La reina Jerifa mora 2

Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Y5773/32
Referenced and notated in: Romancero Sefardi de Marreucos, pg. 115, Editorial Alpuerto, Pardes Publishing House, 2018 Susana Weich-Shahak.

This is the North Moroccan 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 oyeron, de repente se partía[n]:
de ellos se iban para Francia, y de ellos para la Almería.
Se encontró con conde Flores que a la condesa traía,
libro de oro en la su mano, las adoraciones hacía
pidiendo al Dió del cielo que le diera hijo o hija
para heredar a sus bienes, que heredero no tenía.
Ya matan al conde Flores que a la condesa traía,
se la llevan de presente a la reina de Almería.
- Tomís, señora, esta esclava, la esclava que vos queríais,
que no es mora ni cristiana ni es hecha a la malicia,
que es una condesa y marquesa, señora de gran valía.
- Tomís, señora, estas llaves,las de la despensa y la cocina.
- Yo las tomar‚ señora, por la gran desdicha miya
ayer, condesa y marquesa, hoy, tu esclava en la cocina.
Quiso Dios y la fortuna que las dos quedaron encinta:
y van mese[s] y vienen meses, las dos paren en un día:
la esclava tuviera un niño, la reina tuvo una niña.
Las perras de las comadre[s], para ganar su platita,
dieron el niño a la reina y a la infanta dan la niña.
Un día, estando la infanta con su niña en la cocina,
con lagrimas de sus ojos lavó la cara a la niña.
- Ay, mi niña de mi alma, ay, mi niña de mi vida,
- Quien te me diera en mis tierras, en mis tierras de Almería,
te nombrara Blancaflor, nombre de una hermana mía
que la cautivaron moros día de Pascua Florida.
cogiendo rosas y flores, en las vueltas de Almeria
- Por tu vida, la esclava, repíteme esa cantarcica!
- Yo la repetir‚ señora, por la gran desdicha miya
- ¿Que‚ señas tenía tu hermana, que‚ señas ella tenía?
- Tiene un lunar en el pecho, debajo de la tetilla.
Siete vueltas le daría, y de ahí se conocieron
que eran hermanas queridas, Se cogieron de la mano
y se fueron a la Almería.

Translation
The Queen Jerifa dwells, she who dwells in Almería,
She says she has a desire for a Christian captive
The Moors, when they heard it, suddenly parted,
They went to France, and they went back to Almería.
They met with Count Flores, who had aquired the Countess,
A golden book in hand, he made his devotions,
Praying to God in Heaven to give him a son or a daughter,
To inherit her riches, for he had no heir
Count Flores was slain, who brought the Countess,
They took her as a gift to Queen of Almería.
Take, lady, this slave, the slave you were wanting,
Not Moor nor Christian, nor born of treachery,
She’s a Countess and Marchioness, lady of great worth.
Take, lady, these keys, the ones to the pantry and kitchen.
I’ll take them, lady, out of my great misfortune,
Yesterday, a Countess and Marchioness, today, your slave in the kitchen.
God and fortune willed that both women became pregnant:
And months go by and come, both give birth in one day:
The slave had a boy, the queen had a girl.
The evil midwives, to earn their little bit,
Gave the boy to the queen, and to the younger one, the girl.
One day, while the she and her baby girl were in the kitchen,
With tears in her eyes, she washed the girl’s face.
Oh, my girl of my soul, oh, girl of my life,
If only you had been given to me in my lands of Almería,
To name you BlancaFlor, a name of my sister,
Who was taken by Moors on Easter of Florida.
Picking roses and flowers, in the streets of Almería,
For your life, the slave, repeat to me that little song!
I will repeat it, lady, out of my great misfortune,
What sign did your sister have, what sign did she have?
A mole on her breast, under the nipple.
Seven times she would turn, and that’s how they knew,
That they were beloved sisters, they took each other’s hand,
And they went to Almería.