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“Una hija tiene el rey” (“Por qué no cantáis, la bella?”).
Comienza con algunos versos de otro romance que sirven aquí como descripción del ambiente de la escena, y continúa (en otra rima) con una descripción de la fiel doncella y su arenga paralelística hacia su lucha por rescatar a su amado. Es un tema conocido en las baladas europeas y en el romancero hispánico.

“The king has one daughter” (“Why don’t you sing, beauty?”).
The song begins with a few verses from another romance that serve as a description of the atmosphere of the scene, and continues (in another rhyme) with a depiction of the faithful maid and her harangue about her struggle to rescue the beloved. It is a well-known theme both in the European ballads and in the Hispanic romancero.

lyrics

Una hija tiene el rey, una hija regalada.
Su padre, por más valor un castillo la fraguara.

Con ventanas a la mar, por donde el aire le entrara;
por una entra el sol, por otras el aire de la mañana.

Por la más chiquita de ellas entra un gavilán y sale
con sus alas abiertas y no le hace ningún male.

Bordando está un camisón para el hijo de la reina.
Bordándole está con oro, labrándole está con seda.

Y entre puntada y puntada, un aljófar y una perla.
–‘¿Por qué no cantas, mi bien?; por qué no cantas, la bella?.

¿Por qué no cantas, mi bien?; por qué no cantas, la bella?’ –
– ‘Ni canto, ni cantaré, que mi amor está en la guerra.

Y una carta escriberé de mi puño y de mi letra,
que me traigan a mi amor sano, vivo y sin cadenas.

Y si no me le trajeren, yo armaré una gran guerra
de navíos por el mar, de gente armada por tierra.

Si no hubiere velas pronto, mis ricas trenzas pusiera;
si no hubiere remos pronto, mis lindos brazos pusiera.

Si no viene capitán, me pondría a la bandera
para que diga la gente:‘viva, viva esa doncella;
que por salvar a su amor, se echó ella a la tormenta.’ –

Notas:
-Aljófar (nombre masculino): perla pequeña de figura irregular.

Why doesn’t the beauty sing
A daughter has the king, a favored daughter.
Her father, to encourage her position, he built her a castle.
Through windows facing the sea, the air flows,
through one the sun blazes, through others the morning air comes in.
Through the smallest one a sparrowhawk enters and leaves
with widespread wings causing no harm.
She embroiders a nightgown for the son of the queen.
Embroidering it with gold, carving it with silk.
And between one stitch and another, one pearl and another.
"Why don't you sing, my treasure? Why don't you sing, my beauty?"
"Why don't you sing, my treasure? Why don't you sing, my beauty?
"Neither do I sing, nor will I sing for my love is at war."
"And a letter I will write from my own hand,
that they bring back my love to me, healthy and alive and without chains.
"And if they do not bring him back, I will wage a great war
with ships on the sea and an army on the land.
"If they don't set sails soon, I will use my sumptuous braids,
If they don't pull at the oars soon, I will use my beautiful arms.
"If no captain comes, I myself will take the helm
so that the people say: Long live that maiden,
to rescue her love, she throws herself into the storm.“

credits

from SEFARAD EN EL CORAZ​Ó​N DE MARRUECOS, released August 29, 2017

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Mara Aranda Valencia, Spain

Mara Aranda: the undisputed voice of the Mediterranean

After 30 years on stage she has become one of the most highly acclaimed names on the 21st Century Spanish music scene. Since 1990 she has toured many parts of the world, performing across the world medieval and sephardic music. ... more

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