Monastir, nu t’ulvidamus
Tus kriaturas ti unoran.
Rispiramus tus guloris,
Aspirandu turnar;
Gwardamus tus bozis,
Aspirandu turnar.
Monastir, tráyimi a kaze
Ondi las kayis mi yaman
Las streyas mi avlan
Las mimorias mi kantan
Ti veyu kaminar in il kurtiju
Riyendu kun primus i amigus.
Kumiendu taralikus
I siempri tan altu;
Djugandu djugitus
I siempri tan altu.
Tu alme is pure aligría
Mizmu las floris riyin kun ti.
Kushkiyandumus kun kwentus
Kol akavod pare ti;
Aprisyandu lus mumentus
Kol akavod pare ti.
In mi tinu veyu une fez, un krushé, une mizuzá,
Bwendá, saviduría i sidaká.
Un tabló di miskladas sus tu, Monastir.
Contributed by Dq82 - 2026/9/6 - 11:37
Language: English
English translation: bandcamp
Monastir, we do not forget you
Your children honor you.
We breathe your smells,
Waiting to return;
We hold on to your voices,
Waiting to return.
Monastir, bring me home
Where the dusty streets call to me
The stars on the walls speak to me
The memories sing to me
I see you walking in the courtyard
Laughing with cousins and friends.
Eating taralikus
And always standing tall;
Playing little games
And always standing tall.
Your spirit is pure joy
Even flowers laugh with you.
Tickling us with stories
All the honor to you;
Cherishing the moments
All the honor to you.
Across my mind I see a fez, a crochet, a mezuzah,
Kindness, knowledge and tzedaka.
A tableau of mixed colors that is you, Monastir.
Your children honor you.
We breathe your smells,
Waiting to return;
We hold on to your voices,
Waiting to return.
Monastir, bring me home
Where the dusty streets call to me
The stars on the walls speak to me
The memories sing to me
I see you walking in the courtyard
Laughing with cousins and friends.
Eating taralikus
And always standing tall;
Playing little games
And always standing tall.
Your spirit is pure joy
Even flowers laugh with you.
Tickling us with stories
All the honor to you;
Cherishing the moments
All the honor to you.
Across my mind I see a fez, a crochet, a mezuzah,
Kindness, knowledge and tzedaka.
A tableau of mixed colors that is you, Monastir.
Contributed by Dq82 - 2026/9/6 - 11:47
×
![]()
Note for non-Italian users: Sorry, though the interface of this website is translated into English, most commentaries and biographies are in Italian and/or in other languages like French, German, Spanish, Russian etc.
Monastir
An original Ladino song by Sarah Aroeste about the lost city of Monastir, once home to a thriving Sephardic Jewish community prior to WWII. Since then, no Jewish community has lived in the city now known as Bitola (in present day N. Macedonia), but memories of a time gone by have been passed down to Aroeste by her elders and are wrapped into this song. This video was filmed in 2021 throughout Monastir's old Jewish neighborhoods, most notably on the balcony of Aroeste's cousin's house (notice the Jewish stars that still remain in the iron work), and the abandoned building of the Talmud Torah (Jewish School).