un Kavritiko.’” Our family had a tradition that after the Passover Seder, who ever had memorized the whole song and could sing it without making a single mistake would receive 10 dinars from our Nonu (grandfather). Not to be outdone, our Nona would present a prize, a bag of bombonikos (little candies) to the winner. It is such a blessing for me to see my own grandchildren’s enjoyment as they compete to sing the whole song and laugh through the verses. This is the traditional Passover “‘Had Gadya,’” (sung) “‘Sephardic Style.’”
We have added some additional harmony lines to the original recording, on which you can hear the voices of two of Flory’s grandchildren, her daughter Lori’s son Alec and daughter Ariel, who are now adults. Our old pal Alan Oresky, an original member of the Fabrangen Fiddlers and Fast-Flying Vestibule, played the fiddle licks on the 2005 recording, and Tina has added a few more on this version.
Listen to the 2005 version, which includes Howard, guitar, Alan Oresky, fiddle, and the voices of Ariel and Alec Lowell.
Added tracks: Susan, vocals; Tina, fiddle
LYRICS + TRANSLATIONS
| Un kavritiko, ke lo merko my Padre | One little goat, my Father bought |
| Por doz az, por doz levanim 2x | For two zuzum |
| I vino el gato, se kumyo’l kavritiko | Then came a cat, and ate the goat |
| Ke lo merko mi Padre | My father bought |
| Por doz az, por doz levanim | For two zuzim |
| I vino el pero, i mudryo al gato | Then came the dog, and bit the cat |
| Ke se kumyo’l kavrito | That ate the goat |
| Ke lo merko mi Padre | My Father bought |
| Por doz az, por doz levanim | For two zuzim |
| I vina la vara, i aharvo la vara | Then came a stick, and beat the dog |
| Ke murdyo al gato | That bit the cat |
| Ke se kumyo ‘l kavrito | That ate the goat |
| Ke lo merko mi Padre | My Father bought |
| Por doz az, por doz levanim | For two zuzim |
| I vino el fuego, i kemo la vara | Then came the fire, and burnt the stick |
| Ke aharvo el pero | That beat the dog |
| Ke murdyo al gato | That bit the cat |
| Ke se kumyo’l kavrito | That ate the goat |
| Ke lo merko mi Padre | My Father bought |
| Por doz az, por doz levanim | For two zuzim |
| I vino la agua, i amato el fuego | Then came the water, and quenched the fire |
| Ke kemo la vara | That burned the stick |
| Ke ahrvo el pero | That beat the dog |
| Ke mudryo al gato | That bit the cat |
| Ke se kumyo ‘l kavrito | That ate the goat |
| Ke lo merko mi Padre | My Father bought |
| Por doz az, por doz levanim | For two zuzim |
| I vino la vaka, i bevyo la agua | Then came the cow, and drank the water |
| Ke amato el fuego | That quenched the fire |
| Ke kemo la vara | That burned the stick |
| Ke aharvo el pero | That beat the dog |
| Ke mudryo al gato | That bit the cat |
| Ke se kumyo’l kavrito | That ate the goat |
| Ke lo merko mi Padre | My Father bought |
| Por doz az, por doz levanim | For two zuzim |
| I vino el Shohet, i degoyo la vaka | Then came the Shohet*, and slaughtered the cow |
| Ke bevyo la agua | That drank the water |
| Ke amato el fuego | That quenched the fire |
| Ke kemo la vara | That burned the stick |
| Ke aharvo el pero | That beat the dog |
| Ke mudryo al gato | That bit the cat |
| Ke se kumyo’l kavrito | That ate the goat |
| Ke lo merko mi Padre | My Father bought |
| Por doz az, por doz levanim | For two zuzim |
| I vin el Malah Hamavet | Then came the angel of death |
| I dgoyo el Shohet | And killed the Shohet |
| Ke degoyo la vaka | That slaughtered the cow |
| Ke bevyo la agua | That drank the water |
| Ke amato el fuego | That quenched the fire |
| Ke kemo la vara | That burned the stick |
| Ke aharvo el pero | That beat the dog |
| Ke murdyo al gato | That bit the cat |
| Ke se kumyo’l kavrito | That ate the goat |
| Ke lo merko mi Padre | My Father bought |
| Por doz az, por doz levanim | For two zuzim |
| I vino el Santo Bendicho | Then came the Holy One |
| I degoyo al Mala Haavet | And slew the angel of death |
| Ke degoyo al Shohet | That killed the Shohet |
| Ke degoyo la vaka | That slaughtered the cow |
| Ke bevyo la agua | That drank the water |
| Ke amato el fuego | That quenched the fire |
| Ke kemo la vara | That burnt the stick |
| Ke aharvo el pero | That beat the dog |
| Ke murdyo al gato | That bit the cat |
| Ke se kumyo’l kavrito | That ate the goat |
| Ke lo merko mi Padre | My Father bought |
| Por doz az, por doz levanim | For two zuzim |
