Re: constructed romance languages

John Fisher wrote:
>
> In message <36A847F4.3BDC@...>, vardi <vardi@...>
> writes
> >John Fisher wrote:
> >> I have a book here, "Cants de Noces dels Jueus Catalans (Marriage Songs
> >> of the Catalan Jews)", Jaume Riera i Sans, Curial, Barcelona 1974.  It's
> >> a transcription with notes of five marriage songs written basically in
> >> Catalan with many Hebrew words and phrases, in Hebrew script.  They date
> >> from the mid 1400's, that's about fifty years before the expulsion of
> >> the Jews from Catalonia in 1492...  Their publication, says Riera, is "a
> >> duty of justice".  Fascinating.
> >>
> >
> >Wow! That sounds great. I don't know a lot about Catalan, but I love the
> >sound of it. words like "Jueus" - the softening out of consonants. Cute.
>
> Just for interest, here is the start of the first song.  The words I put
> in caps here Riera has in italics.  He prints the Hebrew script version
> too, which is without pointing.
>
> PIYYUT. NAEH   - Festive verse
>
> AL TEH.ALLEL passa` qui primer dona`
> sa filla al ZAQE'N, qui la.n fe'u ZONA`
>
> El ZAQE'N se'n va a colgar al ROS^ HA-MIT.A`
> La NE?ARA` lo desperta am gran GEBURA`
> Lo ZAQE'N li.n diu: "Que n'e`s tu S^OTA`
> S^E'ER WE-KESUT n'haura`s, mas no pas ?ONA` "
> La NE?ARA` li.n diu: "Perdut n'haveu el MOAH.!
> No n'haveu virtut ni punt de KOAH.!
> Tot lo vostre feit e's un bel RUAH.!
> Mas io prec en De'u que en breu ne sia ALMANA` "
>
> According to Riera the translation seems to be something like this
> (though I think it's full of Biblical references and saucy double
> entendres, and my Catalan isn't very good)
>
> He broke the precept "Don't defile your daughter (Lev. 19,29)"
> who gave her to an old man, who prostituted her.
> The old man went to cover himself at the head of the bed
> The girl woke him with great boldness
> The old man said to her, "What a fool you are!
> You will have food and clothing, but no marriage portion"
> The girl said to him, "You've lost your senses!
> You have no 'virtue' nor a scrap of strength!
> All you can do is a beautiful fart!
> But I pray to God that I shall soon be a widow."
>
> The other songs are much more serious.
>

Thanks, John. I'd hoped you might send an example but didn't want to
impose.

This example seems to fit in to a venerable tradition of mixed-language
and mixed-culture poetry among the Jews in Europe, particularly southern
Europe (I've never heard of an example from Germany, for example). I
know that in Italy poems were written in alternating lines of Hebrew and
Italian, and I have a book with similar examples from Greece.

Anyway, thanks again. And certainly the translation seems to do justice
to all the Hebrew words.


        Shaul