Lalaei

Sleep, sleep,
Give your sadness, your sufferings to me.
Sleep, sleep,
The dark night will pass.
Soon, my child,
The sun will drive away the winter cold.
Only your daddy,
Oh, if only he were here with me, with you.

In this unique collaborative project, the guitar quartet Zwerm and WALPURGIS together with percussionist Karen Willems, the Iranian singer Sarah Akbari, the English storyteller Marie Phillips and the Israeli director Raphael Rodan explore the darker side of the seemingly innocent songs that are sung all over the world to rock children to sleep. They
do so by using a mythical tale from Ovidius' Metamorphoses: the story of Procne, queen, dutiful daughter, obedient wife, and loving mother. Until the day she discovers that her sister has suffered a terrible injustice…

Zwerm

Zwerm is an electric guitar quartet based in Belgium and founded in 2007. Over the years the group has collaborated with various composers, performers and visual artists. Zwerm has never strived for a one-sided artistic profile. During the past ten years the quartet dallied between pure noise-impro, English renaissance music and contemporary composed music. The common denominator being not so much a particular stylistic view but rather a shared curiosity in all kinds of music.

WALPURGIS

WALPURGIS is a dynamic and multi-voiced company of singers, actors, musicians, dancers and visual artists. Our integrated operations are a reflection of the society we dream of: generous, sustainable, in constant motion and not afraid of contrasts and extremes. We create, stimulate and present contemporary music theatre that surprises, sparks the imagination, moves and puts one in a pensive mood. We explore the musical power of theatre and the theatrical power of music. Our repertoire is surprisingly varied, and the language we are developing has many layers.

1. (Kurdish)

لالایی کردی

لای لای پیت که رو به تورکی وانی

ئینجا توخوا بووسی دله کم تابو به یانی

ئینجا هوارم که رده ن به شیخ شاه بدین

هرکی تو مشو روله گیان گنو زمین

[EN]

I’m singing you a lullaby in my language 

That makes you sleep till the morning my dearest

I prayed to “Shah Bedin” for you

No one can be like you my love

2. (Kurdish)

روله خوشه ویست؛ بینایی چاوم
هیزی ئه ژنوم و هیوای ژیانم
هه تا دییته؛ وه هر چاوه ریتم
هه لورکی منالیت هه ر راده ژه نم
لای لای نه مامی ژیانم؛ من وینه ی باخوانم
به دل چاودیریت ده که م؛ بخه وه ده ردت له گیانم
هی لایه لایه لایه؛ کورپه ی شیرینم لایه

بنوه تاکوو سبه ینی؛ مژده ی ئاواتم دینی
ئه ی به ر خوله ی شیرینم؛ ئاواتی هه موو ژینم
شه وی تاریک نامینی؛ تیشکی روژ دیته سه ری
هی لایه لایه لایه؛ کورپه ی شیرینم لایه
بنوه ئاسو رووناکه؛ دیاره وه ک خور رووناکه
دیاره وه ک خور رووناکه
سه د خوزگه به خوزگایه؛ دایکی تو لیره بوایه

[EN]

Go to sleep,

My I suffer all your pain

My sweet baby, go to sleep

May tomorrow all our wishes come true

You the only hope of my life

The night won’t last forever

Soon the sunlight will appear

Go to sleep

The horizon is visible and it’s glowing

Go to sleep

But Alas… and a hundred times Alas

But what if…

Your mother was here

3. Mo ke az paki delom

عاشقانه بختیاری

مو كه از پاكي دلم چي آسمونه
ندونم سيچه چينو وام سرگرونه
سي چينو وام سرگرونه

سر به صحرا بنم از بي همزبوني
سخته تهنا مندن و درد زمونه
تهنا با درد زمونه

دل گرونيم همه جا به هر دياره
ار كوير سهده‌يه ار لاله زاره

ار چي اورا ندراي به آسمونم
دشت جونم تشنه و بي چشمه ساره
دي پوييزم بي بهاره

[EN] 

I am innocent and my heart is like a clear sky 

But I don’t know why he doesn’t see me

Why is he so cold with me?

