Asi biva el marido

From Ventanas Altas de Saloniki, 2013.
This is one of the themes about captives and prisoners typical of the Hispanic Middle Ages and the wars between Moors and Christians. Recognition between sisters is a theme of Pan-European ballads (a 12th-century French poem) and is known in current oral tradition in Spain. In the Sephardic ballad, the two captive sisters - one a queen and the other a slave, give birth at the same time and recognize each other through the slave's song. 

Lyrics:
- Así biva, el marido,   que me busques una esclavica
que sea de casta alta    y no de Costandina. -
Ya la traien a la esclava,    a la esclava la cautiva,
Y el rey del primer día     al punto l’agradaría.
Ya quedan las dos preñadas,   juntos en una hora,
La reina parió a la hija,   la ‘sclava parió al hijo.
Ya le cortan a la reina    fajadura de sirma y perla,
Y a la esclava la cativa,   fajadura de ‘mericana.
Ya la echan a la reina    en camas de bien parida,
Y a la esclava la cautiva    en el sofá de la cocina.
Que se suba i ariba    los caldos de bien parida,
Y a la esclava la cativa,    el caldo de la lejía.
La comadre con enventos    a las criaturas trocaría:
El hijo dio a la reina,    a la esclava dio la hija.
- Nani, nani, la mi hija,    nani, nani, la mi vista,
criada de los mis pechos    y no nacida de mi tripa;
si tú eras la mi hija    otro nombre te metía:
te metería Marqueta,     nombre d euna hermana mía.
- Así biva, la esclavica,    que me cantes esta cantiga,
a mí me está pareciendo   que sos una hermana mía.
- ¿Qué vos cantaré, mi alma?,    ¿qué vos cantaré, mi vista?
La reina de tantos bienes    en el sofá de la cocina. 
Esto que oyó la reina     al punto ‘abrazaría,
El hijo dio a la esclava    y la reina tomó a la hija.

Translation:
- So may the husband live, that he find me a slave-girl
who is of high lineage and not from Costandina (Constantinople).
They already bring the slave, the captive slave,
and the king, on the first day, immediately liked her.
Now both are pregnant, at the same time, together in one hour.
The queen gave birth to the daughter, the slave gave birth to the son.
They cut for the queen a swaddle of silver thread and pearl,
and for the captive slave, a swaddle of printed cotton.
They lay the queen on the bed of a woman who has given birth,
and the captive slave on the kitchen couch.
The queen upstairs was brought broth for a woman who has given birth,
and to the captive slave, lye-water broth.
The midwife, with her tricks, switched the babies:
gave the son to the queen, and to the slave she gave the daughter.
- Nani, nani, my daughter, nani, nani, my sight,
nursed at my breasts and not born from my belly;
if you were my daughter, another name I would give you
I’d name you Marqueta, name of a sister of mine.”
- So may the slave-girl live, sing for me this song
it seems to me that you are a sister of mine.
- What shall I sing to you, my soul? What shall I sing to you, my sight?
A queen, with all her wealth, on the kitchen couch.
When the queen heard this, she immediately embraced her
she gave the son to the slave, and the queen took back her daughter.