Una muchacha en selanik

[A young girl in Salonica]

Also called: "La historia de Zimbulucha" [The story of Zimbulucha (Hyacinth)]

See Lectures:  "Home" and  "Sephardic Food"

Una muchacha en Selanik A girl in Salonica,
Ke la kijeron kastigar They wanted to punish her
Por unos negros yaprakitos for burning the yaprakitos (stuffed vine leaves).
Ke no lo supo bien gizar. She didn't know how to cook them properly.
   
Su madre de ser ravioza, Her mother in a fit of rage
Chaketón le fue a dar, Went and slapped her
Por estos negros yaprakitos, Because of those black yaprakitos
Ke no los supo bien gizar. Which she didn't know how to make.
   
Ya se alevantó Zimbulucha, So Zimbulucha got up
Ya se va onde'l dayán, And went to the dayan,
Ke le dé la lisensia, To get permission
Ke turka se va aboltar. To convert to Islam.
   
Djudía, mas ke djudía, Jewish, more than Jewish,
Turka se fue a aboltar, But she wanted to convert to Islam,
Por estos negros yaprakitos, Because of those black yaprakitos
Ke no lo supo bien gizar. Which she didn't know how to make.

 Source: Isaac Levy: The Song of a Life, Disc #1