Oh, que mueve meses 1

Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Yc1215

In this copla, “El Parto Feliz” - The Happy Birth - the birth is portrayed as a communal celebration, filled with prayers and blessings for the entire congregation, honoring both the newborn and his mother. After nine months of strain, the midwife urges the woman to push, and the laboring mother cries out for release. The father arrives with his guests, holding fish in one hand and a string of gold coins in the other. The child is born under good omens — may he and his mother live long. This is the best-known of the Coplas de Parida, as evidenced by its many versions. It was published in Constantinople in 1926 by Binyamin ben Yosef in his El Buquieto de Romanzas.

Text:
Oh, ke mueve meses    travates de estrechura,
vos nació un hijo      de buena ventura,
ke viva la parida  kon su kriatura.
   Ya es, ya es buen simán  esta alegría.
   Bendicho el ke mos allegó  a ver este día.

Kuando la kumadre    dice : dale, dale,
dice la parida:    ah, Dio, eskapadme,
dice la su ĝente:     amen, amen, amen.
      Ya es, ya es...

Ya viene el parido    kon los konvidados,
ya trae en la mano    cinta y buen peškado,
y en la otra mano    resta de dukados.
       Ya es, ya es...

Translation:
After nine months of tightness, 
we have a male child, born in good luck. 
May the mother live long with her child—
   Now, now this joy is a good omen.
   Blessed be He who let us reach this day.

When the midwife says, “Push, push!”
the mother cries, “Oh God, deliver me!”
and her people answer, “Amen, amen, amen.”
  Now, now this joy is a good omen...

Here comes the father with his guests,
he brings in his hand a ribbon and fine fish,
and in the other, a string of gold coins—
 Now, now this joy is a good omen...