Yo so un buen traiedor, yo so un viejo padre, llamo a la me mujer, de mes hijos, madre. Llamo al me hijo junto con la hija, que cuando me durmo bueno m'acobijan. Al hijico le merquí todo por la calle, sólo, mis hermanos, para que non vayi. Al chic y pudra a la hija merco, en ella es el gasto, se la lleve el Huerco. A la mujer la merquí vistido de seda, y escarpicas blancas untadas con creda, cale que le merque capoto d'inverno, si no ella me dice que no sta moderno. E ansina viene que llevo handrajos, y en casa como pan seco con ajos, sempre sto muy roto, muy arremendado, s'aringuenza la mujer de me ver al lado.
I am a good worker,
I am an old father,
I call my woman,
mother of my children.
I call my son
together with my daughter,
so that when I sleep
they cover me well. For the little son I bought
everything along the street,
only, my brothers,
so that he will not go away.
May the boy rot,
for the daughter I buy,
on her is the expense,
may the Devil take her. For the woman I bought
a dress of silk,
and white little shoes
polished with chalk,
I still have to buy her
a winter coat,
otherwise she tells me
that it’s out of fashion. And so it happens
that I wear rags,
and at home I eat
dry bread with garlic,
always I am all torn,
all patched up,
the woman is ashamed
to be seen at my side.
From Arboleras vol. 3, Sephardic songs from the 20th century, 2000
This is a wedding lament with acrimonious expressions, sighed for the expenses that the marriage entails for the family, and with an ironic comment about the new couple:
"This year that has passed has been very hard for me; I got married and my wife is useless."
These types of songs were sung at the end of wedding festivities.
This song is known in the Sephardic communities under the title Teshubesh, which means repentance.
It was recorded in Monastir (now Bitola, Republic of Macedonia) by Alegre y Simja Calderero, and also by Bloria Riso (Republic of Macedonia).
This website was created by Orit Perlman with the collaboration and blessings of Dr. Susana Weich-Shahak in 2025