23. La palomba (CES)

This is a parodic song based on the melody and the refrain of the famous habanera by the Spanish composer Sebastián de Iradier y Salaverri (1809-1865), entitled La paloma. This song, commercially recorded as early as 1899, had become popular throughout the Hispanic world by the end of the nineteenth century. Haim Effendi recorded the first Sephardic cover in 1907/8 (Haim Effendi 2008, CD IV, no. 11). His version already included a Judeo-Spanish addition. Furthermore, a number of parodies of La paloma were composed in Salonica. This version by CES is one of them, though it still partially preserves the original refrain of the Spanish song. Other Sephardic parodies of La paloma with different texts are Bouena Sarfatty Garfinkle’s En tu balcón (Havassy 2007, Appendix, BSG 022), Jako Poliker’s Limonero (Poliker 2012, no. 3) and Haim Dasa’s Sal a la ventana (NSA Y 2090/29). All these parodies portray the beloved woman as short, fat or disgusting, but desired for her money.

No sos hermosa y sos preta.

Si no te veo mi corazón se apreta.

Rojada de amor que m’arrojates como la saeta.

Te rogo que me quites de esta bajetá.

Oh, chiquita de sí, dame tu amor.

Vente con mi, oh chiquita

d’ande vivo yo.

Oh, onora dates con bavas.

Tus […?] amostra más

que de antes eres piadosa que con ti me conortaba

y descubrir tus amores siempre me haga mal amar.

Oh, chiquita de sí, dame tu amor.

Vente con mi, oh chiquita

d’ande vivo yo.

Mi corazón siempre buen sano,

mis cantes de la da un piano [?]

El que canta esta cantica y el que la siente,

el fidel mancebo trae a la niña […] de la muerte.

Oh, chiquita de sí, dame tu amor.

Vente con mi, oh chiquita

d’ande vivo yo.