Sen dale, ben dale
[You give him, I give him] *
(free translation of the text by Yehuda Hatsvi)
(This song is sometimes referred to as "El testamento de Aman" [Haman's will])
See Lecture: Purim
| En Purim non bevash vino, | On Purim don't drink wine |
| Ni aboreskash el tino, | And don't lose your senses, |
| Dura, dura, la kambura, | Hard, hard is the hunchback, |
| En los dias de Purim. | On the days of Purim. |
| Sen dale, ben dale! | You give him, I give him! |
| En Purim non bevash vino, | On Purim don't drink wine |
| Ni aboreskash el tino, | And don't lose your senses, |
| Todo el mal ke mos vino, | All the troubles which have come to us |
| En los dias de Purim. | On these days of Purim. |
| Sen dale, ben dale! | You give him, I give him! |
| Ven aki, tu zera de loka, | Come here, you son of the mad woman, |
| Ke a ti avlar no te toka, | You don't deserve anything, |
| Por ti ordeni la forka, | I have prepared the gallows for you, |
| En los dias de Purim. | On these days of Purim. |
| Sen dale, ben dale! | You give him, I give him. |
| Taka, taka, taka, taka | Taka, taka, taka, taka, |
| El pazvan kon la toyaka, | The night watchman with the truncheon, |
| En mi puerta no metash tranka | I won't bolt my door, |
| En los dias de Purim. | On these days of Purim. |
| Sen dale, ben dale! | You give him, I give him! |
| Akodravos de los ijikos, | Remember the children, |
| Tanto proves komo riko, | Whether poor or rich, |
| Ke les merken martiyikos, | And buy them hammers ** |
| En los dias de Purim. | On these days of Purim. |
| Sen dale, ben dale. | You give him, I give him! |
* "Sen" means "you" in Turkish, and "ben" means "I". "Dale" in Ladino means "give to him". The idea is to give Haman a beating.
** In Saloniki, it was customary to buy the children little wooden hammers, which they would bang everywhere.
