Vocolot Recordings describes Zog, Maran (‘tell me, marrano”) as an imaginary dialogue between a Yiddish poet of the 20th century and a marrano of 14th century Iberia. Marrano is a heavily connotative term: “pig” in medieval Spanish, referring to Jews forcibly converted to Christianity, despised for their origins, who had to be seen to eat pork —forbidden by Judaic law— or risk being condemned to death as apostates. Less pejoratively called conversos, and today anoosim (forced/coerced ones) along with Jews elsewhere forced to convert or be killed.
In the song, the poet asks the ‘Maran’ how can the people celebrate Passover in such danger. The Sephardi responds question by question.
"And what if the enemy finds you?" asks the poet, so unknowing few years before the Holocaust found and destroyed Ashkenazim and Sephardim in the millions beyond all that had been done before…
Zog maran, du bruder mayner,vu iz greyt der seder dayner?
Say, Marrano, my brother, where is your Seder prepared?
— In the mountains, in a cave, we recall how we were enslaved.
And Marrano, tell me where and how will you have matzos there?
— In the cave with trust in heaven we have kneaded dough unleavened.
And Haggadot you'll be needing. How will you get them for reading?
— In the cavern's darkness hidden, there we keep the books forbidden.
And Marrano, I beseech you, what if your mortal foe should reach you?
— Ven der soyne vet mikh fangen vel ikh shtarbn mit gezangen. Tho’ we hear the death-knell ringing, we will drown him with our singing...
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