| Source (Ladino) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
|
Ya komimos
i bevimos i al Dyo santo Baruḥ U uvaruḥ shemo bendishimos. Ke mos dyo i mos dara pan para komer, i panyos para vistir, i anyos, munchos i buenos para bivir. |
We have eaten
and we have drunk and we have blessed the Holy One, — blessed are They[1] This translation uses the plural pronoun to refer to God as a pluralis majestatis, and to avoid the implications of God being assigned a gender. This is not meant to infer that God is plural, ḥas v-shalom. Find Ibn Ezra’s commentary on Genesis 1:1 for an explanation of the pluralis majestatis. and blessed be their Name — Who has given us, and may They continue to give us, bread to eat and clothes to wear and years, many and good ones, to live. |
|
El Padre el grande
ke mande al chiko, asegun tenemos de menester para muestras kazas i para muestros ijos. |
May the Great Parent
send to the little one according to our needs, for our homes and for our children. |
|
El Dyo mos oyga,
i mos aresponda i mos apiade por su nombre el grande, ke somos almikas sin pekado. |
May God listen to us
and answer us and may they forgive us for the sake of their Great Name, for we are little souls without sin. |
|
Odu L’Adonai ki tov
ki leolam ḥasdo. (תהלים קיח:א) Odu L’Adonai ki tov ki leolam ḥasdo. (תהלים קיח:כט) |
|
|
Syempre mejor,
nunka peor, nunka mos manke en la meza del Kriador. |
Always better,
never worse, may we never lack a thing at the table of the Creator. |
|
Amen.
|
Amen.
|
The Ladino prayer known by its incipit, “Ya Comimos,” is said after the recital of the Birkat Hamazon. It can be found in some birkhonim, some Spanish and Portuguese siddurim and some Haggadot. Traditionally the piyyut would be sung by women but at times could also be sung by men.
We are looking for older attestations of Ya Comimos in siddurim and haggadot. If you can provide a reference to one or more, please do — and thank you.
This translation follows the translation, Honi Sanders and I published in the birkon for his wedding, Siman l’Vanim (Dimus Parrhesia Press 2019). The English translation here deviates slightly from strict fidelity to the vernacular Ladino; “They” and “Their” is used here as a singular pronoun to avoid assigning a gender to God. –Aharon Varady
Source(s)
Notes
| 1 | This translation uses the plural pronoun to refer to God as a pluralis majestatis, and to avoid the implications of God being assigned a gender. This is not meant to infer that God is plural, ḥas v-shalom. Find Ibn Ezra’s commentary on Genesis 1:1 for an explanation of the pluralis majestatis. |
|---|---|
| 2 | Psalms 118:1. |
| 3 | Psalms 118:29. |
