Hermosa me era yo, hermosa 1

Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Y5832/a
Referenced and notated in: Romancero Sefardi de Marruecos, pg. 85, Editorial Alpuerto, Pardes Publishing House, 2018 Susana Weich-Shahak.

The ballad of Juan Lorenzo refers to an episode in Portuguese history: the adulterous affair between King Ferdinand I (14th century) and Leonor Tellez, wife of Juan Lorenzo d'Acuña. However, the Sephardic tradition (the only one in which the ballad is preserved) has altered the outcome of the original story, transforming it into an example of marital love: the faithful wife kills the adulterous king and places her husband on the throne. The opening verses frequently incorporate elements from the historical ballad of Isabel de Liar; at other times, Juan Lorenzo appears influenced by The Shepherd's Wife.

Text:
Hermosa me era yo hermosa,   más que la luna y la flor,
más que los reales nuevos,    y la rosa de un limón.
Pensando de ser infanta,    pasis aguas de la mar,
vidi venir un navío     sobre aguas de la mar.
De ellos decían de guerra,   de ellos decían de paz,
mi corazón me decía    que era de un rey Portugal:
la gente que adentro viene    era de sangre real,
las cuerdas de aquel navío    eran de un fino torzal,
las velas de aquel navío      eran de un fino sedal,
dentro viene Juan Lorenzo,    que al rey mandó a convidar
a gallinas y a capones,    palomas de un palomar,
vino tinto y vino fuerte,    lo mejor de Portugal.
Y a mitad de aquel almuerzo    el rey mandó a pregonar:
- Quien tenga mujer hermosa,      que la saque a pasear,
el que la tenga y no la saque     cobarde se ha de llamar.
La mujer de Juan Lorenzo     sola salió a pasear,
la cogió el rey de la mano,    la llevó a pasear:
la metió de rosa en rosa,      y de rosa en el rosal,
la cortó el rey una rosa,    la mejor de su rosal.
- Tomís, señora, esta rosa,    la mejor de mi rosal,
que entre todas las hermosas    no he visto su igual.
El rey por jurarse de ella   'n su halda se echó a espulgar
cogió navajita aguda,     degollóle por detrás,
mañana por la mañana     Juan Lorenzo en su lugar.

Translation:
I was beautiful, more beautiful than the moon and the flower,
more beautiful than the new coins and the rose of a lemon tree.
Thinking myself to be of nobility, I passed by the waters of the sea,
and I saw a ship coming on the waters of the sea.
They said it was a ship of war, they said it was a ship of peace,
but my heart told me it was a ship of the King of Portugal:
the people inside were of royal blood,
the ropes of that ship were of fine twine,
the sails of that ship were of fine thread,
inside came Juan Lorenzo, who ordered the king to be invited
to chickens and cockerels, pigeons from a dovecote,
red wine and strong wine, the best of Portugal.
And halfway through that lunch, the king ordered to be proclaimed:
- Whoever has a beautiful wife, let her come out for a walk,
whoever has her and does not bring her out shall be called a coward.
Juan Lorenzo's wife went out for a walk alone,
the king took her by the hand and took her for a walk:
he led her from rose to rose, and from rose to rosebush,
the king cut her a rose, the best of his rosebush.
- Take this, madam, this rose,    the best of my rosebush,
among all the beautiful ones    I have seen no equal.
The king, to bond himself to her threw himself on her lap so she could delouse him
She took a sharp little knife,     slit his throat from behind,
tomorrow morning     Juan Lorenzo was in his place.