Sung by Flora Benamor. Tetuán, 1956.

La Gallarda is the quintessential mass murderer and prostitute. A young man passes by her house, and she invites him to join her. Through her window he sees a hundred heads hanging from the nearby olive trees, and his suspicions are aroused. In the middle of the night, Gallarda awakes to search for the dagger hidden in the mattress, but the young man finds it first, and thrusts it into her back. The frightened porter praises him for killing her.

There was La Gallarda
At her flower-filled window
Combing her blonde hair
As fine as silk.

A gentleman walked by
From above Santa Maria.
“Come up, come up, sir;
Come up, come up, please.”

The gentleman entered,
And when he was in the room,
He leaned out of a window
To feel the soft breeze.

He saw a hundred heads
Hanging from the olive trees:
“Whose heads are those,
Gallarda, my treacherous one?”

They belong to Chon the Bold,
Who wanders through the olive trees.”
Gallarda set the table,
And the gentleman helped her.

She laid out cloths of linen,
Service of fine silver:
“Eat, eat your supper, sir
Eat your supper, if you please.”

“I have already eaten at home,
Just before I left”
Gallarda makes the bed;
The gentleman helps her.

She laid out woolen mattresses,
Sheets of Dutch linen;
And in the middle of the mattresses,
She inserted a golden dagger.

In the middle of the night
Gallarda stirred.
“What are you looking for, Gallarda,
Gallarda, my treacherous one?”

“I am looking for a golden dagger
To take your life away.”
“That dagger you look for
I have in my own hand.”

He thrust it into her back,
And split her heart in two;
It was the middle of the night
When Gallarda died.

“Porter, open the door;
Open, open, if you please.”
“I cannot open it to anyone
Until the dawn comes up.

If Gallarda knew,
She would take my life away.”
“Do not be afraid of Gallarda
And all her Gallarda ways.”

“Do not be afraid of Gallarda
And all her Gallarda ways;
For Gallarda is dead now,
And laid out in the parlor

“For Gallarda is dead now,
And laid out in the parlor.”
“If it is true what you say,
The reign of Castile has won.

“If it is true what you say,
The reign of Castile has won.
Of the hundred who entered here
Only you escaped with your life.”

Armistead: Vol. II, pg. 99 (N3)

Sung by Flora Benamor. Tetuán, 1956.

Estábase la Gallarda
en su ventana florida
peinando rubios cabellos
que parecen seda fina.

Por ahí pasó un caballero
de Santa María arriba.
“Suba, suba, caballero;
Suba, suba, por su vida.”

El caballero subió,
y a la sala se tenía,
y asomóse a una ventana
por tener aire que hacía.

Y encontró a cien cabezas
colgadas de las olivas:
“¿De quién son esas cabezas,
Gallarda, traidora mía?”

“Son de Chon el bravo,
que andaba por las olivas.”
Gallarda pone la mesa,
y caballero bien la guía.

Puso manteles de hilo,
cubiertos de plata fina:
“Cene, cene, caballero;
cene, cene, por su vida.”

“Vengo cenado de casa,
por ser el ultimo día.”
Gallarda pone la cama;
caballero bien la guía.

Puso colchones de lana,
sábanas de holanda fina;
y en mitad de los colchones,
ya un puñal de oro metía.

Y a eso de la media noche
Gallarda se removía.
“¿Qué buscas tu allí, Gallarda,
Gallarda, traidora mia?”

“Busco yo un puñal de oro
para quitarte la vida.”
Y ese puñal que tu buscas
ya en mis manos lo tenía.”

Se lo metió por la espalda,
y el corazón la partía;
y eso de la media noche
que Gallarda moriría.

“Portero, abre la puerta;
y abre, abre, por tu vida.”
“Yo no puedo abrir a nadie
mientras no amanezca el día.

“Que sí Gallarda lo sabe,
la vida me quitaría.”
“No le temas tú a Gallarda
ni a toda su gallardía.”

“No le temas tú a Gallarda
ni a toda su gallardía;
que Gallarda ya esta muerta,
y en su sala está tendida.

“Que Gallarda ya esta muerta,
y en su sala está tendida.”
“Si es verdad lo que Ud. dice,
el reino ganó de Castilla.”

“Si es verdad lo que dice Ud. Dice,
el reino ganó de Castilla
Que de cien que habían entrado,
y Ud. que salió con vida.”