Aven mande mure pena Kone vena jaba prima (x2) Que gelem te lepra lensa
Gelem gelem lepra lensa Anda lama shukar lasha (x2)
Jovta mange pevu ruro Kenov tuke shukar slaga (x2) Te shoy dikhen lebo troma
Shukar slaga kenov tuke Ay te shermelen landa tute (x2)
A peine entré dans les pesme J’appelle les perosi, perivar Toi le perdesh, toi l’é etranger Ajde Djordje vamos a cantar
Gelem, Gelem, srce romale Moja pesma n’est qu’un aparté
Gelem Gelem, ô gadjikane Ada n’ichi de donde viene
Comme le perdad, nema pare Comme la perday, tout mon or est passé J’avais d’mandé, j’avais mendié La calor du sunakay printanier
Gelem, Gelem, srce romale Moja pesma n’est qu’un aparté Gelem Gelem, ô gadjikane Ada n’ichi de donde viene
Thanks a lot to Erika Serre, Toma Feterman and Cherenxia for providing the lyrics and the translations to all languages!!
Verse 1 Lyrics Offered by Erika Serre (from Hungary) Verse 2 Lyrics Written by Toma Feterman (from French) Translated by Cherenxia (from South Korea) Thanks to Feterman & The Freylekh Trio
Aven mande mure pena Come with me, my sister
(Romani) Aven : come (Romani) Mande : with me (Romani) Mure : my (Romani) Pena : sister (Romani) Penav : to say
Kone vena jaba prima. If I’m lucky, I will gofirst
(Romani) Kane : if (Romani) Vena : have luck (Romani) Jaba : i will go (Romani) Yaba : already, yet (Italian) Prima : first, primary, best
Que gelem te lepra lensa. I went to my lover, later you may be with them
(Romani) Kuc : lover (Romani) Gelem : I went (Romani) Lensa : with them (Romani) Lepta : later (Romani) Lerma : a sound (Romani) Te : and, may
Gelem gelem lepra lensa. I walked, I walked, later we’re with them
(Romani) Gelem : I went (Romani) Lensa : with them, to them (Romani) Lensar : With them. (Romani) Lepta : later
Anda lama shukar lasha She is gorgeous and beautiful
(Romani) Ando : in (Romani) Anda : the (Romani) Rasa : race, tribe (Romani) Lashav : shame, honor (Romani) Lasa : girl, her (Romani) Shukar : beautiful (Arabic) Lama : gorgeous, pretty
Jovta mange pevu ruro Tells me I’m a mature lover
(Swahili) Pevu : mature (Russian) Jovta : to tell (South Africa) Lulo : love, happiness (Romani) Rura : time (Romani) Mange : to me
Kenov tuke shukar slaga I’ll put on beautiful earrings to you
(Romani) Slaga : earing (Romani) Tuke : to you (Romani) Shukar : beautiful
Shukar slaga kenov tuke Beautiful earrings, i’ll put on you
(Romani) Slaga : earing (Romani) Tuke : to you (Romani) Shukar : beautiful
Te shoy dikhen lebo troma And gratitude to romani visitors, friends who take a look
(Arabic) Lebo : gratitude, thanks (Romani) Te shai dikhav : to take a look // in “Gelem Gelem (Romani Anthem)” (Romani) Troma : courage (Romani) Rroma : romani men
Shukar slaga kenov tuke Beautiful earrings, i’ll put on you
(Romani) Slaga : earing (Romani) Tuke : to you (Romani) Shukar : beautiful
Kenov tuke shukar slaga I’ll put on beautiful earrings to you
(Romani) Slaga : earing (Romani) Tuke : to you (Romani) Shukar : beautiful
Ay te shermelen landa tute And Shermelen with you
(Romani) Ay : oh (Romani) Te : and, may (Romani) Tute : to you (Romani) Landa : with them
En Aparté
A peine entré dans les pesme The song enters, just before
(French) à peine : the song (French) entré : enter (French) dans : just before (Serbian) Pesme : chansons, poèmes
J’appelle les perosi, perivar I call the neighbors, family
(French) J’appelle: I call (Romani) perosi : voisins : neighbors (Romani) perivar : famille : family
Toi le perdesh, toi l’é etranger. You the foreigners, you the strangers
(French) Toi le : you the (Romani) Perdesh : foreigner, stranger (French) Etranger : foreigner, stranger
Ajde Djordje vamos a cantar. Come on Georges, we’re going to sing
(Serbian) Ajde Djordie : go Georges (Español) Vamos a : we are going to, we will (Español) Cantar : sing
Gelem, Gelem, srce romale I walked, I walked, with romani heart
(Romani) Gelem : I went (Serbian) Srce romale = le coeur rom : with Romani heart
Moja pesma n’est qu’un aparté My song is just an aside
(Serbian) Moja : my (Serbian) Pesme : chansons, poèmes (French) N’est qu’un aparté : just an aside
Gelem Gelem, ô gadjikane I walked, I walked it doesn’t matter
(Romani) Gelem : I went (Romani) Gadjikane : non-romani
Ada n’ichi de donde viene I don’t care if he is not gypsy or where he came from
(Romani) Ada n’ichi : It’s not important (Español) De donde viene : Where he came from
Comme le perdad, nema pare Like the great grandfather, has no money
(French) Comme : like (Romani) Perdad : great grandfather (Serbian) Nema : does not have (Serbian) Pare : money
Comme la perday, tout mon or est passé . Like the great grandmather, all my gold is gone
(French) Comme : like (Romani) Perday : great grandmother (French) Tout mon or est : all my gold (French) Passé : be gone
Clip from the film Latcho Drom by Tony Gatlif. A must see! From Kalbelia to Flamenco, the story through music of Gypsies arround the world.
