Durme, durme

Recorded Sound | RG Number: RG-91.2109

This 1943 wire recording of the traditional Ladino lullaby Durme, Durme was sung by Miriam Baruch, a Jewish grandmother living in Sofia, Bulgaria. The recording was made only weeks before she and the entire Jewish community were expelled to the provinces. An excerpt from this recording was used in a 1970s propaganda film entitled Eshelonite (The Transports). This film was produced by the Ministry of Culture of the Bulgarian government to claim that the Communist Party was responsible for saving Bulgarian Jewry during World War II. Miriam’s youngest son, a committed communist and partisan during the war, remained in Bulgaria after the war. He prevailed upon his friend, film director Chaim Oliver, to include her recorded voice in the film.

LYRICS (LADINO):
Durme, durme, hermosa donzella,
Durme, durme, sin ansia i dolor,
Durme, durme, sin ansia i dolor.
[hums]

LYRICS (ENGLISH):
Sleep, sleep, beautiful child,
Sleep, sleep, free from worry and pain,
Sleep, sleep, free from worry and pain.
[hums]

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Date: Recorded: 1943
Language: Ladino
Genre/Form: Music.

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Contributor: Performer: Miriam Baruch
Biography: Miriam Baruch (ca. 1870–1951) never learned to read or write, but she could speak at least three languages: Ladino, Bulgarian, and Turkish. She is also described as having a remarkable memory and "a sweet singing voice." Her youngest son, Fidel, borrowed a wire recorder and recorded her singing some of their favorite Ladino songs in spring 1943.
Topical Term: Sephardim.
Legal Status: Permanent Collection - not accessioned
Recorded Sound Provenance: Since 1992, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's music historian has collected historic sound recordings, published materials, interviews, and music related to the Holocaust and World War II.
Recorded Sound Notes: See photographs of the Baruch/Borouchoff family https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=borouchoff&search_field=all_fields&f[record_type_facet][]=Photograph&commit=search
Recorded Sound Source: Bret Werb
Conditions on Access: You do not require further permission from the Museum to access this archival media.
Copyright: Copyright Undetermined
Conditions on Use: Owner of copyright, if any, is undetermined. It is possible this is an orphan work. It is the responsibility of anyone interested in reproducing, broadcasting, or publishing content to determine copyright holder and secure permission, or perform a diligent Fair Use analysis.
: Record last modified: 2022-07-28 22:02:26
This page: https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn722793

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Various audio cassettes, CDs, and LPs containing original sound recordings, published materials, interviews, or music obtained by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's curator of music.

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Durme, durme

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