Judeo-Italian couplets for each of the Ten Plagues (Venice, 1609)

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=61806

Date: 2025-05-20

Last Updated: 2025-05-23

Categories: Magid

Tags: 17th century C.E., 55th century A.M., haggadah supplements, Italian Jewry, Italian vernacular prayer, Nusaḥ Italḳi, rhyming translation

Excerpt: A series of ten short couplets describing the ten plagues afflicting the Egyptians in Egypt, written in Judeo-Italian and first published in the famous 1609 Venice Haggadah of Isaac Gershon. The Italian used in the Venice Haggadah lacks a lot of the most divergent aspects of the Judeo-Italian languages, sticking to a more mainline Tuscan grammatical norm, but there are enough obsolete, poetic, or dialectal forms that several footnotes have been included to explain them. Also included is an original English-language rhyming translation! . . .

Content:

A series of ten short couplets describing the ten plagues afflicting the Egyptians in Egypt, written in Judeo-Italian and first published in the famous 1609 Venice Haggadah of Isaac Gershon. The Italian used in the Venice Haggadah lacks a lot of the most divergent aspects of the Judeo-Italian languages, sticking to a more mainline Tuscan grammatical norm, but there are enough obsolete, poetic, or dialectal forms that several footnotes have been included to explain them. Also included is an original English-language rhyming translation!

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Source (Judeo-Italian)	Transliteration (Judeo-Italian, romanized)	Translation (English)
סַאנְגְוֵי   לְ אַקְוַה סִי קוֹנְוֵירְטֵי אִין סַאנְגְוֵי טוּטוֹ מִצְרָיִם סוֹסְפִּירַה אֵי לַאנְגְוֵי׃	Sangue   L’acqua si converte in sangue tutto Mizraim sospira e langue.	Blood   Into blood the water turns; all of Egypt sighs and yearns.
רַאנוֹקְיֵי   פֵּיר לַה גְרַאן קְוַאנְטִיטַה דֵי רַאנֵי נוֹן סִי דוֹרְמֵי נֵי אִינְפַּסְטַה נֵי קוֹצֶי אִיל פַּנֵי׃	Ranocchie   Per la gran quantità de[1] A dialectal form, used consistently throughout this entire passage. In standard Italian this would be spelled di.  rane, non si dorme né inpasta[2] A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be spelled impasta.  né coce[3] A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be spelled cuoce.  il pane.	Froggies   So many frogs upon Egypt did leap that none could bake their bread or sleep!
פֵּידוֹקְיִי   גְרַאנְדֵי אֶירַה לַה קְוַנְטִיטַה דֵי פֶּידוֹקְיִי גְרוֹסִי קוֹמֵי גְרָאנִי דֵי פִּינוֹקְיִי׃	Pedocchi[4] A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be spelled pidocchi.    Grande era la quantità de pedocchi, grossi come grani de pinocchi.[5] A Tuscan dialectal form. In standard Italian the more common word would be pinoli. This form is still relevant, though, seeing as it’s the source of the name of a well-known Italian fairy-tale character named after the nut of the pinetree from which he was carved.	Head-lice   Great was the number of lice and fleas, as big as the nuts that you get from pine trees!
מֵיסְקוּלְייוֹ   לוּפִּי אוֹרְסִי טִיגְרִי אֵי לֵיאוֹנִי אֵירַאנוֹ אִין מִצְרַיִם אִין טוּטִי אִי קַאנְטוֹנִי׃	Mescuglio[6] A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be spelled miscuglio.    Lupi, orsi, tigri, e leoni; erano in Mizraim in tutti e cantoni.	Mixture   Wolves, bears, tigers, lions roared throughout all Egypt in every ward.
פֵּיסְטֵי   בֵּיסְטִיאַמִי דֵי אוֹנְיִי סוֹרְטֵי פּוֹקִי סְקַאמְפַּאנוֹ דַה לַה מוֹרְטֶי׃	Peste   Bestiami de ogni sorte; pochi scampano da la[7] In standard Italian this would be written as dalla.  morte.	Plague   Livestock of every kind; escape from death few find.
פִֿיסְטוֹלַה   מֹשֶׁה סְפַּארְסֵי קַאלִיגִינֵי דִינַאנְצִי פַארַאוֹנֵי קַאסְקוֹ סוֹפְּרַה מִצְרִיִּים אֵי פֵיצֵי בּוֹנְיוֹנִי׃	Fistola   Moscè sparse caligine dinanzi Faraone; casco sopra Mizrigìm e feze bognoni.[8] A very old-fashoned Italian word. I can’t find evidence that it’s been used much in the past three hundred years. Note also the rhyme between Faraone and bognoni which suggests some weakening of word-final vowels, a process that would also explain the usage of de.	Fistula   Before Pharaoh Moses spread fine soot, so the Egyptians grew buboes from head to foot.
טֵימְפֵּיסְטַה   טֵימְפֵּיסְטַה אַקוֹמְפַּאנְיַאטַה קוֹן פוֹקוֹ קוּנְסוּמַאוַה מִצְרִיִּים אִוֹן אוֹנְיִי לוֹקוֹ׃	Tempesta   Tempesta accompagnata con foco[9] A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be spelled fuoco.  cunsumava[10] A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be spelled consumava.  Mizrigìm in ogni loco.[11] A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be spelled luogo.	Storm   Storm accompanied by fire consumed Egypt in every shire.
גְרִילוֹ   אוּנַה גְרַאן קְוַאנְטִיטַה דֵי קַאוַאלֵיטֵי קֵי דֵיווֹרַאוַה לַה וֵירדוּרַה דֵי לֵי אַרְבּוֹרִי אֵי לֶי אֵירְבֶּיטֶי	Grillo   Una gran quantità de cavallette che devorava la verdura de le[12] An archaic form. In standard Italian this would be spelled delle as one word.  arbori[13] A poetic form. In standard Italian this would be more likely alberi.  e le erbette.	Cricket   A large quantity of locusts covered the scenery which devoured the trees and herbs’ greenery.
סְקוּרִיטוֹ   טְרֵי גְייוֹרְנִי דֵי טֵינֵיבְּרַה אֵי סְקוּרוֹרֵי אַוֵיאַנוֹ לִי מִצְרִיִּים אֵי יִשְׂרָﭏֵ סְפְּלֶינְדוֹרֵי׃	Scurito   Tre giorni de tenebra e scurore[14] A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be more likely oscurità.  aveano[15] An archaic form. In standard Italian this would be more likely avévano.  li Mizrigìm e Gisrael splendore.	Darkened   Three days of darkness and obscurity the Egyptians had; and Israel, splendor and purity.
פֵּירְקוֹסַה דֵי פְּרִימִי גֵיינִיטִי׃   פִּיאַנְטִי סֹסְפִּירִי אֵי גֶיימִיטִי סִי סִינְטיוַה פֶּיר לַה מוֹרְטֶי דֶי פְּרִימִי גֵיינִיטִי׃	Percossa de primi geniti[16] An archaic form. In standard Italian this would be spelled primogeniti as one word. This is reflected in the English translation by writing “first born” as two words instead of one.    Pianti, sospiri, e gemiti si sentìva per la morte de primi geniti.	Strike of the first born   Cries, sighs, and groans, as they mourn, were heard for the death of the first born.

