Modern Sephardic Poetry

This poem by a modern Sephardic-American expresses the importance of spirituality and history in Sephardic culture.

A feeling of joy

Rufina Bernardetti Silva Mausenbaum ©copyright 1999
http://www.saudades.org rufina@saudades.org


A feeling of joy descends
slowly
Finding its resting place
within me
The images of the past now
an inspiration
Listening to the memories
fills me with tenderness
I have survived, I am here, alive
I am Israel
Connected always to my past
with love and saudade
For those who went before, so
I open my heart like a shrine
Unblemished by bitterness
or hate
Filled with love for them
Centuries of tender care
could not deny
Bore into a perfect harmony
As humane and mature
With the wholeness
of spirit that is victorious
We once more can share
The essence and purity
of life as
Jews from Sepharad.



These poems by Isabelle Medina Sandoval express the experience of the Sephardic community living in the American Southwest.
La Rosa Sefardita
En el desierto en Nuevo Mexico
un angelilto cantaba esta cancion. . .
Linda y vibrante
es la rosa de San Elizario
del Paso del Norte
Alegre y dulce
es las rosa de la familia
de las colonialistas antiguas de Nuevo Mexico
Graciosa y preciosa
es la rosa sefardita
de los conversos de Espana
Querida y noble
es la rosa bendita
de la familia del Rey David
En el desierto de Colorado
un angelito cantaba esta cancion. . .
Linda, linda
es la hija de Onate
Linda, linda
es la hija sefardita
Linda, linda
es la hija del Rey David
Linda, linda
es la hija de Israel
En el desierto de Israel
todos los angelitos cantaban esta cancion. . .
Al Senor Santo en el cielo
Alabado sea su santo nombre
Ha llegado la princesa sefardita
la hija de Israel
Adonai Adonai
Viva siempre nuestro Senor Santo
Escrito en memoria de Berta Costillo Covos		 The Sephardic Rose
In the New Mexico desert
an angel was singing this song. . .
Beautiful and vibrant
is the rose of San Elizario
of the Pass of the North
Happy and sweet
is the rose of the family
of the old New Mexican colonists
Gracious and precious
is the Sephardic rose
of the Jewish converts of Spain
Beloved and noble
is the blessed rose
of the family of King David
In the desert of Colorado
an angel was singing this song. . .
Beautiful, beautiful
is the daughter of Onate
Beautiful, beautiful
is the Sephardic daughter
Beautiful, beautiful
is the daughter of King David
Beautiful, beautiful
is the daughter of Israel
In the desert of Israel
all of the angels were singing this song. . .
Blessed Senor of the heavens
Praised be your blessed name
The Sephardic princess has arrived
the daughter of Israel
Adonai Adonai
Long live forever our Blessed Senor
Written in memory of Berta Costillo Covos
Teshuvah
Albricias
Primo Rabi
sangre de mi sangre de Espana.
Munchos anos
mas de cuarenta anos
vivia mi familia en el desierto de Sinai
sin templo de orar.
Muchos anos
mas de cuatrocientos anos
vivia mi familia en los desiertos de Mexico
sin templo de orar.
Primo Rabi
siendo de los anusim
que es mi camino de teshuvah?
Necesito templo de orar.
Munchos anos
munchos siglos
han pasado en los desiertos
sin templo de orar.
Primo Rabi
semos de la misma raza. Necesito tus consejos.
Estoy muriendo en este desierto eterno de la vida.
Ay, ay, ay, ay. No comprendo mi camino. Necesito llorar.
 Teshuvah
Glad tidings
Cousin Rabbi
blood of my blood of Spain.
Many years
more than forty years
my family lived in the Sinai Desert
without a temple to pray.
Many years
more than four hundred years
my family lived in the deserts of Mexico
without a temple to pray.
Cousin Rabbi
being from the anusim
what is my road to teshuvah?
I need a temple to pray.
Cousin Rabbi
we are of the same race. I need your advice.
I am dying in this eternal desert of life.
Ay, ay, ay, ay.
I do not understand my road. I need to cry.
 
 
 
Hermanas
 Veiled by intricate rose flowered scrolls
Spanish eyes fixate on
the aristocratic woman seated near her
Peering from her white crocheted lace
her captivating eyes smile and
acknowledge the stranger in the black mantilla
Reading from their prayerbooks in English and Hebrew
two pairs of Ladino ancestral eyes
share the mutual mitzvah of one half a millennial hiatus
Leaving the Shabbat service
one pair of flawless exquisite Spanish laced hearts
beats in harmony to subliminal sensations of kinship

Written for Schulamith C. Halevy