Original illustration by Adam Garvey
mi kerida
(Ladino)
mi kerida tiene el kaveyo kolor kafe
i bebe de las aguas mas freskas de sefarad.
mi kerida se adorna kon koyares de oro
i panyos de rojo vivo.
eya le kanta a el mar,
su voz es dulse i livre,
i le kuenta muestro amor.
dos mujeres ke se besan abasho de el sol i los olivos.
yo le pelo portokals i eya me kuvre el kaveyo,
simbolo de kasamiento,
susurros de promesas i frutikas kompartidas,
eya me desina el henna kon sumo de agranada i yo a eya igal.
las dos miramos komo abasha el sol i arrogamos ke el Dyo nos deshe amar i vivir.
My Beloved
(English Translation)
My beloved’s hair is the color of coffee
And she drinks from the finest waters in Sefarad.
My beloved adorns herself with necklaces of gold and cloths of cheerful red.
She sings to the sea,
Her voice is sweet and free,
Singing of our love.
Two women that kiss each other under the sun and olive trees.
I peel her oranges
And she covers my hair,
A symbol of marriage, with whispered promises and shared fruits,
She paints my henna with the juice of a pomegranate
And I, the same to her.
Together we watch the sunset and pray
that Gd may let us love and live.
