Sung by Alicia Benassayag, Tetuán, 1956.

In this sensual song, each part of the bride's body is given a poetic metaphor: her head is compared to a peaceful meadow, hair to embroidery silk, face to a rose, and her breasts to lemons. When Alicia sang it, she stopped at the more intimate parts of the body, too embarrassed to utter the words. Popular among Sephardic Jews everywhere in the Diaspora, this song resembles a Spanish folk tune entitled El Retrato (The Portrait). It is an accumulative song.

Says our bride-to-be,
What do you call the head?
It's not called head,
But a peaceful meadow."
May the bride pass by and the groom enjoy.

Says our bride-to-be,
What do you call hair?
It's not called hair,
But embroidery silk.
Oh, my embroidery silk,
Oh, my peaceful meadow.
May the bride pass by and the groom enjoy.

Says our bride-to be,
What do you call the forehead?
It's not called forehead,
But a shining sword.
Oh, my shining sword,
Oh, my embroidery thread,
Oh, my peaceful meadow.
May the bride pass by and the groom enjoy.

Says our bride-to-be,
What do you call the eyebrows?
They're not called eyebrows,
But threads of the loom.
Oh, my threads of the loom...

Says our bride-to-be,
What do you call the eyes?
They are not called eyes,
But fine observatories.
Oh, my fine observatories...

Says our bride-te-be,
What do you call the nose?
It's not called nose,
but a date from the date tree.
Oh, my date from the date tree...

Says our bride-to-be,
What do you call the face?
It's not called a face, but a rose in the rosebush.
Oh, my rose in the rosebush ...

Says our bride-te-be,
What do you call the lips?
They're not called lips,
but rows of coral.
Oh, my rows of coral...

Says our bride-to-be,
What do you call the breasts?
They're not called breasts,
but lemons from the lemon tree.
Oh, my lemons from the lemon tree...

Says our bride-te-be,
What do you call the legs?
They are not called legs,
but canes from the succa*.
Oh, my canes from the succa...

*succa: (Hebrew) The temporary shelter symbolizing the harvest season of Succoth.

Armistead: Vol. II, pg. 314 (Y4)

Sung by Alicia Benassayag, Tetuán, 1956.

Dice la nuestra novia,
¿Cómo se llama la cabeza?
No se llama cabeza,
sino campo despacioso.
Pase la novia y goce al novio.

Dice la nuestra novia,
¿Cómo se llama el cabello?
No se llama cabello,
sino seda de labrar.
Ay, mi seda de labrar,
ay, mi campo despacioso.
Pase la novia y goce al novio.

Dice la nuestra novia,
¿Cómo se llama la frente?
No se llama frente,
sino espada reluciente.
Ay, mi espada reluciente,
ay, mi seda de labrar,
ay, mi campo despacioso.
Pase la novia y goce al novio.

Dice la nuestra novia,
¿Cómo se llaman las cejas?
No se llaman cejas,
sino cinta del telar.
Ay, mi cinta del telar...

Dice la nuestra novia,
¿Cómo se llaman los ojos?
No se llaman los ojos,
sino ricos miradores.
Ay, mis ricos miradores...

Dice la nuestra novia,
¿Cómo se llama la nariz?
No se llama nariz,
sino datil datilár.
Ay, mi datil datilár...

Dice la nuestra novia,
¿Cómo se llama la cara?
No se llama cara,
sino rosa en el rosál.
Ay, mi rosa en el rosál...

Dice la nuestra novia,
¿Cómo se llaman los labios?
No se llaman labios,
sino filos de corál.
Ay, mi filos de corál...

Dice la nuestra novia,
¿Cómo se llaman los pechos?
No se llaman pechos,
sino limón limonár.
Ay, mi limón limonár...

Dice la nuestra novia,
¿Cómo se llaman las patas?
No se llaman patas,
sino canas de succa*.
Ay, mis cañas de succa...

*succa: (Hebrew) The temporary shelter symbolizing the harvest season of Succoth.