The Preservation of Jewish Languages and Cultures in memory of Hayyim (Marani) Trabelsy
To the blessed memory of Shlomo Ziafti, Raḥel Ziafti (of Menashe), Yosef Yeshaʿyahu, Tsion Yeshaʿyahu and the mother Ester Yeshaʿyahu (of Menashe)
From Meʾir Shaked collection
A partial translation:
What is she saying?
Crying, do you want a pacifier?
My dove in the clefts of the rock, hiding in the stairs, let me see your countenance, let me hear your voice: for your voice is pleasant, and your countenance is comely
A young bird (a baby), eyes
The girl is beautiful
God save this girl, a beautiful and sweet girl
When we wanted to make Aliya, we sent a letter to my cousin who had been living in Israel for seven years already. She replied: "aunt, you want to eat sour pistachios? Here in Israel there is none. Here we live on the mountains" (meaning that in Israel there is no luxury and living conditions are rough).
When we wanted to make Aliya, we went to Tehran to a place called Maḥane, Maḥane Olim (in Hebrew). Houses there were like a train, with no doors or windows. It was all open space. Men, women, children, and even chickens, were roaming around.
Translation to Hebrew: Miriam Shergian. Comment brackets: Galit Peleg
Dedicated to my parents, Cochava and Moshe Shergian (R.I.P). My father was baal torah and my mother a righteous woman.
When Purim arrived we used to make halva by mixing nuts with pistachios. My grandmother used to make plenty and send it to all the children. When I was a boy, we used to play games with nuts. We used to place them in rows, and each child, in turn, used to throw a nut from afar. If that nut touched other nuts, then the child would gain all these nuts and form a pile. There used to be 4 to 5 children playing, taking nuts one by one and throwing them.
Translation to Hebrew: David Shergian; Typing: Galit Peleg
Translation to English: Hila Sharon
