Sung by Flora Benamor. Tetuán, 1956.

This ballad of the birth of Moses closely follows the Biblical story: Pharaoh's order to slaughter all Hebrew males, the birth of Moses, Moses set adrift, and his rescue by Pharaoh's daughter. However, certain details differ. In this story, the box was made of gold and enamel; in the Bible it was ". . .an ark of bulrushes, and daubed with slime and with pitch..." (Exodus, Ch.2, 3). Further on in the ballad, Moses disdains the milk of an Egyptian wet-nurse because he is of noble birth, a Levite, the Hebrew priestly class. In the Bible, there is no mention of a conflict. As a practical measure, Miriam advises Pharaoh's daughter to hire a Hebrew wet-nurse, and she hires Moses' own mother.

The King proclaimed a proclamation
Throughout his kingdom:
“All newborn males
Must be thrown into the sea;

“All newborn females
Should be registered."
At this time was born
Our Rabbi Moses.

Oh, Moses, Moses, Moses,
Our Rabbi Moses.
Let me tell you the story
Of what happened to us.

Miriam, the prophetess,
Who was a wise woman,
Ordered an ark made,
Of a thousand marvels.

The inside was geld,
The outside enameled;
They placed Moses inside,
So as to cast him into the sea.

The daughter of Pharaoh Davav
Went to bathe in the river
Because of Moses' presence
The plague was cancelled.

She looks at the box
Drifting in the water,
This way and that;
Reaching out her arm
She pulled in the box.

She placed him in her arms
And took him to the palace;
"Oh, I pulled you from the water,
For a name, I gave you “Moses."

She called the wet-nurse
To give Moses milk;
Because Moses was a nobleman
He refused the milk of Egypt.

She called his mother
To give him milk;
His mother would not give it
Until she was paid.

Armistead: Vol. I, pg. 205 (E2)

Sung by Flora Benamor. Tetuán, 1956.

Un pregón pregonó el rey
por todo su reinado:
"Todo hijo nacido
a la mar fuera echado;

“Toda hija nacida
fuera averiguada"
Y en este tiempo nació
nuestro Rabbenú, Mosé.

Ay, Mosé, Mosé, Mosé,
nuestro Rabbinú Mosé.
Cantaros quiero un mahasé
que nos viene a acontecer.

Y Miriam, la nevía,
la que mucho sabía,
mando a hacer una arca,
y a las mil maravillas.

Por dentro dorada,
y por fuera esmaltada;
donde meter a Mosé,
y para echarlo a la mar.

La hija de Parhó D'avav
fuérase al río a lavar;
con el sejut de Mosé
se le quitó la macca.

Mira esa cajita
ya que el agua la llevaba,
y otro agua la traía;
se le alargaría el brazo
y la caja cogería.

Le echara en sus brazos
y le metió en el palacio;
“Ay, que del agua te saqué,
por nombre, Mosé te nombré.”

Llamar a las lechaderas
que dieran leche a Mosé;
Mosé.; como era nabib,
no quiso leche de Misraím.

Llamara a su madre
para que se la diera;
su madre no se la dió
y hasta que se la pagó