El rey cuando amadrugaba 1

Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Yc1661/18
Referenced and notated in: Romancero Sefardi de Oriente, pg. 130, Editorial Alpuerto, 2010 Susana Weich-Shahak.

This romance, La reina adúltera ("The Adulterous Queen"), recounts the story of a queen who believes she is confiding in her lover, unaware that it is her husband the King, who is actually listening. In her speech, she describes many times the ways in which she favors her lover’s children over the King’s, a motif common in Jewish versions of this romansa, suggesting a transgression that goes beyond adultery alone. The narrative is rooted in medieval French sources involving King Chilperic, his wife Fredegunda, and her lover Landarice, known by various names in Sephardic ballad tradition, and here called Angelino. When the King forgives her with a “coral necklace,” the gesture alludes ironically to her execution by beheading.
The final scene appears only in the Bulgarian variants: the queen, fearing for her life, turns to her lover for counsel. He coldly replies, “Having the King for a husband, why did you seek another?”

Lyrics:
El rey cuando amadrugaba,    ande la reina posaba,
la topaba ' n el espejo,    mirando su hermosura,
dando gracias al de en Alto   que la crió i tan hermosa.
- Dos hijicos del rey tengo,    y dos tuyos s'hacen cuatro,
 los del rey comen esparte,    y los tuyos con mí en junto.
Los del rey son cavaleros,    y los tuyos son cabaleros,
los del rey visto de paño,   los tuyos de plata y sirma. -
Ella que se avoltaba,   el rey ya se demudaba.
- Perdónamelo, señor rey,    qu'esto jue una soñada.
- Ya te lo pedrono, reina,   con un yerdán corolado.
- Angelino, Angelino,    tú premer m'enamorado,
dame tú a mí un consejo,    que del rey vo ser matada.
- Para mí ya tengo consejo,   para ti, va búscatelo,
 tuviendo tú marido rey,  ¿para cuálo buscas otro?

Translation:
The king, when he rose early, he went to the queen's abode,
found her at the mirror, gazing at her beauty,
giving thanks to the One above who created her so beautiful.
– I have two sons of the king, and two of yours make four,
the king's eat separately, and yours eat with me together.
The king's have horses, and yours have steeds,
the king's wear woolen cloth, yours wear silver and silk.
– As she turned around, the king already changed color.
– Forgive me, my lord the king, for this was a dream.
– I forgive you already, queen, with a coral necklace.
– Angelino, Angelino,you, my first love,
give me a piece of advice, for by the king I will be killed.
– For me I already have advice,for you, go find it yourself,
having a husband who is king, why do you seek another?