Ay los gitanos somos así… Ay los gitanos somos así, somos errantes, Es nuestra forma de vivir, no hay quien la cambie. Recorremos los caminos, que nos llevan a qualquier parte y en la orillita del rio, desatamos nuestro arte.
Oh oh oh, lalala lalalalala
Ay unos cantan y otros bailan y es luna llena, Que se case una gitana, y esta noche vamos de fiesta. Y en la noche sonarán guitarras, palmas flamencas, y a la novia mírala, con un pañuelo de seda.
Oh oh oh, lalala lalalalala
Ay respetamos nuestras leyes como gitanos seguimos las tradiciones porque el tiempo va pasando. Porque son nuestras costumbres, las que Diós nos ha mandado, en la sangre lo llevamos, el flamenco es el gitano.
Translation: We gypsies are like that we are wandering Is our way of living and no one can change it We travel along paths which lead as anywere And next to the river, we show our art.
Ones sing and others dance and it’s full moon A gipsy woman should get married and we can all go party and at night guitars and Flamenco claps will sound And look at the bride, with a silk handkerchief
We respect our laws as gypsies we follow the traditions because time goes by Because they are our manners, the ones God commanded us In our blood we carry it, the Flamenco is the gypsy.
A Macedonian Roma song about the moment during wedding ceremony when the bride’s dowry, the cheiz, is brought out of her house. It can accompany the Rom dance Cocek. Song made famous by Kocani Orkestar, Oskestar version.
Usti Usti Baba Ushti ushti, baba, O davulja maren, O davulja maren, baba, Me phenjake aven. / x2
Me phenjake aven O davulja maren, O davulja maren, baba, Me phenjake aven. / x2
Me phenjake aven, E najsukarjakje, E najsukarjakje, baba, E najtiknorjakje. / x2
Ushti baba, usti, O cheizi ikal, O cheizi ikal, baba, E najtiknorjakje. / x2
Ushti ushti, baba, O davulja maren, O davulja maren, baba, Me phenjake aven. / x2
Wake up, wake up, father (Translation) Wake up, wake up, father, The drum is beating, The drum is beating. They’re coming for my sister. They’re coming for my sister,
The most beautiful one, The most beautiful one, father, The smallest one.
Wake up, wake up, father, The dowry is being taken out, The dowry is being taken out, The smallest one.
Wake up, wake up, father, The drum is beating, The drum is beating, They’re coming for my sister.
Song by Ljiljana Buttler & Mostar Sevdah Reunion. “The ‘mother of Gypsy soul’Ljiljana Buttler, was born in Belgrade in 1944 but dissapeared from the Yugoslav music scene in the late seventies. Mostar Sevdah Reunion’s Dragi Sestic rediscovered her in Düsseldorf. This song is about singing dancing and good times”. Source: Beginner’s guide to Eastern Europe.
Zvonija, Zvonija Ej, zvonija, zvonija muzika bashalena (x2)
muzika bashalena daje e romnjata kelen (x2)
Romalen aven te dichen Romano horo
Baba mori baba Daje mori daje (x2)
Von shukar chelena daje Shukar djila bena (x2)
Rachija pijena daje Shukar bashalena
Romalen aven te dichen Romano horo
Baba mori baba Daje mori daje (x2)
A me djilabava daje, Pe more chojache (x2)
Pe more chojache daje Lele shukar jache (x2)
Romalen aven te dichen Romano horo
Baba mori baba Daje mori daje (x2)
Romaleeee!
Ring, ring (Translation) Ring, ring music is playing music is playing, mother the girls are dancing
Gypsies come and see the gipsy dance Father, oh father mother, oh mother
They’re dancing beautifully They’re singing beautifully They’re drinking rakija And they’re playing beautifully
And I sing, mother I sing to my children I sing to my children, mother To my most beautiful children
The title of this traditional russian song which russian gypsies consider theyrs, means “all along a long path”. Written by Boris Fomin (1900-1948) with words by the poet Konstantin Podrevskii, this song became famous thanks to its appearence in The Brothers Karamazov’ (1958) performed by Maria Schell. Here performed by Alexander Menshikov.
