"Gelem, Gelem" (IPA: [ˈd͡ʒelem ˈd͡ʒelem]; lit. 'I Went, I Went'), also known as "Opre Roma!" (lit. 'Upward, Roma!'), is a traditional song composed by Žarko Jovanović, often used as the anthem of the Romani people. The title has been adapted in many countries by local Roma to match their native orthography and spoken dialect of the Romani language.
In an interview with reporter Mike Kalezić, Jovanović himself titled the song "Opre Roma".
History
After experiencing firsthand the incarceration of Roma during the Porajmos (the Romani Holocaust of World War II) in the Independent State of Croatia, 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 1971.3
Lyrics
In Europe, depending on the country of the settlers, the text can be written in several variations of the Romani alphabet. In other countries, Romani can be written in the Greek, Cyrillic, Arabic, Armenian, and Hebrew alphabets. Some orthographic conventions emerged over the centuries since then, but there is currently no single standard orthography used by both scholars and native speakers.
There are many variations to the lyrics, as the song has lyrics in the several regional dialects of Romani.
| Anglo-Romani | English translation |
|---|---|
Gelem, gelem, loongonay dromensaMaladilem backtalay RomensaA Romalay, catar toomen awen,Ay tzarentza backtalay dromensa?Ah, Romalen! Ah, Chawalen!Sas wie man yeck barie familia,Moodardas la ay Calie LegiaAwen mansa sa loomniacay Roma,Ky pootardilay ay Romanay dromaAcay wriama, oostie Rom acana,Amen cootasa misto Ky cayrasaAh, Romalen! Ah, Chawalen!Pooter Dewla lay parnay woodaraTay shy dickaw ky sie may manooshaPalay ca jaw loongonay dromendarThy ca phiraw backtalay RomensaAh, Romalen! Ah, Chawalen!Opray Roma, sie backt acanaAwen mansa sa loomniacay RomaO calo mooey thy ay calay yackaCamaw len sar ay calay drackaAh, Romalen! Ah, Chawalen! | I went, I went on long roadsI met happy RomaO 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 themCome with me, Roma from all the worldFor the Roma, roads have openedNow is the time, rise up Roma now,We will rise high if we actO Roma, O Romani youths!Open, God, White doorsSo I can see where are my people.Come back to tour the roadsAnd walk with happy RomaO Roma, O Romani youths!Up, Romani people! Now is the timeCome with me, Roma from all the worldDark face and dark eyes,I want them like dark grapesO Roma, O Romani youths! |
Alternate lyrics
There are many versions of "Gelem, Gelem", notably those translated by Ronald Lee.4
In 2004, the band Vaya Con Dios released an interpretation, with lyrics in French by their singer Dani Klein, with the similar sounding title Je l'aime, Je l'aime (IPA: [ʒə lɛm | ʒə lɛm]).
Notes
Sources
- Patrin Web Journal - Gelem, Gelem: Roma Anthem
See also
External links
- bANDİSTA - Kara Çocuk Raksı (Turkish version)
- Kosovo Roma Oral History Project - Roma Culture: Music
References
Also spelt "Jelem Jelem", "Djelem, Djelem", "Dželem Dželem" or "Dzhelem Dzhelem"; see Romani alphabets. /wiki/Romani_alphabets ↩
Kalezić, Mike. "Ministar na koljenima". prvi tamburaški online magazine. Retrieved 30 September 2012. http://www.tambura.com.hr/No2/jagdino.html ↩
"Romani Nationalism, Flag and Anthem". www.grthmlondon.org.uk. Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month London. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20150527212018/http://www.grthmlondon.org.uk/information/romani-nationalism-flag-and-anthem ↩
"Djelem Djelem [Romani] song lyrics". Dunav.org. Archived from the original on 2012-11-27. (archived 2 April 2007). https://web.archive.org/web/20121127074336/http://www.dunav.org.il/lyrics/djelem_djelem.html ↩