Pregon echo el buen rey

From Ventanas Altas de Saloniki, 2013.

This is a version of La doncella guerrera, The warrior maiden, which is widely spread across Spain and within the Sephardic diaspora. In all versions, a dialogue takes place regarding the young woman's disguise, specifically the men's clothing she will wear to go to war in her elderly father's place. This exchange between father and daughter, presented through a series of parallel verses, serves as the central theme of the ballad: the concealment of her gender and sexual identity, and the denial of her womanhood in order to present herself as a man. The revelation of her as a woman typically leads to the rival King's son falling in love with her.

Text: 
Pregón echó el buen rey    por la civdad de Aragón: 
- Ken tiene hijo varón,    a la guerra lo mandó. 
- Y el rey de Ingletierra    hijo no tenía, no. 
Siete hijas tiene bellas    y ningún hijo varón. 
Maldiciendo va la luenga    y maldiciendo sin razón. 
Todas kallaron en una,    ninguna repuesta dio. 
Saltó la más chika y dijo,    la ke en buen día nació: 
- No maldigas, el mi padre,    no maldigas sin razón, 
dešme armas y kaballos    y visto de hombre varón, 
dešme la vuestra korona    y a la guerra iré por vos. 
- Kalleš, kalleš, la mi hija,    ke es vergüenza para vos, 
la vuestra karika empañada    el sol dulce la kemará. 
- Si es por mi karika blanka,    sombrero tomo yo. 
- Kalleš, kalleš, la mi hija,    ke es vergüenza para vos, 
los kabellos tuyos rubios,    ¿ónde los guadraras vos? 
- Si es por mis kabellos rubios,    debajo de mis trapós. 
- Kalleš, kalleš, la mi hija,    ke es vergüenza para vos, 
los pechikos vividikos      ¿ónde los guadraras vos? 
- Si es por los mis pechikos,    debajo del mi jibón. 
– Ya le dio armas y kaballos,     y a la guerra la mandó.  
A la entrada de la guerra,    la guerra ya le venció.  
Dicen de el reinado:   - Mujer es, ke hombre, no.
-  Ella en viniendo          el trapo le kayó.  
El hijo del rey ke la vido      ya kayó y se desmayó. 

Translation: 
A proclamation made the good king through the city of Aragón:
– Whoever has a son, to the war he sent him. –
But the king of England had no son, no.
He had seven lovely daughters and no male child. 
Cursing went the old man, and cursing without reason.
All of them stayed silent together, none gave an answer.
Then the youngest leapt and said, she who was born on a good day:
– Do not curse, my father, do not curse without reason,
give me arms and horses, and I’ll dress as a man,
give me your crown, and to war I’ll go for you. 
– Be silent, be silent, my daughter, for it is shame for you,
your fair little face the sweet sun will burn.
– If it’s for my fair face, I’ll take a hat. 
– Be silent, be silent, my daughter, for it is shame for you,
your golden hair, where will you hide it?
– If it’s for my golden hair, beneath my clothes. 
– Be silent, be silent, my daughter, for it is shame for you,
your little living breasts, where will you hide them?
– If it’s for my little breasts, beneath my bodice. 
– He gave her arms and horses, and to war he sent her.
At the entrance to the battle, she had already won the war.
They said in the kingdom: – It is a woman, not a man. –
As she returned, her veil fell down.
The king’s son who saw her fell and fainted away.