“Los bilbilikos” (“the nightingales” in English) is a traditional sephardi song. Some versions opt to have one of the verses as a chorus, while others just sing each verse. The song is one of the most important pieces in the Sephardi repertoire, being one of the most played, interpreted, adapted, etc. Sephardi songs.
“Los bilbilikos” is also called “La roza enflorese” (“the rose blossoms”). The song, whose lyrics are in Ladino, is sung from the perspective of someone suffering from love. They are singing to two different birds: doves (symbols of peace and birds who send messages), and nightingales (bird that represents love, poetry, and in the Sephardi world, especially a good singer).
Lyrics
Here are the lyrics in Ladino and their translation to English. The lyrics here are from no particular recording, but instead are a compilation of all possible versions. Thus, the lyrics will not be in the order of any particular recording. Also, some lyrics in some recordings may be slightly different than the ones here present. Some verses are repeated because of the different versions that exist for that verse.
Los bilbilikos kantan
Kon sospiros de amor
I la pasión me mata
Munchiga mi dolor
La roza enflorese
En el mez de may
Mi alma s’eskurese
Sofirendo del amor
Las noches son tortura
Los días son males
Mi neshama i mi ventura
Están en tu poder
Mas presto ven, palomba
Mas presto ven a mí
Mas presto, tú, mi alma
Ke yo me voy morir
Los bilbilikos kantan
En el arvol de la flor
Debasho se asentan
Los ke sufren del amor
El dia vo yorando
La noche sin dormir
Yorando i suspirando
¿Asta kuándo vo a sufrir?
Mas presto ven, palomba
Mas presto ven con mí
Mas presto ven, kerida
Korre i salvame
The nightingales are singing
With sighs of love
And my passion is killing me
My pain grows
The rose blossoms
In the month of may
My soul darkens
Suffering for love
The nights are torturous
The mornings are bad
My soul and my destiny
Are in your power
But quickly come to me, dove
But quickly come to me
Come quickly, my soul
Because I am about to die
The nightingales are singing
In the flowered tree
Under the tree sit
Those who suffer from love
I cry during the day
I cannot sleep at night
Crying and sighing
How much longer will I suffer?
But come quickly, dove
Come quickly to me
Come quickly, my love
Run and save me
Información musical
The song is made up of one melodic line that repeats per verse. It is written in a Hijaz-Nahwand scale (also called Phrygian dominant, the Spanish Phrygian, or Oriental Phrygian scale). It is in the rhythm of an ayoub.
Recordings
These are some of the editors curated recordings, with links to YouTube and Spotify.
Our Sephardi Music Playlist
Be sure to also check out our Sephardi music playlist, exclusively on Spotify!