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U. S. Department of Education Title VI Project: The Middle East and Cross-Regional Connections
THE SPANISH JEWS: IMPROVING SPANISH PROFICIENCY THROUGH AN ANALYSIS OF THEIR MUSIC
Christopher DiCapua
cdicapua@ccp.edu
COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF PHILADELPHIA
Assistant Professor of Spanish
This unit is prepared for any 200 level Intermediate Spanish class. With
some simplification it could also be used at the 100 level. Although the
focus and underlying goal of this module is to use the information about
the Spanish Jews as an "excuse" for communication in Spanish,
and as a way to enhance students' working knowledge of the language, surely
parts of it could be adapted to history and humanities classes as well.
In a very general way, this module will supply the students with some
basic history of the Spanish Jews. Several folk songs will be translated
from the language of the Spanish Jews in which they are sung (a Spanish
more similar to that spoken in the fifteenth century) into modern Spanish
and into English (hopefully by students). This exercise will serve as
a listening activity as well as an opportunity to both talk and write
in Spanish about the subject. Students will get, as well, a very basic
view of the evolution of the Spanish language over the past few centuries.
In addition to gaining better proficiency in their use of the Spanish language, other goals of this module will be the following:
-for students to gain a basic understanding of the Spanish Inquisition and why so many Jews left Spain, as well as where they went
-for students to hear and appreciate, as well as analyze some popular folk songs of the Spanish Jews
-to challenge students to translate Ladino (currently Spoken by Spanish Jews) into modern Spanish and English. (Of course for the purposes of the module, I will do the translating and it is included here)
-to discuss briefly and generally the differences between the Spanish of the Spanish Jews and modern Spanish
This module will include the following sections:
-a short basic history of the Spanish Inquisition, focusing, of course, on Spanish Jews
-a presentation of 2 popular folk songs, including translations into modern Spanish and English
-suggested classroom activities for Spanish teachers at the 200 level
-a short bibliography
A Brief History of the Spanish Jews
It has been estimated that up to 300,000 Jews left Spain in 1492, during the Spanish Inquisition. In this dark period of Spanish history an attempt was made to rid Spain of non-Christians, that is, the Moslems and the Jews. This 'ethnic cleansing' in fact was really unachievable, because by this time in Spanish history, there already had been so much intermarriage and mixing of blood lines that it would be impossible to rid the peninsula of Jewish and Moslem ancestry. By some estimates, Jews had lived in Spain harmoniously with other groups for fifteen centuries. Several hundred thousand Jews stayed in Spain, and converted to Christianity. These people were known as 'conversos'. It is clear that many of them were converts in name only, and practiced their religion of Judaism in secret. In 1492 those Jews who would not convert to Christianity were given only four months to get out of Spain. The vast majority of them fled to Turkey, Greece, the Balkans and some to Palestine. They brought with them their Spanish language, and maintained it in many cases until today. This language is known as Judeo-Español or Ladino. It was common over time that a mixing of Spanish occurred with the local languages of the Spanish Jews' new homes. Frequently Hebrew words, as well, as would be expected, were and still are used in everyday speech. It is interesting to note, also, that in most cases Hebrew letter are used in writing Ladino, as they are in writing Yiddish.
Most of the Sephardic songs, including the ones translated in this module,
can trace their roots to the very time of the Edict of Expulsion in 1492.
Some came from the pre-expulsion era and others evolved shortly afterwards.
It is commonly thought that women played a very important role in maintaining
and even originating many of these songs. Many Sephardic songs mix several
languages, usually with a base of fifteenth century Spanish, and a splattering
of Hebrew, Arabic and local languages of the countries of origin of the
songs or singers. The themes of loss and love are widespread, as well
as more mundane ones. Many songs are lullabies. The songs analyzed in
this module are mostly based in Spanish, obviously, so they will be of
use to students studying Spanish. Recently, mostly due to the 500th anniversary
of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, there has been a strongly renewed
interest in the culture of the Sephardic Jews. Most songs as they are
played today use wind instruments, plucked strings and percussion to accompany
the vocal lines. Songs of Turkish or North African origin use the oud,
which is related to the lute. These instruments would all have been used
by the Europeans of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
The Songs and their Translations into Modern Spanish and English:
LADINO MODERN SPANISH
La prima vez La primera vez
La prima vez que te vidi La primera vez que te vi
De tuz ojos m'enamori. De tus ojos me enamoré.
