Galeet Dardashti: Judeo-Hamedani Song about Military Service 

Singer and anthropologist Galeet Dardashti sings a song in Judeo-Hamedani (Hamadani).
Note from Galeet Dardashti:
This is song about a family desperate to have their son exempted from the Iranian military draft. Sending their sons to military service was particularly traumatic for Jewish families in Hamadan because Jews lived in a closed community and suddenly in the army young men faced a different world and weren’t able to maintain their religious practices such as Sabbath observance and Kashrut.
The song really tells a story, so it inspired me to take out my guitar (which I don’t often do). Now it has become a Persian Jewish American folk song.
Even though the words are mournful, as is my rendition, Haideh Herbert shared with me that her father actually had very fond memories of his military service as a very exciting time in his life, and she remembers him always singing this song joyfully. So perhaps the prospect of army service was sometimes more difficult for families than for the Jewish soldiers.
This song was documented, transcribed, and translated by Haideh Herbert-Aynehchi with the HUR-JIR Jewish Language Project. Learn more about Judeo-Hamedani and other Jewish Iranian languages at www.jewishlang....
Lyrics:
Rouyéh charshabăt o Doe rou béh shay mud
On Wednesday, two days before the eve of Passover
Ajani booméh bă dăd o bidăd
A policeman came shouting and screaming
Béh dădăm béshvăt kéh pirét ki yéh
He asked my mother ‘who is your son?’
Zid ghăyom văbyăn bikhéh pass kiyéh
Quickly I hid at the back of the house
Ey nayéb ghorbănét mun dékhilun
O Nayeb (government official), may I die for you (I am begging you)!
Béshéh tahghigh békéh mun kefilăn
Do some research. I am a kefil (a term used for an only son that is exempt from military)
service in order to support his parents).
Tafréh kérid ăchi and dăchi
[oh] uncles and aunts go do what you can
Béshid kiyéh yeéh Hăji ăghăchi
Go to the home of Hajji Aghachi
Daout haym u béynid o ham hăji high
See Davud Hayim and also Hajji Hay
Akhéh Islraălim o ham pireh dăi
Because we are Jews and also cousins (son of uncle)
Ey nayéb ghorbănét mun dékhilun
Oh Nayeb, may I die for you (I am begging you)!
Béshéh tahghigh békéh mun kefilăn
Do some research. I am a kefil.
Sad tomaném heydăh béh Mirză Néjăt
I gave a hundred tomans to Mirza Nejat
Bémvă Ghorbănéh sér o déss o păt
I said may I die for your head, hand, and foot (terms of begging)
Béshă măffishă khom ărăn bérăt
He said I, myself will bring the exemption papers
Ey nayéb ghorbănét mun dékhilun
Oh Nayeb, may I die for you (I am begging you)!
Béshéh tahghigh békéh mun kefilăn
Do some research. I am a kefil.
Doe rou beydésht o hokmém bérouméh
Two days passed and my conviction came
Mun biăn o pireéh oon dăchi Sorméh
It was I and the son of that Mrs. Sormeh
Hămă ră beshăn beh ghaleyéh kohnéh
They took us to the old barracks
Goushtay gandăyeh, hamesh terifă
Rotten meat, all trayf (non-kosher)
Doshmantăn beynou bémăn périsă
May your enemies see this (May this happen to your enemies and not you.) We ate.
Ey nayéb ghorbănét mun dékhilun
Oh Nayeb, may I die for you (I am begging you)
Béshéh tahghigh békéh mun kefilăn
Do some research. I am a kefil.