Bellida, Bellida, la vestida en verde, cómo te lo pasas casada con Pepe? Pepito, mi bueno, cómprame una cuna, si pariere niña la fadaré Fortuna. Pepito, mi bueno, cómprame un limón si pariere niño le nombraré Mimón. Bellida, Bellida, cual era tu 'ada, hacer las tortas yebdas y el cuscusú, y auera con Pepe manteca y halú. Pepito, mi bueno, llevame a Gibraltar, porque en este Tánger me sacaron un cantar.
Bellida, Bellida all dressed in green What is it like being married to Pepe? Pepito my dear buy me a cradle If I have a girl I will name her will be Fortuna Pepito my dear buy me a lemon If I have a boy I will name him Mimon Bellida, Bellida what was your tradition making unleavened cakes and couscous and now with Pepe butter and pork Pepito my dear bring me to Gibraltar For here in Tangier they have made a song of me
From Arboleras vol. 3, Sephardic songs from the 20th century, 2000
A song that expresses the Jewish community’s concern about marriage between Jews and Gentiles. The text clearly shows the difficulties in cooking, the abandonment of tradition (‘ada) and traditional Jewish food: the tortas yebdas (= yeast cakes, round, baked over fire, on the makala, like an inverted clay plate), the prohibition of mixing dairy and meat, specifically, butter with haluf (from Arabic: haluf = pork, absolutely forbidden by the Hebrew religion). Nonetheless, traditional Jewish names are chosen for the future offspring, Mimón and Fortuna (the fadare says: de las fadadas = the family ceremony of naming the girls). The interpretation follows the version sung by Ginette Benabu, born in Tangier.
This website was created by Orit Perlman with the collaboration and blessings of Dr. Susana Weich-Shahak in 2025