Poco le das, la mi consuegra,
poco le das a la vuestra hija,
vuestra hija, la querida!-
Le daré siete camisas,
una que si troque en cada’l día.
Yiené es poco….
Le daré un yerdán de oro,
que se lo goce con su novio.
Yiené es poco….
Le daré un mazal muy bueno,
que se lo goza con el novio.
Yiené es poco….
Li daré sieti shalvares,
uno qui si troqui a cada’l día.
Poco le das, la mi consuegra,
poco le das a la vuestra hija,
vuestra hija, la querida
You give little, my mother-in-law,
you give little to your daughter,
your dear daughter
I’ll give her seven blouses,
one that she can exchange each day.
You give too little, my mother-in-law,
you give little to your daughter,
you give too little…
I’ll give her a very good luck,
that she can enjoy with her groom.
you give too little…
I’ll give her seven pairs of sharwal pants,
one that she can exchange each day.
You give little, my mother-in-law,
you give little to your daughter,
your dear daughter
Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Y2096/6
Referenced and notated in: El ciclo de la vida, pg. 194, Editorial Alpuerto, 2013 Susana Weich-Shahak.
This Bulgarian dowry song is an argument between the two future mother in laws. about the value of the bridal dowry. The groom’s mother, in the recurring verse, tells the brides mother that she has given too little (yine – Turkish) to her dear daughter. The bride’s mother replies to the unsatisfies mother of the groom, with a growing list of what she will give: 7 blouses, 7 sharwal pants etc.
This website was created by Orit Perlman with the collaboration and blessings of Dr. Susana Weich-Shahak in 2025