Sung by Flora Benamor, Tetuán, 1956.

While her husband is away on business, a woman entertains a lover. Their son informs his father, but he goes off on another of his customary trips. As soon as he leaves, the mother cuts off the boy’s head, throws the tongue to the dogs, and cooks the remains in a stew. On his return, as the father is served dinner, the meat on the plate speaks up accusing the mother of killing him. Her husband pursues her, but she turns into a little green bird.

I was born under an unlucky star
Married to a deceitful woman.
The deceitful woman had a son,
The oldest one in the market.

Everything that happens at home,
The son told his father:
“My father, my soul,
A wretched man came into the house.

“I have seen him with my mother,
In your comfortable bed.”
The father paid no attention
To what his son told him.

He prepared for a long trip
From France to Granada.
She waited until the father left,
And cut off her son’s head;

She threw the tongue
To the dogs.
But the dogs were noble,
They left it on the ground.

With the leftover meat,
She made a large stew.
When her husband returned
He asked for his son:

“Where is my son, woman?
I don’t see him in the house.
“Sit down, husband, and eat;
I will tell you what happened.

One day, on my way to the fields,
To the fields of Granada,
I asked about your son.
Only God in heaven will give him to you.”

With these words,
The meat on the plate spoke:
“My father, my soul,
Don’t eat my entrails.

That mother of mine
Deserves to be beheaded.”
When the deceitful woman heard this,
She locked herself in a room.

The husband opened the door,
But found no traces of the deceitful woman;
There was only a green bird
Singing her misfortune.

Armistead: Vol. II, pg. 76 (M10)

Sung by Flora Benamor, Tetuán, 1956.

Yo me era un pobre lucero,
casado con una falsa.
la falsa tenía un hijo,
y el mayor que hay en la plaza

Todo lo que pasa en casa,
y a su padre lo contara:
“Padre mío y de mi alma,
y un infeliz entró a casa.

“Yo le he visto con mi madre,
y en su arreglada cama.”
Y el padre no hace caso
de lo que el hijo contara.

Armara un gran viaje
de Francia para Granada.
Dejó que el padre se fuera,
y a su hijo degollara;

La carne de la su lengua
a los perros se la hechara.
los perros, como eran nobles,
en el suelo la dejaron.

Con lo que quedó de la carne,
ella hace grande cazolada.
cuando viniera el marido,
por su hijo preguntara:

“¿A dónde mi hijo, mujer,
que yo no lo veo en casa?”
“Sientate, marido, y come;
te contaré lo que pasa.

Y un día yende a los campos,
a los campos de Granada,
pregunté por el tu hijo.
dios del cielo te lo traiga.”

Y en estas palabras,
la carne del plato hablara:
“Padre mío y de mi alma,
no comas de mis entrañas.

“Que esta madre que yo tengo
merecía degollarla.”
Como esto oyera la falsa,
se encerrara en una sala.

Fue el marido a abrirla,
y no encontró la falsa, ni nada;
y encontró un pajaro verde
cantándole su desgracia.