Djelem Djelem, Song of a People without a Nation--Romani

Djelem Djelem (Gelem Gelem) Translation: I went, I went.

Go to YouTube for the Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra performance. Click on the above link.

“After experiencing firsthand the incarceration of Roma during the Porajmos (the Romani Holocaust of World War II), [Žarko] Jovanović later composed the lyrics of "Gelem, Gelem" and set them to a traditional melody in 1949. The song was first adopted by delegates of the first World Romani Congress held in 1971.” Quoted from Wikipedia

The lyrics of Djelem Djelem:

Gelem, gelem, lungone dromensa Maladilem bakhtale Romensa A Romale, katar tumen aven, E tsarensa bakhtale dromensa? A Romale, A Chavale Sas vi man yekh bari familiya, Mundardyas la e Kali Legiya Aven mansa sa lumnyake Roma, Kai putardile e Romane droma Ake vriama, usti Rom akana, Amen khutasa misto kai kerasa A Romale, A Chavale Puter Devla le parne vudara Te shai dikhav kai si me manusha Pale ka zhav lungone dromendar Thai ka phirav bakhtale Romensa A Romalen, A chavalen Opre Rroma, si bakht akana Aven mansa sa lumnyake Roma O kalo mui thai e kale yakha Kamav len sar e kale drakha A Romalen, A chavalen.

Translation I went, I went on long roads I met happy Roma O Roma, where do you come from, With tents happy on the road? O Roma, O Romani youths! I once had a great family, The Black Legion murdered them Come with me, Roma from all the world For the Roma, roads have opened Now is the time, rise up Roma now, We will rise high if we act O Roma, O Romani youths! Open, God, White doors So I can see where are my people. Come back to tour the roads And walk with happy Roma O Roma, O Romani youths! Up, Romani people! Now is the time Come with me, Roma from all the world Dark face and dark eyes, I want them like dark grapes O Roma, O Romani youths! (from Wikipedia)

(Mary Lou Cheatham, along with Sarah Walker Gorrell, authored a novel depicting life of the Romanies in Mississippi in the early 1900's:  Travelers in Painted Wagons on Cohay Creek.)