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Source(s)

Judeo-Italian couplets for each of the ten plagues (Venice, 1609)

 

Notes

Notes

1	A dialectal form, used consistently throughout this entire passage. In standard Italian this would be spelled di.
2	A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be spelled impasta.
3	A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be spelled cuoce.
4	A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be spelled pidocchi.
5	A Tuscan dialectal form. In standard Italian the more common word would be pinoli. This form is still relevant, though, seeing as it’s the source of the name of a well-known Italian fairy-tale character named after the nut of the pinetree from which he was carved.
6	A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be spelled miscuglio.
7	In standard Italian this would be written as dalla.
8	A very old-fashoned Italian word. I can’t find evidence that it’s been used much in the past three hundred years. Note also the rhyme between Faraone and bognoni which suggests some weakening of word-final vowels, a process that would also explain the usage of de.
9	A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be spelled fuoco.
10	A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be spelled consumava.
11	A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be spelled luogo.
12	An archaic form. In standard Italian this would be spelled delle as one word.
13	A poetic form. In standard Italian this would be more likely alberi.
14	A dialectal form. In standard Italian this would be more likely oscurità.
15	An archaic form. In standard Italian this would be more likely avévano.
16	An archaic form. In standard Italian this would be spelled primogeniti as one word. This is reflected in the English translation by writing “first born” as two words instead of one.

Contributor: Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (translation)
  Bio: From a family of musicians, Isaac Gantwerk Mayer believes that creative art is one of the most powerful ways to get in touch with the divine. He composes music and poetry in Hebrew and English. (He also authors his own original works and transcribes Hebrew and Aramaic text, adding niqqud and t'amim as needed.) Isaac runs a Jewish music transcription service, which will transcribe and set any Jewish music in any language, recorded or written. Contact his service on Facebook or via his music blog.
  Website: https://igmjewishcreativeworks.com
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/isaac-gantwerk-mayer-translation
• 
  Name: Isaac Gantwerk Mayer (transcription & naqdanut)
  Bio: From a family of musicians, Isaac Gantwerk Mayer believes that creative art is one of the most powerful ways to get in touch with the divine. He composes music and poetry in Hebrew and English. (He also translates and authors his own original works.) Isaac runs a Jewish music transcription service, which will transcribe and set any Jewish music in any language, recorded or written. Contact his service on Facebook or via his music blog.
  Website: https://igmjewishcreativeworks.com
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/isaac-gantwerk-mayer-transcription
• 
  Name: Unknown
  Bio: Sometimes the best we can do in attributing a historical work is to indicate the period and place it was written, the first prayer book it may have been printed in, or the archival collection in which the manuscript was found. We invite the public to help to attribute all works to their original composers. If you know something not mentioned in the commentary offered, please leave a comment or contact us.
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  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/unknown

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Title: Judeo-Italian couplets for each of the ten plagues (Venice, 1609)
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