It is sung in the Judaeo-Spanish language and tells the story of the birth of Abraham, the father of the Jewish people and of monotheism.
[2] In contrast to a popular misconception, "Kuando el rey Nimrod" is not a song that dates from the times when the Jews lived in Spain and Portugal in the Middle Ages, and has its roots in a piyyut called La vocación de Abraham, of which several versions have been found that date from the 18th century and were written by anonymous authors in the former Ottoman Empire.
The song, with its original much longer lyrics and its makam-based structure, became popular in the Sephardic communities of the Mediterranean basin.
Around the year 1890, an anonymous author from Tangiers, Morocco wrote a different version of the song, shortening its lyrics and composing a new melody in maqam Hejaz.
Much of this story is based on the account of Abraham's life written in the book "Maaseh Avraham Avinu Alav HaShalom"[8] as well as the Midrash[9] regarding the furnace and Zohar[10] concerning Elijah the Prophet.
En fin de mueve mezes parir keria iva caminando por kampos i vinyas, a su marido tal ni le descubria topo una meara, ayi lo pariria
En akella ora el nasido avlava: "Anda vos, la mi madre, de la meara, yo ya topo kien m'alechara, Malah de sielo me acompanyara porke so criado del Dio bendicho."
En fin de veinte dias lo fue a visitar, lo vido d'enfrente, mansevo saltar, mirando al cielo y bien atinar, para conoser el Dio de la verdad.
Dizedle a Nimrod que perdio su tino porke no quiere creer en el Verdadero.
Ya me lo truxeron con grande albon y el travó de la silla un buen travon.
Grande zekhut tiene el senyor parido, que afirma la mitsvá de Avraham Avinu.
When King Nimrod went out to the countryside He was looking at heaven and at the stars He saw a holy light in the Jewish quarter [A sign] that Abraham, our father, was about to be born.
Then he told the midwives That every woman who was still pregnant If she gave birth to a male child at once he will be killed because Abraham our father was about to be born.
We greet now the godfather and also the circumciser, Because of his merit the Redeemer and Merciful One [God] will come to all Israel, Sure of this, we will praise the True One.