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Sung by Alicia Benassayag. Tetuán, 1956.
This accumulative song is sung at the end of the
Passover seder. Traced to 16th century Central Europe,
it was first performed in Aramaic, then translated into
other languages, and sung to different tunes. Since
then, similar themes have appeared in many European
folk tales and nursery rhymes.
In essence, the song refers to the levels of power in
nature, animals, humans and super humans: the cat is
stronger than a kid; the dog stronger than the cat;
the stick stronger than the dog, etc. But the most powerful
of all is the "Blessed One" who overcomes even the Angel
of Death. Although seemingly unrelated to Judaic custom,
similar passages are found in the Talmud; iron breaks
stone, fire melts iron, water extinguishes fire, etc.
One kid and one kid
That my father bought me
For two ochitos.
One kid and one kid
That my father bought me
For two ochitos;
And the cat came and ate the kid
That my father bought me
For two ochitos.
One kid and one kid
That my father bought me for two ochitos;
And the dog came and bit
The cat that ate the kid
That my father bought me
For two ochitos.
One kid and one kid...
And the stick came and hit
the dog that bit
the cat that ate
the kid...
.One kid and one kid...
And the fire came and burned
the stick that hit
the dog that bit
the cat that ate
the kid...
One kid and one kid...
And the water came and put out
the fire that burned
the stick that hit
the dog that bit
the cat that ate
the kid...
One kid and one kid...
And the ox came and drank
the water that put out
the fire that burned
the stick that hit
the dog that bit
the cat that ate
the kid...
One kid and one kid...
And the sojet* came and
beheaded the ox that
drank the water that
put out the fire that
burned the stick that hit
the dog that bit
the cat that ate
the kid...
One kid and one kid...
And the malaj amabet came and
killed the sojet that
beheaded the ox that
drank the water that
put out the fire that
burned the stick that hit
the dog that bit
the cat that ate
the kid
One kid and one kid...
And the Blessed Saint came and
killed the malaj amabet who
killed the sojet who
beheaded the ox that
drank the water that
put out the fire that burned
the stick that hit
the dog that bit
the cat that ate
the kid
That my father bought me
For two ochitos
Sojet = Ritual butcher Malaj amabet = Angel of Death
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