Asfalou
אָסְפַלוֹ
ⴰⵙⴼⴰⵍⵓ
أسفالو
Music
A traditional Amazigh / Tamazight (Berber) song from Tinghir recorded in Yavne (2012), Asfalou (2014), and Ein Kerem-Jerusalem (2022)
Vocals
Hnini Shmouyal
Miléna Kartowski-Aïach
Tawargit Band (Muha Tawargit, Ahmed Ennassiri, Rachid Ennassiri, Omar Daoudi, and Mustapha Ennassiri)
Poem written and performed by Miléna Kartowski-Aïach
Video
Photography and editing: Nitsan Grunewald Natan
Poem and additional voice recorded and mixed at Maayan studio - Ein Kerem by Ittai Binnun
Tamazight language advisors: Rachid Ennassiri and Evgeniya (Jenia) Gutova
Many thanks to Lahcen Hira, Moha Mallal, Omar Akesbi, Tavor Ben Dor, Shoshana Sabag Hilel, and the friends of Ein Kerem.
This video was commissioned by the HUC-JIR Jewish Language Project for the online exhibit A Millennium of Jewish Women's Voices (www.jewishlang.... You can learn more about Judeo-Berber at www.jewishlang....
History of the recordings:
In August 2012, Hnini Shmouyal (Sabag) was recorded singing the song Asfalou in Tamazight of Tinghir at her home in Yavne, Israel, by Miléna Kartowski-Aïach and Kamal Hachkar. Hnini was born in 1931 in Tinghir, Morocco, emigrated in 1955 to Israel, died in March 2014 in Yavne, and is buried in Safed. We can hear in the recording the voice of Israel Sabag, a close relative of Hnini who was also born in Tinghir and lived in Yavne.
In September 2014, Miléna Kartowski-Aïach and Tawargit, an Amazigh musical ensemble from Tinghir, Morocco, collaborated in a shared Judeo-Berber musical project. One night, they improvised a choir version of the song Asfalou and decided the following day to go to Asfalou’s river to record the song there and honor the memory of Hnini Shmouyal and the Jews who lived there throughout history.
In October 2022, Miléna Kartowski-Aïach added an additional voice to the choir and created this short film, in Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, where she lives.
Poem:
להציל
כדי לזכור
להציל כדי לשמוע
להציל
כדי לשיר
יום אחד
שוב
את הנחל והציפור
להציל
משם לכאן
להציל
כדי לדעת
מי היינו
מי אנחנו
להציל
עולם שלם
בתוך שיר אחד
להציל
כמה דקות
מכילות נצח
להציל
להציל
כדי לחיות
French translation, by Miléna Kartowski-Aïach:
Sauver
Pour se souvenir
Sauver
Pour écouter
Sauver
Pour chanter
Un jour encore
La rivière et l’oiseau
Sauver
D’ici en là-bas
Sauver
Pour savoir
Qui nous étions
Qui nous sommes
Sauver
Un monde entier
Contenu dans un chant
Sauver
Quelques minutes
Abritant l’éternité
Sauver
Sauver
Pour pouvoir exister
English translation:
Rescue
To remember
Rescue to listen
Rescue to sing
One day
Again
The stream and the bird
Rescue
From here to there
Rescue
To know
Who we were
Who we are
Rescue
A whole world
Within one song
Rescue
A few minutes
Sheltering eternity
Rescue
Rescue
To exist
Song:
Amazigh original (Tinghir region)
Transcription, by Evgeniya Gutova
ay Aśfalu
a nddu ar imi nnun ay Aśfalu
a nddu ar imi nnun ay Aśfalu
a nźuṛ i țklilan uffiɣ lžawi
i țklilan ufiɣ lžawi
ya Ḥgga n Ayt Ɣanm i țgit am lbaz-a
tanna n Ayt Ɣanm i țgit am lbaz-a
illa ɣif-ś yan udlal awaḥdadiy
yan udlal awaḥdadiy
illa ɣif-ś yan irgl am išiɛiy
a nddu ar imi nnun ay Aśfalu
taɣi taɣufi ad as-nfk i nklila
Yuźnd diɣ ugllid i myyaț ṛami
Yuźnd diɣ ugllid i myyaț ṛami
diɣ ugllid i myyaț ṛami
Šišmuyan ugin ad awn-fkin Ḥnuna
Šišmuyan ugin ad awn-fkin Ḥnina
Ṛbbi ay amazan d-iddan-i
ay amazan d-iddan-i
in-yaś i Huda hat țaɣi țaɣufi
French translation, by Omar Akesbi
Ô, Asfalou! Nous irons jusqu'à ta porte; ô, Asfalou!
Nous irons jusqu'à ta porte; ô, Asfalou!
Ô, Asfalou! Nous visiterons Tiklilane. Vois! J'ai de l'encens
Tiklilane, j'ai de l'encens
Ô Hggwa N-Aït Ghalm! Tu es telle un faucon
Il s’agit de la descendante de Aït Ghalm; la fameuse musulmane
Sur ta tête pend une tresse de bel étalon
Tes cils sont immenses et gracieux
Nous irons jusqu'à ta porte; ô, Asfalou!
La nostalgie me ronge; faites que je me rende à Iklilane
Le roi mobilise, comme à l'accoutumée, les cent tireurs
Car Chichmouyal lui refuse la main de Hnouna
De grâce, Ô! Vous messager qui partez
Dites à Houda que la nostalgie me ronge
Ô! mon pauvre cœur; tu es rongé d'amertume
Tant les pays lointains te manquent.
English translation, by Evgeniya Gutova
Oh Asfalu, we’ll go to your door, oh Asfalu
We will go to your door, oh Asfalu
to visit the Tiklilan, I found incense
In Tiklilan, I found incense
O Eva of Ayt Ghalm, you are like a falcon
You, of Ayt Ghalm, you are like a falcon
You have a braid of superb beauty
a braid of superb beauty
And beautiful huge eyelashes
We will go to your door, oh Asfalu
Nostalgia gnaws at me, I need to be in Iklilan
The king mobilizes an army of soldiers
The king mobilizes an army of soldiers
mobilizes an army of soldiers
(as) Shishmuyal refuses to give the hand of Hnuna
(as) Shishmuyal refuses to give the hand of dear Hnuna
Please oh messenger who is coming
O messenger, who is coming
Tell Huda that longing (for her) hurts me.
15 окт 2024
