חַד גַּדְיָא | Un Cabri: La Légende de l’Agneau, a French translation of Ḥad Gadya by Dom Pedro Ⅱ, emperor of Brazil (1891)

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Aharon N. Varady (transcription) and Dom Pedro Ⅱ

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חד גדיא Ḥad Gadya, זמירות zemirot, Aramaic, פיוטים piyyutim, Ladino Translation, predation, salvation, 16th century C.E., 53rd century A.M.

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Source (Aramaic)	Translation (Provençal-French)	Translation (English)
חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא. דְּזַבִּן אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא.	Un cabri, un cabri, Qué avié aciéta moun païré, Un escu, douz escu. Had gadiâ! had gadiâ!	One little goat, one little goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
וְאָתָא שֻׁנְרָא וְאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּן אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא.	Es vengu lou ca, A mangia lou cabri, Qué avié aciéta moun païré. Un escu, douz escu. Had gadiâ! had gadiâ!	A cat came and ate the goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
וְאָתָא כַּלְבָּא וְנָשַׁךְ לְשֻׁנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּן אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא.	Es véngu lou ein, A mourdu lou ca, Qué avié mangia lou cabri, Qué avié aciéta moun païré, Un escu, douz escu. Had gadiâ! had gadiâ!	A dog came and bit the cat that ate the goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
וְאָתָא חֻטְרָא וְהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשֻׁנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּן אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא.	Es vengu lou bastoun, A battu lou ein, Qué avié mourdu lou ca, Qué avié mangia lou cabri, Qué avié aciéta moun païré. Un escu, douz escu. Had gadiâ! had gadiâ!	A stick came and hit the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
וְאָתָא נוּרָא וְשָׂרַף לְחֻטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשֻׁנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּן אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא.	Es vengu lou fiau, A brula lou bastoun, Qué avié battu lou cin, Qué avié mourdu lou ca, Qué avié mangia lou cabri, Qué avié aciéta moun païré, Un escu, douz escu. Had gadiâ! had gadiâ!	A fire came and burned the stick that hit the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
וְאָתָא מַיָּא וְכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחֻטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשֻׁנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּן אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא.	Es véngu l’aïga, A amoussa lou fiau, Qué avié brula lou bastoun, Qué avié battu lou cin, Qué avié mourdu lou ca, Qué avié mangia lou cabri, Qué avié aciéta moun païré, Un escu, douz escu. Had gadiâ! had gadiâ!	Water came and put out the fire that burned the stick that hit the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
וְאָתָא תּוֹרָא וְשָׁתָא לְמַיָּא, דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחֻטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשֻׁנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּן אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא.	Es vengu lou biauou, A bégu l’aïga, Qué avié amoussa lou fiau, Qué avié brula lou bastoun, Qué avié battu lou cin, Qué avié mourdu lou ca, Qué avié mangia lou cabri, Qué avié aciéta moun païré, Un escu, douz escu. Had gadiâ! had gadiâ!	An 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 goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
וְאָתָא הַשּׁוֹחֵט וְשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא, דְּשָׁתָא לְמַיָּא, דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחֻטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשֻׁנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּן אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא.	Ès vengu lou Sohet,^[1] Le sacrificateur: l’égorgeur des animaux bons à manger. Qué a sahata (égorgé) lou biauou, Qué avié bégu l’aïga, Qué avié amoussa lou fiau, Qué avié brula lou bastoun, Qué avié battu lou cin, Qué avié mourdu lou ca, Qué avié mangia lou cabri, Qué avié aciéta moun païré, Un escu, douz escu. Had gadiâ! had gadiâ!	A shoḥet came^[2] The sacrificer: the butcher of animals acceptable [kosher] to eat. and slaughtered 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 goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
וְאָתָא מַלְאַךְ־הַמָּ֫וֶת וְשָׁחַט לְשׁוֹחֵט, דְּשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא, דְּשָׁתָא לְמַיָּא, דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחֻטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשֻׁנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּן אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא.	Es vengu l’Angé de la Mort, Qué a sahata lou Sohet, Qué avié sahata lou biauou, Qué avié bégu l’aïga, Qué avié amoussa lou fiau, Qué avié brula lou bastoun, Qué avié battu lou cin, Qué avié mourdu lou ca, Qué avié mangia lou cabri, Qué avié aciéta moun païré, Un escu, douz escu. Had gadiâ! had gadiâ!	The Angel of Death came and slaughtered the shoḥet who slaughtered 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 goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.
וְאָתָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא וְשָׁחַט לְמַלְאַךְ־הַמָּ֫וֶת דְּשָׁחַט לְשׁוֹחֵט, דְּשָׁחַט לְתוֹרָא, דְּשָׁתָא לְמַיָּא, דְּכָבָה לְנוּרָא, דְּשָׂרַף לְחֻטְרָא, דְּהִכָּה לְכַלְבָּא, דְּנָשַׁךְ לְשֻׁנְרָא, דְּאָכְלָה לְגַדְיָא, דְּזַבִּן אַבָּא בִּתְרֵי זוּזֵי, חַד גַּדְיָא, חַד גַּדְיָא.	Es vengu Hakkadoss Baruch Hu (le Saint béni soit-il). Qué a sahata l’Angé dè la Mort Qué avié sahata lou Sohet, Qué avié sahata lou biauou Qué avié bégu l’aïga, Que avié amoussa lou fiau, Qué avié brula lou bastoun, Qué avié battu lou cin, Qué avié mourdu lou ca, Qué avié mangia lou cabri, Qué avié aciéta moun païré, Un escu, douz escu. Had gadiâ! had gadiâ!	Then the blessed Holy One came and slaughtered the Angel of Death who slaughtered the shoḥet who slaughtered 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 goat that my father bought for two zuzim. One little goat, one little goat.

