Ay, que si te fuerer a baniar novia Lleva a tu madre y non vayas sola Para quitarte la tu camisa Para meterte en el agua fria Ay, que si te fuerer a baniar novia Lleva a tu suegra y non vayas sola Para sacarte del agua clara Para ponerte la tu delgada
Bride, when you go to the bathing Take your mother, do not go alone So that she can take off your shirt And put you into the cold water Bride, when you go to the bathing ritual Take your mother-in-law, don't go alone So she can take you out of the clear water And dress you with the festive gown
Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement:Y3966/12 Referenced and notated in: Romancero Sefardi de Marreucos, pg. 50, Editorial Alpuerto, Pardes Publishing House, 2018 Susana Weich-Shahak. This North Moroccan wedding song refers to the bride’s ritual bath before the wedding and emphasizes the strong sense of community surrounding the event. The bride is not to go alone but is accompanied by her mother and mother-in-law. Symbolically, the mother helps her enter the bath, undressing her, while the mother-in-law helps her emerge, dressing her in festive attire.
This website was created by Orit Perlman with the collaboration and blessings of Dr. Susana Weich-Shahak in 2025