Me demandas

From Arboleras - De las altas mares, Ecos Sefardies de la isle de Rodas, cd1,  2009

This romance exists only in Sephardic tradition. It presents an impossible list of architectural demands that make the poor suitor tremble: a house facing the sea, with a bathroom equipped with gold sinks and ivory faucets from which rosewater flows. The demands are answered with a curse in Turkish: May God reward you according to how you have treated me.

Text:
Me demanda unas demandas   que me hace tresalir,
me demanda casas altas,   con ventanas al yalí.
Alahtán bursum bulaki,   kim verdin buyle karim
Me demanda unas demandas   que me hacen tresalir,
me demanda baño en casa,   con telek y hamamgi,
Alahtan bursum bulaiki,   kim verdi buyle karim
me demanda las pilas d’oro   con los chorros de marfil,
el agua que salga de ellos   que seya de yul yaghí.
Alahtan bursum bulaiki,   kim verdi buyle karim
Del Dio lo tupís, bulaki,   sigún hicites con mí.

Translation:
She demands such demands of me that they make me tremble, 
she demands tall houses with windows facing the sea. 
May God give you the same, you wretch, exactly as you did to me.
She demands such demands of me that they make me tremble, 
she demands a bathroom in the house, with tiles and a hammam, 
May God give you the same, you wretch, exactly as you did to me.
She demands basins of gold with spouts of ivory, 
the water that comes out of them to be rosewater and musk-oil. 
May God give you the same, you wretch, exactly as you did to me.
May God give you the same, you wretch, exactly as you did to me.