Matesha , matesha atini pisharra vaso de oro lleno de tisoro vaso de plata lleno de patata. Ha disho mama la vieja que se levante Rahelita y se ponga le viejita
Swing, swing give me.... a glass of gold full of treasure glass of silver full of potatoes I have an old mother who said that Rahelita should get off and and old woman take her place
Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Y5539/2 Referenced and notated in: Judeo-Spanish Moroccan Songs for the Life Cycle, pg. 36, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1989 Susana Weich-Shahak. This song was sung at the swing, where young girls would sway back and forth while singing romances; on such occasions, a young man might choose his future bride. That is why the matesha - swing, served as part of the traditional courtship. In most versions, the last verse indicates which girl should step down and which girl should take her place.
This website was created by Orit Perlman with the collaboration and blessings of Dr. Susana Weich-Shahak in 2025