Sung by An Unknown Singer. Tetuán, 1956.

A Christian princess hears a beautiful song, and falls in love with the singer, a Moor held captive in her father's prison. To free him, she steals the king's keys, opens the dungeon gates, and both flee towards the sea on horseback. In the distance, they see a ship approaching land. When she asks its identity, the Moor calls her his enemy, and informs her that his wife and child have come to find him. The princess dies instantly.

There was a young Moor
Deep in the dungeons;
He was singing a new song
About all the animals,
And such a beautiful song.

[The princess passed by
And fell in love with him.]

'Upon my soul, little Moor,
Captive of the king, my father;
Sing that new song
You sang at the first cock's crow.

"Sing, my lady?
A song, I will sing;
The prisons are very deep,
My voice will not reach you."

The princess leapt
Into her father's garden;
She stole the keys
That he kept under his pillow

"Upon my soul, little Moor,
Captive of the king, my father;
Sing the new song
You sang at the first cock's crow.

She opened the deep dungeon,
Deep and dark;
Mounted on their horses,
They rode down the highway.

The cocks had not yet crowed,
Nor opened their beaks,
When the young Moor and the princess
Had crossed the rivers.

The cocks had not yet crowed,
Nor flapped their wings,
When the young Moor and the princess
Had crossed the waters.

He raised his eyes to the sky,
Looked far out into the distance;
He saw a ship coming
Upon the waters of the sea.

"Upon my soul, little Moor,
Captive of the king, my father;
Whose ship is it
That comes on the high seas?"

“Silence, my enemy,
Daughter of my enemy;
When we left the prison
You called me 'captive'.

That ship that is coming
Brings my wife and daughters,
Brings my wife and daughters
Coming in search of me.

On hearing this, the princess
Fell dead instantly.

Armistead: Vol. I, pg. 282 (H79)

Sung by An Unknown Singer. Tetuán, 1956.


Estábase el morito
en las cárceles muy hondas;
cantando iba el cantar nuevo
de todos los animales,
y un cantar tan hermoso.

(Por ahí pasara la infanta
que de él se enamorare.)

"Por tu vida, y el morito,
cautivo del rey, mi padre;
tu cantas el cantar nuevo
que al primer gallo cantastes.

"¿De cantar, a mi señora?
De cantar, yo cantaría;
las carceles son muy hondas,
la voz no me alcanzaría.

Salto diera la infanta
hasta el vergél de su padre;
robado le había las llaves
que a su cabecera tiene.

"Por tu vida, y el morito
cautivo del rey, mi padre;
tu cantes el cantar nuevo
que al primer gallo cantastes."

Abrióle cárceles hondas,
hondas y oscuridades;
a montara en sus caballos,
y por carreteras parte.

No habían cantado los gallos,
no habían dado con sus picos,
cuando el morito y la infanta
ya habían pasado los ríos.

No habían cantado los gallos,
no habían dado con sus alas,
cuando el morito y la infanta
ya habían pasado las aguas.

Alzó sus ojos al cielo,
cuanto y más los pudo alzare;
vido venir un navío
sobre aguas de la mare.

"Por tu vida, y el morito,
cautivo del rey, mi padre;
¿De quién es ese navío
que viene por altas mares?"

"Cállate, la enemigana,
hija de mi enemigado;
al salir de las prisiones
'cautivo' me habías llamado.

Ese navío que viene
hijas y mujer que tengo,
hijas y mujer que tengo
vienen en mi busquedade."

Como eso oyó la infanta
muerta quedó en el instante.