Eric Chaim Kline, Bookseller

Paraprasis Caldayca, en los Cantares de Selomoh; con el Texto Hebrayco, y Ladino, Traduzida en Lengua Española [WITH] Perakim (Perkei Avot)

Belmonte, Moses (translation by)

Amsterdam: Yshak de Cordova, 5466 [1706]. Fifth printing. Hardcover. 16mo. 3.5x6". 167pp. (missing final page). Original brown calf boards. The book is a complete Spanish-language translation of the biblical book Song of Songs (Song of Solomon), and Perkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), the famed collection Jewish ethical sayings taken from the Talmud. Both of these works feature Moses Belmonte's translations, which had been printed in Amsterdam since 1644. The translations are interlinear with each passage printed in Hebrew, followed by the Spanish, and in the case of Song of Songs the translation is followed by Spanish-language commentary. These works are related in their connection to the Jewish observance of Passover. Song of Songs is read on the Sabbath during Passover, and chapters from Perkei Avot are traditionally read one each week between Passover and Shavuot.

Pages 1-91 contain Song of Songs and 92-167 contain the text of Perkei Avot. As stated in the preface, this is the "Quinta Imprension" (Fifith printing) of the work, based on Belmonte's translation and that it was printed for the congregation of Rabbi Jacob de Mesa, in Amsterdam. Title page bordered with a decorative woodblock motif. Decorative head and endpeices at the beginning and end of sections. Some of the translated text of Perkei Avot contains numerous in-text hand-corrections and Hebrew marginal notes in ink, from the period.

Text in Spanish, with passages in Hebrew and some Ladino.

Binding with spine missing, rubbing and light chipping to extremities. Covers with some creasing, scratches and abrasions. Starting at interior covers, and some other pages throughout. Some sporadic water stains, foxing and smudges throughout. The final section of Pirkei Avot is wormed in the upper corner with minimal loss of text overall. Page 103-104 with a vertical closed tear. A few pages have notes in ink. The final page (p.167) containing the final passage of Perkei Avot (verse 14) in Hebrew and Spanish, is missing. Interior back cover is partially torn away from the board. Name of the previous owner in ink on the interior covers and the bottom of the title page. Binding fairly tight overall. Binding in poor, interior good- condition overall. poor to g-. Item #44043

Moses Belmonte (1619 – 1647, Amsterdam) was a poet and translator of Portuguese Jewish origin.

Alternative titles:
"Paraphrasis Caldayca, en los Cantares de Selomoh, con el Texto Hebrayco, y Ladino, traduzida en lengua Española"
"Paraphrasis Caldaica, en los cantares de Selomoh: con el Texto Hebrayco y Ladino, traduzida en lengua Española"

*This copy belonged to Jacob Alvarez-Pereira (1684?-1754), who was a prominent Sephardic Jewish merchant.

References: SILVAROSA (1933) 18, KAYSERLING (p.181, under bible).

Price: $1,500.00