This is “Had Gadiâ | Un Cabri: La Légende de l’Agneau (Poésie chaldaico-provençale, chantée a la table de famille les soirs de Paques),” a translation of Ḥad Gadya into Provençal-French by Dom Pedro Ⅱ (1825-1891), emperor of Brazil, as published in Poésies hébraïco-provençales du rituel israélite comtadin traduites et transcriptes par S. M. D. Pedro Ⅱ, de Alcântara, empereur du Brésil (1891), pp. 45-59. A note on the last page indicates the translation was made in Vichy, France on 30 July 1891. In his introduction (pp. viii-xi), he writes:

Le chant «un agneau ou un chevreau: had gadiâ» (en hébr. chald. חד גדיא) s’entonne à la table de famille, lors des deux soirées de Pâques, et exprime lé rôle de la puissance providentielle dans les évènements de la vie des individus, comme de celle des peuples.^[3] Ce chant traditionnel se trouve dans le Rituel des soirées de Pâques, connu sous le nom de הַגָּדָה = haggadâ: du nom de la partie homilétique du Talmud, d’où il a été tiré. (Seder Hakkontérès כז)
The song “a lamb or a kid: had gadiâ” (in Hebrew-Chaldean [Aramaic] חד גדיא) is sung at the family table, on the two evenings of Passover, and expresses the role of providential power in the events of the life of individuals, as well as that of peoples.^[4] This traditional song is found in the Passover Evening Ritual, known as הַגָּדָה = haggadâ: from the name of the homiletic part of the Talmud, from which it was taken. (Seder Hakkontérès כז)
Au sommet de toutes les actions humaines se trouve la justice infinie, qui donne à chacun selon ses œuvres. Idée consolante pour les victimes de la violence et de l’iniquité! source de force et de courage pour la race, toujours opprimée, qui ne doit, enfin, son indépendance qu’aux bienfaits de la civilisation moderne.
At the summit of all human actions is the infinite justice, which gives to each one according to his deeds. A consoling idea for the victims of violence and iniquity! A source of strength and courage for the race, always oppressed, which owes its independence, at last, only to the benefits of modern civilization.
[….]

