14. Yĕṟuśalāyinnu Vannāno (The Song of Evaray)

An origin song of the Kerala Jews, recounting how a learned ancestor named Evarayi (Ephraim) came from Jerusalem to see Malanad - another name for the land of Kerala. He traveled by way of Egypt, Yemen and then Palur, a town in Kerala where there was once an ancient Jewish community. Welcomed on his arrival in another place, he decided to build a synagogue (paḷḷi ) there, and a Nayar (high-caste. Hindu) kllled a deer for the neṟcca feast to celebrate completion of his vow. See also song no. 10 for reference to deer-hunting, a sport that was restricted to the nobility in Kerala. Tune: Yedid nefesh.

Text

From Jerusalem he came, wise Evarayi,
The learned, the teacher, the Mõliyāru.

From his beautiful father he requested:
"Let me go, Vāva, to see Malanāṭu."

"Remember above all to live in shalom.
Go by way of Egypt and far off Yemen."

With his minyan of ten he boarded a ship.
"We need to have a well-built ship.

Let us fit out a ship which does not leak -
A big ship to go to Malanatu."

Then came the best carpenter in the land.
Assembling and stacking, he started the work.

***

With God's help the ship was built.
Gifts of silk and bangles were given.

"Who would like to board my ship?"
Rabbi Avaroh stepped in,

The wise Evarayi himself stepped in.
As the ship was sailing on its way,

The Portuguese came and confronted them!
Frightened they fled away from there

And they landed on the Palur shore,
Where they sold all the goods they had brought.

Also they fled frightened from that place,
Coming to shore in the land of Shibushu.

Hearing a great learned man had come,
Nobles assembled on the shore,

Taking his hand as he disembarked.
"We must build a synagogue;

Indeed a great paḷḷi must be raised."
The place was cleared, the foundation laid.

Then came the best carpenter in the land.
Assembling and stacking, he started his work,

And with God's help, the paḷḷi rose up.
Rabbi Avaroh recited the prayers,

Wise Evarayi explained the scripture,
And all who heard found his teaching delightful.

"To fulfill our vow with a neṟcca feast,
A great neṟcca must be made.

By catching a deer the neṟcca we'll make."
"Who will go to catch the deer?"

The Nayar, his companion and the other two.
A silver rod was thrust through its mouth.

The deer was slaughtered, the neṟcca made.
Be blessed, oh God, be blessed forever.