Translation of Albert Levy’s poem about the developing Sephardic community in the United States. Translated by Ashley Bobman.
(poezia deklamada por nuestro editor Alberto Levi en el banketo dela komunidad sefaradit, ke tuvo lugar alhad la tadre 6 djunio en el Pensilvania otel)
Alegre i yeno de entuziasmo estava,
kuando por este banketo yo pensava,
pensava de redejir unos kuantos versos
por komunidad i nuestras interesos,
me desidia alora, i eskrivia,
me entuziasmo mas en mas engrandesia
pensando siempre transmitir me idea,
a esta onorivle asamblia.
Grasias por la atansion ke prestarish,
i me dezio, ansi akomplerish;
el dezio de rebivir esperansas seguras
por nuestras aktividades futuras.
Esta noche, nos topamos aunados,
al deredor delas mezas, estamos grupados
lo mejor dela kolonia esta prezente;
siendo es un banketo sin presedente.
Si la komunidad aranjo este banketo,
no es por ninguno un sekreto;
fue echo por stimular entendemiento,
en favor del prezente movimiento.
Aunados estados, aunados estaremos,
por el bien jeneral nos sakrifikarimos;
el entuziasmo deshara rekodro perpetual
de este maniefiko banketo komunal.
Federasiones egzistieron en lo pasado,
pero tuvieron un sukseso limitado;
dovido ala mankansa de interesamiento,
i todo el lavoro se bolo komo el viento.
La komunidad tiene 2 anios de egzistensia
lavora kon ardor i perseverensia,
afin de ganar todas las sosiedades,
i empesar las diferentes aktividades.
La komunidad alkanso ya grande sukseso,
sormonto mas de un entrompieso;
oy ella se levanta poderoza,
kon shanses de bivir mas prosperoza.
La komunidad tiene ya su ofisina,
kon una furnetura ermoza i fina;
una sekretaria al servisio komunal,
tuviendo kargo de todo en jeneral.
Pokas sosiedades no estan afiliadas,
pero, muy presto seran ganadas;
la ovra es dinya, merese sukseso,
kada sosiedad deve mostrar intereso.
Tenemos problemas por ser solvidos,
ke nos son intimos i keridos;
kontamos aktualmente en la kolonia,
una grandieza aglomerasion djudia.
Es muestro dover de levantarmos,
todos los leders las manos darmos;
lavorar por el mizmo motivo,
porke el nombre sefaradi kede bivo.
No devemos mostrar indiferensia,
la ora sona de nuestra renasensia;
nos dimos las manos i los korasones,
i lavorimos kon buenas intesiones.
Tenemos un lavoro grandiozo a akomplir
por muestro sukseso i nuestro avenir;
tenemos nesesidad de toda koaperasion,
por yevar a kavo, la alta mision.
Ayi ande ay veluntad manifestada,
la reushida es siempre alkansada;
veluntad no manka, koraje no falta,
adelantre donke, por la kavza santa!
Todos en una, por el movimiento,
por levantar el gloriozo monomento;
levantar nuestra onor i gloria,
ke nuestro nombre kede en la istoria.
Rebivamos nuestra gloria pasada,
de nuestra istoria konsiderada,
agamos por el djudiezmo en jeneral,
i por nuestra kolonia en partikular.
Levantemos un edifisio ala relejion,
fondemos Talmud Torah para los chicos dela nasion
eskolas djudias, dinyas de mereto,
kon un verdadero i djudaiko esprito.
Ansi elevaremos, una buena djenerasion
i mereseremos de nuestra nasion;
bien aventurados seremos akel dia,
ke veremos realizar esto, en la kolonia.
Alberto Levi[/fusion_builder_column_inner]
(a poem presented by our editor Albert Levy in the banquet of the Sephardic community, that took place Sunday afternoon on June 6 in the Pennsylvania Hotel)
Happy and full of enthusiasm I was,
when I thought about this banquet,
I thought of composing a number of verses
for the community and our interests,
I resolved then, and wrote,
my enthusiasm grew more and more
thinking always transmits my idea
to this honorable assembly.
Thank you for the attention that you will pay,
and thus you will fulfill my wish;
the desire of reviving certain wishes
for our future activities.
Tonight, we find ourselves united,
around the tables, we are congregated
the colony’s best are present
since it is a banquet without a precedent.
If the community arranged this banquet,
it is not by any secret
it was a job to stimulate understanding
in favor of the present movement.
United we are, united we will be,
our sacrifices for the general well being
the enthusiasm will leave a perpetual memory
of this magnificent communal banquet.
Federations existed in the past,
but they had limited success
due to the lack of interest
and all the work flew like the wind (fell apart).
The community has existed for two years
it works with ardor and perseverance,
in order to win all the societies
and start different activities.
The community already achieved grand success,
it overcame more than a obstacle
today it stands strong,
with the potential to live more prosperously.
The community already has its office,
with beautiful and fine furniture
a secretary at the community’s service,
taking care of everything in general.
Little societies are unaffiliated
but will very soon be won
the task is worthy, it deserves success
each society should demonstrate interest.
Problems have to be solved
that we are intimate and beloved
we currently count in our colony
a great Jewish agglomeration.
It is our duty to rise,
all the leaders lend a hand
to work for the same motive
so that the name Sephardic remains alive
We should not demonstrate indifference
the hour of our rebirth has come
we give ourselves hand and heart
and we work with good intentions.
We have a great work to accomplish
for our success and our future
we have the need for everyone’s cooperation
in order to fruition high mission.
There where there is a will present
success is always achieved;
a will is not missing, courage is not lacking
onward for the holy cause!
All for one, for the movement,
in order to reach the glorious moment
to raise our honor and glory
that our name remain in history.
We revive our glorious past
of our considerable history
we work for Judaism in general
and for our colony in particular.
May we erect a structure for our religion,
may we found Jewish school for the children of the nation
Jewish schools, worthy of merit
with a true and Judaic spirit.
Therefore a good generation will rise
and will be worthy of our nation;
that day will be blessed
that we shall realize this in the colony.
Albert Levy