La mujer de Terah 1

Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Y 5982a/44
Referenced and notated in: El ciclo de la vida, pg. 118, Editorial Alpuerto, 2013 Susana Weich-Shahak.

This copla, connected to the circumcision ritual, recounts a Talmudic legend about Abraham’s miraculous birth and early years. Terah’s wife gives birth to him in a cave, and like a mythical hero, the newborn immediately speaks - telling his mother to leave, since angels will nurse him. Years later, she returns to find him fully grown. In the third verse, the informant appears to have reversed the first two lines with the third and fourth, placing the most emotionally powerful lines at the beginning.

Text:
La mujer de Terah quedó preñada
de en día en día se demudaba,
ella ya sabía lo que tenía,
ni con su marido se descubría.

Un día salió por campos y viñas,
dolores tinía, parir quería,
topó una meara , ahí se entraría,
en el hubo que el nació, tambien hablaría.

- Madre, la mi madre, que buscas aquí?
- Un hijo preciado que dejí aquí.
- Madre, la mi madre, andavos de aquí
Malachimes de los cielos me alechan a mi
Angelimes de los cielos me alechan a mi

Translation:
The wife of Terah was pregnant
day by day she became paler
but she knew what a good thing she had
but did not reveal this even to her husband

One day she went out to the fields
she was feeling pain and wanted to give birth
she found a cave and entered
when the baby was born he immediately spoke

Mother, mother what are you looking for here?
A precious son I left here
Mother mother leave here
The angels of the sky are nursing me
The angels of the sky are nursing me