I’ll leave my town for I have no one to talk to

Oh, how hard it is to be alone with all the pain

Everywhere I go I’m distressed and disappointed

It doesn’t matter if I’m in a dry dessert or a flower garden

'If you won’t appear in my sky like a raining cloud

The land of my life will be thirsty and with no grass then

My autumn will have no spring anymore.'

4. Turks wiegenlied

Dandini dandini dastana

Danalar girmiş bostana

Kov bostancı danayı

Yemesin lahanayı

Dandini dandini danali bebek

Allari kollari kanali bebek

Kov bostancı danayı

Yemesin lahanayı

[EN] 

Dandini dandini dastana

Cows got into the garden

Chuck 'em away, gardener

Let 'em not eat the cabbage

Dandini dandidni little calves

With arms and hands in henna

Chuck 'em away, gardener

Let 'em not eat the cabbage

5. (Ghasghaee)

لالایی قشقایی

سیزینچه اِیلدم های غربت اختیار

مدت دِر دیشمیشم های اِلِمنن کنار

دیشدم توقیتی شهرنه

انه جوشغون چایلارا دیشدم

نه اوزاق یوللارا دیشدم

نه جلاد اللره دیشدم

نه جلاد اللره دیشدم نه جوشغون چایلارا دیشدم

منه گئرگ دَمر دیی داش دیی

منه گئرگ هر عاشقدن باش دیی

هرنه گلمیش روزگاردان خوش دیی

های وای من اِللَم قشنگ قِز های

[EN] 

I chose exile because of you

I fell away from my tribe

I fell into roaring rivers

I walked long, long roads

I became the plaything of the cruel

But you say that I am stone

Still, I welcome everything life gave me

I’ll die soon, beautiful girl

6. Numi, numi

Numi, numi yaldati, 

Numi, numi, nim. 

Numi, numi k'tanati,

Numi, numi, nim. 

Aba halach la'avoda - 

Halach, halach Aba. 

Yashuv im tzeit halevana - 

Yavi lach matana! 

Numi, numi...

[EN] 

Sleep, sleep, my little girl. 

Sleep, sleep. 

Sleep, sleep, my little one, 

Sleep, sleep.

Daddy's gone to work - 

He went, Your daddy went away.

He'll return when the moon comes out

He'll bring you a present!

7. Shirazi

شیرازی

لالا لالا گل گلشن لالایی

کاکو اومد چشام روشن لالایی

لالا لالا گل خشخاش لالایی

کاکو رفته خدا همراش لالایی

لالا لالا گل نعنا لالایی لالایی

بابات رفته شدم تنها لالایی

ال مرغ سفید خونه من

حلالت باشه آب و دونه من

به هر سرچشمه ای آبی بنوشی

بکن یاد از دل دیوونه من

لالا لالا گل هر روزه من

لالا لالا نماز و روزه من

[EN] 

Lalaei, beautiful flower 

Your brother has come and the light came back into my eyes

Lalaei, my little Lilly 

Your brother is gone, may god be with him 

Lalaei, my little Mint Blossom

Your father is gone and I’m left alone here 

You little white bird of my house

I give you water and seed 

Everywhere you drink some water 

Remember me and remember my heart

Beating for you forever 

You are my flower forever

You are my everyday prayer

8. Mazandarani II

لالایی مازندران

لالا گمه ته ره خو بیره

لالالالالای ته فدا

تموم دشت و صحرا ره او بیره

لالالالای ته فدا

لالا لالا ته چش خو بیره

لالا لالا دتر بخسه

مه جان دلبر

[EN] 

I sing a lullaby for you to make you sleepy

My loved one, go to a deep sleep

And if the whole world collapses I’ll take care of you while you are asleep

My loved one, lalalei

May dreams appear in your eyes, lalalei,

May my little girl have a deep sleep

My beloved little one