Le Had gadiâ, chant d’«un chevreau», est plus régulier. Ecrit en chaldéen, c’est un simple exposé des conséquences rémunératrices qui s’enchaînent dans l’humanité, et n’offre rien de particulier au point de vue de la versification. Il n’est placé dans ce recueil que parce qu’à la table de famille on le traduit en langue provençale, laquelle était assurément au moyen-âge, la langue habituelle des israélites du Comtat et est demeurée en usage dans la cérémonie des soirées pascales chez les Hébreux de Vancien Comtat-Venaissin.
[….]

The Had gadiâ, song of “a kid”, is more regular. Written in Chaldean, it is a simple exposition of the remunerative consequences that follow one another in humanity, and offers nothing particular from the point of view of versification. It is placed in this collection only because at the family table it is translated into Provençal, which was certainly in the Middle Ages the usual language of the Israelites of the Comtat and remained in use in the ceremony of the Paschal evenings among the Hebrews of Vancien Comtat-Venaissin.

The earliest known appearance of “Ḥad Gadya,” by an unknown author, can be found, handwritten, in the Prague Haggadah (1526). The Aramaic has been vocalized according to the Prague Haggadah (1590). Besides the transcription of the Aramaic with its vocalization, I have also added a translation adapted from Eve Levavi Feinstein’s Passover Haggadah translation. –Aharon N. Varady

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Notes[+]

Notes
1	Le sacrificateur: l’égorgeur des animaux bons à manger.
2	The sacrificer: the butcher of animals acceptable [kosher] to eat.
3	Ce chant traditionnel se trouve dans le Rituel des soirées de Pâques, connu sous le nom de הַגָּדָה = haggadâ: du nom de la partie homilétique du Talmud, d’où il a été tiré. (Seder Hakkontérès כז)
4	This traditional song is found in the Passover Evening Ritual, known as הַגָּדָה = haggadâ: from the name of the homiletic part of the Talmud, from which it was taken. (Seder Hakkontérès כז)

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“חַד גַּדְיָא | Un Cabri: La Légende de l’Agneau, a French translation of Ḥad Gadya by Dom Pedro Ⅱ, emperor of Brazil (1891)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.

Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)

Dom Pedro Ⅱ

Dom Pedro II (also with the surname: d'Alcantara; 2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), nicknamed "the Magnanimous" (Portuguese: O Magnânimo), was the second and last monarch of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of the House of Braganza. His father's abrupt abdication and departure to Europe in 1831 left the five-year-old as emperor and led to a grim and lonely childhood and adolescence, obliged to spend his time studying in preparation for rule. His experiences with court intrigues and political disputes during this period greatly affected his later character; he grew into a man with a strong sense of duty and devotion toward his country and his people, yet increasingly resentful of his role as monarch. Pedro II inherited an empire on the verge of disintegration, but he turned Brazil into an emerging power in the international arena. The nation grew to be distinguished from its Hispanic neighbors on account of its political stability, zealously guarded freedom of speech, respect for civil rights, vibrant economic growth, and form of government—a functional representative parliamentary monarchy. Brazil was also victorious in the Platine War, the Uruguayan War, and the Paraguayan War, as well as prevailing in several other international disputes and domestic tensions. Pedro II steadfastly pushed through the abolition of slavery despite opposition from powerful political and economic interests. A savant in his own right, the Emperor established a reputation as a vigorous sponsor of learning, culture, and the sciences, and he won the respect and admiration of people such as Charles Darwin, Victor Hugo, and Friedrich Nietzsche, and was a friend to Richard Wagner, Louis Pasteur, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, among others. There was no desire for a change in the form of government among most Brazilians, but the Emperor was overthrown in a sudden coup d'état that had almost no support outside a clique of military leaders who desired a form of republic headed by a dictator. Pedro II had become weary of emperorship and despaired over the monarchy's future prospects, despite its overwhelming popular support. He did not allow his ouster to be opposed and did not support any attempt to restore the monarchy. He spent the last two years of his life in exile in Europe, living alone on very little money.

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Pedro II of Brazil photographed by Joaquim Insley Pacheco (1830–1912) in 1883. Biblioteca nacional do Brasil

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17