La reina Jerifa mora 1

Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: 5773/30
Referenced and notated in: Romancero Sefardi de Marreucos, pg. 111, Editorial Alpuerto, Pardes Publishing House, 2018 Susana Weich-Shahak.

This is the North Morrocan version of a Romansa centered on themes of captivity and identity during the era of the Christian–Moorish wars. The story, preserved in the oral traditions of Spain, explores the emotional recognition between two long-lost sisters. One, now a queen and once a Christian captive herself, asks for a Christian slave to be brought to her. The Moors who she sends to do this for her, kill the Count Flores who was the husband of her slave to be. Both women are pregnant and give birth on the same day—the queen to a daughter and the slave to a son. The midwives secretly exchange the newborns, giving the son to the queen. Later, the queen overhears the slave singing a lullaby to her daughter, expressing that if the child were hers, she would name her after her lost sister—the very name of the queen. This moment of recognition leads to a heartfelt reunion, and the sisters embrace and restore the babies to their rightful mothers and depart to their homeland the next day.

Lyrics
La reina Jerifa mora, la que mora en la Almería,
dice que tiene deseo de una cristiana cautiva.
Los moros, como lo oyeran, de repente se partían,
de ellos parten para Francia, de ellos para la Almería.
Se encontran con el conde Flores, que a la condesa traía,
plumas de oro en la su mano, haciendo una gran cortesía,
pidiendo a Dios del cielo que la den hijo o hija
para heredarle sus bienes, que herederos no tenía.
Ya matan al conde Flores y a la condesa traían,
se la llevan de presente a la reina de Almería.
- Tomís, señora, esta esclava, la esclava que vos queríais,
que no es mora ni judía, ni es echada a la malicia,
sino es condesa y marquesa, señora de gran valía.
- Tomís, señora, las llaves, de la espensa y la cocina.
- Sí, las tomaré, señora, por la gran desdicha mía:
ayer, condesa y marquesa, y hoy, esclava en la cocina.
La reina estaba encinta y la esclava estaba sentida.
Quiso Dios y la fortuna: las dos paren en un día.
La esclava pariera un niño y la reina parió una niña.
Las perras de las comadres, para ganar su platica,
dieron el niño a la reina y a la esclava dan la niña.
Un día estaba la esclava bautizando a la niña,
de lagrimas de sus ojos la cara lavó a la niña.
- Ay, mi niña de mi alma, ay, mi niña de mi vida,
quién te me diera en mi tierra, en mis tierras de Almería:
te nombraría Blancaflor, nombre de una hermana mía.
- Esclava, la de mi esclava, repite esa cantica!
- Yo la repiteré, señora, por la gran desdicha mía:
me cautivaron los moros día de Pascua Florida,
cogiendo rosas y flores, día de Pascua Florida.
- ¿Qué señas tenía tu hermana, dime, qué señas tenía?
- Tiene un lunar esmaltado debajo de su tetilla.
Remangó su linda nagua y el lunar la enseñaría,
echóla en sus ricos brazos: Tú, mi hermana, la querida!
La dió el niño a la hermana y la reina tomó la niña
y otro día en la mañana para sus tierras partía.

Translation
Queen Jerifa was a Moor, she was dwelling in Almería,
She declared she had a longing for a Christian slave girl
When the Moors heard her, they at once began their journey,
Some went off to France, and some returned to Almería.
They met Count Don Flores, to whom the countess was given
Golden feathers in his hands, he bowed with great courtesy
Asking God in Heaven, that He give him son or daughter,
So his wealth could be passed on, for he had no heir
Then they killed Count Don Flores, and captured the countess
Took her and presented her to the queen of Almería.
“Take her, lady, this slave girl, the slave you requested,
She’s not a Moorish, nor a Jew, free of all deceitful ways.
She’s a countess and a marchioness, of highest honor.”
“Take, my lady, now the keys to the pantry and the kitchen.”
“Yes, I’ll take them, lady, for my sorrow is too heavy:
Yesterday a countess-marchioness, now a slave of kitchen.”
The queen was pregnant, and the slave was also feeling it
God and Fortune made it happen: both gave birth in one day
The poor slave bore a boy, the queen bore a daughter.
The sly midwives, for some coin, switched the children.
The queen they gave the boy, the slave they gave the girl
One day as the slave was baptizing the girl,
With her tears she washed the child’s face
“Oh my girl, my soul, oh my girl, my life
If I had you in my homeland, in my homeland, Almería,
I would name you Blancaflor, the name of my sister.”
“Slave, you who are slave, repeat that song!”
“I’ll repeat it, lady, for my great misfortune:
I was taken by the Moors on Easter Sunday,
Gathering the roses and flowers on Easter Sunday.”
“What mark had she, your sister? Tell what sign she had?”
“She had a dark beauty mark underneath her bosom.”
She raised her fine dress and the beauty mark was shown
She threw her in her arms: “You are my sister, oh beloved!”
She then gave her the boy, and the queen took the daughter,
The next morning, they departed to their homeland.