Bendigamos
This is a famous Western Sephardi table song, in Spanish. It is sung on any and all occasions, usually immediately before or after Birkat Hamazon. (Musicians, note the extra beat in the first line of each verse and chorus. Not everyone sings it that way - some just squash the words in without the extra beat - but I think the extra beat it makes it more Andelusian and interesting.)
Bendigamos is thought to have originated in Bordeaux, where there was a Marrano community since the 17th Century (and may therefore be an original Marrano hymn), but it was unknown in other S&P communities until the mid 20th Century. It was adopted in New York, and thence later in London1, as a sort of club song, where it is evidently considered to strike the right ethnic note.
The S&P Birkon app for Android, which I produced a few months back, includes Bendigamos. You can read about the app here, and download it here.
Bendigamos al Altísimo,
Al Señor que nos crió,
Démosle agradecimiento
Por los bienes que nos dió.
Alabado sea su Santo Nombre,
Porque siempre nos apiadó.
Load al Señor que es bueno, | Odu Ladonai ki tov,
Que para siempre su merced. | Ki leolam jasdó.
Bendigamos al Altísimo,
Por su Ley primeramente,2
Que liga a nuestra raza/casa2a
Con el cielo continuamente,
Alabado sea su Santo Nombre,
Porque siempre nos apiadó.
Load al Señor que es bueno, | Odu Ladonai ki tov,
Que para siempre su merced. | Ki leolam jasdó.
Bendigamos al Altísimo,
Por el pan segundamente,
Y también por los manjares
Que comimos juntamente.
Pues comimos y bebimos alegremente
Su merced nunca nos faltó.
Load al Señor que es bueno, | Odu Ladonai ki tov,
Que para siempre su merced. | Ki leolam jasdó.
Bendita sea la casa3 esta,4
El hogar de su presencia,
Donde guardamos su fiesta,
Con alegría y permanencia.
Alabado sea su Santo Nombre,
Porque siempre nos apiadó.
Load al Señor que es bueno, | Odu Ladonai ki tov,
Que para siempre su merced. | Ki leolam jasdó.
Let us bless the Most High,
The Lord who created us,
Let us give him thanks
For the good things he has given us.
Praised be his Holy Name,
For he has always taken pity on us.
Praise the Lord, for he is good,
For his mercy is everlasting.
Let us bless the Most High,
First, for his Law,
Which connects our race/home,
With heaven, continuously.
Praised be his Holy Name,
For he has always taken pity on us.
Praise the Lord, for he is good,
For his mercy is everlasting.
Let us bless the Most High,
Second, for the bread
And also for these foods
Which we have eaten together.
For we have eaten and drunk happily,
His mercy has never failed us.
Praise the Lord, for he is good,
For his mercy is everlasting.
Blessed be this house,*
The home of His presence,
Where we keep his feast,
With happiness and steadfastness.
Praised be his Holy Name,
For he has always taken pity on us.
Praise the Lord, for he is good,
For his mercy is everlasting.
Notes:
1) Hacham Solomon Gaon, who taught in New York while being Hacham of the London community was apparently responsible for Bendigamos's migration to London in the late 1950's.2) The second verse ("First, for his Law") is an American addition. Originally what is now the third verse read: "First for the bread and also for these foods..." ("por el pan primeramente...") which made perfect sense, but the absence of any mention of the Torah was apparently considered as requiring correction. Hence "first for His Law" was added, and ""first for the bread" became "second, for the bread...".
2a) I am informed by experts that the new verse gives itself away as a modern addition by the use of "nuestra raza" ("our race"), an expression that would not have been used in this context in Old or Judeo Spanish, since "raza" was a derogatory term. We therefore use instead "casa" (home).
3) On Succot "la casa esta" (this house) can be replaced with "la cabaña esta" (this succah), and if sung in the synagogue with "la esnoga esta" (this synagogue).
4) At this point the table is traditionally tapped.