De aquel momento te ami; De aquel momento te amé;
Fina la tomba te amare. Hasta la tomba te amaré.
Acercate me querida, Acércate mi querida,
Salvadora de me vida. Salvadora de mi vida.
Descubrite y avlame Descrúbrete y háblame Secretos de la
tu vida. Secretos de tu vida.
La prima vez… La primera vez…
ENGLISH
The First Time
The first time I saw you
I fell in love with your eyes.
From that moment I loved you;
I will love you to the grave.
Come close, my beloved,
Salvation of my life.
Speak to me and reveal
The secrets of your life.
The first time…
LADINO MODERN SPANISH
Scalerica de oro Escalerita de oro
Scalerica de oro, Escalerita de oro,
De oro y de marfíl, De oro y de marfil,
Para que suva la novia Para que suba la novia
A dar kídushin. A dar kídushin.
Venimos a ver; Venimos a ver;
Venimos a ver; Venimos a ver;
Y gozen y logren Y gocen y logren
Y tengan muncho bien. Y tengan mucho bien.
La novia no tiene dinero, La novia no tiene dinero,
Quémos tenga un mazal bueno. Queremos que tenga un mazal bueno.
Venimos a ver… Venimos a ver…
La novia no tiene contado, La novia no tiene contado,
La novia no tiene dinero, La novia no tiene dinero,
Quémos tenga un mazal alto. Queremos que tenga un mazal alto.
Venimos a ver… Venimos a ver…
ENGLISH
Little Stairway of Gold
A little stairway of gold,
Of gold and ivory;
On it the bride will ascend
To take kídushin (her wedding vows).
We will come to see;
We will come to see;
And joy and prosperity
And many good mazal (things) may they have.
The bride has no dowry
May she have good mazal (fortune).
We will come to see…
The bride has no riches,
The bride has no dowry,
May she have great mazal (luck).
We will come to see…
Suggested Classroom Activities for Spanish Courses at 200 Level
1. Writing Practice
After instructor gives a basic lecture in Spanish about history of Spanish Jews and their music, a short composition could be assigned in which students, in their own words, based on class notes and their own research, summarize the history in Spanish. The instructor could make suggestions to students for a re-working of the composition in order to correct any grammatical mistakes. Later, the composition could be distributed to classmates for peer review.
2. Speaking Practice
After writing the composition, students could present orally to the class, in their own words, in Spanish, their new-found knowledge of the subject.
Also, students could be assigned to groups in which they discuss different issues surrounding the Spanish Jews (assigned by instructor). The students then could present the group's ideas to the rest of the class.
3. Listening Practice
Students will listen to songs first without translations. They will attempt to write what they hear. Later, the students will compare what they have with the actual words of the song, provided by the instructor.
Another (easier) listening exercise would entail that the instructor provide words to songs with strategically placed blanks. Students will listen to songs, try to fill in blanks and later check answers.
4. Linguistic Comparison of Ladino and Modern Spanish
The instructor will provide a basic introduction to the differences and evolution that has occurred between Ladino and modern Spanish. Students later will analyze the language of the text of the selected songs and make comparisons between the two. As a class, lists of commonly observed traits of Ladino could be made, comparing and contrasting them with modern Spanish.
Students could also be given song texts in Ladino and later asked to translate them into modern Spanish.
Selected Bibliography
Benmayor, Rina. Romances Judeo-Españoles de Oriente. Madrid: Catedra-Seminario Menéndez Pidal Editorial Credos, 1979.
Gerber, Jane S. The Jews of Spain: A History of the Sephardic Experience. New York: The Free Press, 1992.
Omaggio Hadley, A. Teaching Language in Context. Thomson Learning, 2000.
Sachar, Howard, M. Farewell España: The World of the Sephardim Remembered. New York: Knopf, 1994.
Shahak, Susan Weich. Música y Tradiciones Sefardíes. Salamanca: Centro de Cultura Tradicional, 1992.