De que lloras, probe esclavo 1

Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Yc2774/6
Referenced and notated in: Romancero Sefardi de Oriente, pg. 92, Editorial Alpuerto, 2010 Susana Weich-Shahak.

This is a song of a slave’s longing for his wife Tamar Pesá, mother of his children, who is far away embroidering a shirt for the son of the queen. This romansa which is unknown in the Hispanic tradition, is cited by Armistead  to have several sources that indicate a theme derived from the Greek ballad: Ho niópantros sklabos (“The Newly Married Galley Slave”).

Lyrics:
- ¿De qué lloras, probe esclavo?  ¿De qué lloras, probe sclavo?
tú bien comes, tú bien bebes,   no t’acosan cuando duermes.
- Yo bien como, yo bien bebo,    no m’acosan cuando duermo,
Lloro yo por una dama    que se llama Tamar Pesá,
ella es mi mujer primera,    la madre de mis hijos.
Tamar Pesá sta en altas torres,     más alta de las civdades,
labrando sta una camisa    para el hijo de la reina;
el  aldar tiene de oro,   el cabezón de sirma y perla.
Si le mancare un clavedón,   de sus cabellos la ajusta,
y si le mancare una perla,   de sus lágrimas la ajusta.

Translation:
- What are you crying about, poor slave? What are you crying about, poor slave? 
You eat well, you drink well, they do not harass you when you sleep. 
- I eat well, I drink well, they do not harass me when I sleep, 
I weep for a lady    her name is Tamar Pesá, 
she is my first wife, the mother of my children. 
Tamar Pesá is in high towers,   higher than the cities, 
embroidering a shirt    for the queen's son; 
the hem is of gold, the collar of silk and pearls 
If she is missing a thread  she replaces it from her hair, 
and if she is missing a pearl,  she replaces it from her tears.