Q’amanezca, q’amanezca

Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: YCD2980/9
Referenced and notated in: Romancero Sefardi de Oriente, pg. 133, Editorial Alpuerto, 2010 Susana Weich-Shahak.

Another ballad on the universal theme of the adulterous woman discovered by her husband and duly punished. It is one of the oldest ballads.Bernal Francés was known to be a soldier famous for his valor in battle, but he was also very mean and cruel to his soldiers, and for this reason, he was the subject of several anecdotes, one of which could be the one reflected in this ballad. Even though much of the ballad's story is missing and the verses are jumbled, we find the identifying motifs: the arrival of someone who knocks on the door and claims to be the pilgrim who often comes, the lamp he extinguishes so as not to be recognized, since he is none other than the husband disguised as Bernal Francés, and the cutting of the dress which symbolizes the adulteress's tragic end.

Text:
- Qu' amanezca la mañana, - vai vai -  vos cortaré un buen vistir,
vos cortaré gargantera     que akiseie al vistir.
Oyó un baque en la puerta,   - ¿quén es que bate aquí ?
- Yo soy, yo, el piligrino,   el que uso a vinir.
 Tomó candil d'oro en mano,   juntos se fueron a dormir.
Abrióle la media puerta   y la media por abrir.
Tomóse mano con mano,   juntos se fueron a dormir.

Translation:
- Let the morning dawn, - vai vai - I will cut you a fine dress,
I will cut you a necklace that will match the dress.
She heard a knock at the door, - who is knocking here?

- It is I, I, the pilgrim, the one who used to come.
She took a golden lamp in her hand, together they went to sleep.
She opened half the door, and the other half still to open.
They took each other’s hand, together they went to sleep.