Moricos, los mis moricos, los que para Francia iban.
Ellos buscan una esclava, una esclava cautiva.
La reina come pichones y la sclava, macarrones.
si tú eras la mi hija, ¿qué nombre yo te metía?
nombre de una hermana mía que es reina d’Alegría.
Moors, my Moors, those who are going to France
Look for a slave, a captive slave
The queen eats pigeons, and the slave eats macaroni
If you were my daughter which name would I give you?
The name of my sister, the queen Alegria
Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Y2994/4
This is a partial 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. A stark contrast is drawn between the queen’s privileged life and the slave’s humble condition. 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.
This website was created by Orit Perlman with the collaboration and blessings of Dr. Susana Weich-Shahak in 2025