Dorogoy Dlinnoyu Yehali na troyke s bubentsami, A vdali mel’kali ogon’ki. Mne b seichas, sokoliki, za vami, Dushu bi razveyat’ ot toski.
Dorogoy dlinnoyu, da noch’yu lunnoyu, Da s pesney toy, chto vdal’ letit, zvenya, I s toy starinnoyu, toy semistrunnoyu. Chto po nocham tak muchila menya…
Tak zhiv’a bez radosti, bez muki Pomnyu ya ushedshiye goda I tvoi serebryanie ruki V troyke, uletevshey navsegda…
Dorogoy dlinnoyu, da noch’yu lunnoyu, Da s pesney toy, chto vdal’ letit, zvenya, I s toy starinnoyu, toy semistrunnoyu. Chto po nocham tak muchila menya…
Dni begut, pechali umnozhaya, Mne tak trudno proshloe zabit’. Kak-nibud’ odnazhdi, dorogaya, Vi menya svezete horonit’.
Dorogoy dlinnoyu, da noch’yu lunnoyu, Da s pesney toy, chto vdal’ letit, zvenya, I s toy starinnoyu, toy semistrunnoyu. Chto po nocham tak muchila menya…
The long road (Translation) They were riding in a troika with bells, and in the distance there were glimmering lights. I’d rather go now with you, my dears, I’d rather distract my soul from the yearning.
[Chorus] Along a long road, and on a moonlit night, And with that song that flies away with jingle-jangle, And with that ancient, seven-stringed one (guitar) That tortured me so much at nights…
Living this way, without joy, without torture, I do remember the past years and your silvery hands in a troika that flew away forever….
But it turns out our song was futile, In vain we burned night in and night out. If we have finished with the old, Then those nights have also left us!
The days run on, multiplying the sorrows, it is so hard for me to forget the past. Some day, my dear, you shall take me to bury (dead hero to the cemetery)
Out into our native land, and by new paths, We have been fated to go now! …You rode on a troika with sleigh bells, [But] you’ve long since passed by!
Song by Goran Bregovic from the album: ‘Karmen with a happy end’
Ne Siam Kurve Tuke Siam Prostitutke
Amen ne siam kurve tuke: sijam prostitutke!
Tali nu la? si, dame si tonu ravde Poli cajcja a no kundre a men no stikle Evropa Evropa, mangla pemi kurve des Ake amen ake amen cento euro kes Ej ajde adje aj de aj de a va ka te Ej ajde ajde ajde ajde so si tu krava te (x2).
Amen ne siam kurve tuke: sijam prostitutke!
Tali nula si, da mea no pe khera Poli cajcja pendre kjenca amen centenca Evropa Evropa mangla pemi kurve des Ake amen ake amen cento eurokes Ej ajde adje aj de aj de a va ka te Ej ajde ajde ajde ajde so si tu krava te (x2)
Amen ne siam kurve tuke: sijam prostitutke!
We are not whores, we are prostitutes! (translation)
It’s below zero Ladies in fur-coats Policemen in boots And we wear steletto heels Hey Europe, do you need whores? Here we are, 100 Euros cash Hey, come on, come up, You with the tie, too.
We are not whores, we are prostitutes
It’s below zero Ladies swinging in their snug homes Policemen swinging their clubs, And we, on the sidewalk, swing our hand-bags Hey Europe, do you need whores? Here we are, 100 Euros cash Hey, come on, come up, You with the tie, too.
Refrano: Ay Romale, Shavale! (Gilaba e liniya triwares) — La Romyasa me te lav Ando suno la dikhav Le rakhensa na sovav Phen tu, Dévla! So te kerav! (Gilaba mai ekh data.) — Refrano — Me sim shavo, terno shavo Me sim, Dévla, kolkorro Nai man, Devla, Romnyorri Kerko yaba murro gi. (Gilaba mai ekh data) — Refrano
The wife I will marry (translation)
Chorus: Oh, Romani men, Romani youth! (Repeat line 3 more times) — The wife that I will marry I see her in my dreams I can’t sleep at night Tell me, God! What to do! (Repeat verse) — Chorus — I an a youth, a young fellow I am, God, alone I don’t have, God, a young wife My soul is becoming bitter. (Repeat verse) — Chorus
Lyrics to Naj Ma Shela, thanks to Mihaly “Mazsi” Rostás from Romengo:
Naj Ma Shela
Naj ma shela me te lav
de mange tu tyira sha
de mange tu tyira sha,
te na desla ingravla
Si ma shela me te lav
de mange tu tyira sha
de mange tu tyira sha
te na desla csoravla
Translation:
I have no money to get married
Give me your daughter
Give me your daughter
If you don’t give me her I’ll carry her off.
I have money to get married
Give me your daughter
Give me your daughter
If you don’t give me her I’ll steal her.