Paseabase el buen Cidi

Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Yc2325/38
Referenced and notated in: Romancero Sefardi de Marruecos, pg. 226, Editorial Alpuerto, Pardes Publishing House, 2018 Susana Weich-Shahak.

In this romance from North Morocco Cidi prays in sorrow because he has no dowry for his grown daughter. Hearing him, the princess offers to become a nun and care for her younger siblings rather than burden him. The king overhears her devotion and is moved by her virtue; he declares that a father with such a daughter deserves no shame. He provides her with a rich dowry and arranges her marriage, and the wedding is celebrated the next morning.

Text:
Paseábase el buen Cidi     por la su sala garrida,
libro de oro en la su mano     las oraciones hacía,
lágrimas de los sus ojos      por la su faz se corrían.
Oyéndole está la infanta       desde su sala garrida.
- ¿Qué tenedes vos, mi padre,  o quién a vos ha hecho male?
si os han hecho mal los moros,    yo los mandaré a matare,
si os han hecho mal cristianos,   los mandaré a cautivare,
si os han hecho mal judíos,     los mandaré a desterrare.-
- Ni me han hecho mal los moros,    ni los mandes a matare,
ni me han hecho mal cristianos,    ni los mande a cautivare,
ni me han hecho mal judíos,    gentes son que mal no hacen;
el mayor de mis cuidados,    hija, que te veo grande,
ni tengo ajuar que darte      ni dinero que endotarte.-
- No os dé‚ nada, mi padre,    monja me quiero quedare:
servir‚ a Dios de los cielos    y a vuestras barbas honrare,
criaré a mis hermanitos     como si fuera su madre,
El es marido de viudas,      padres de las huerfandade[s].-
Oyéndolo está el buen reye      desde su sala ande estare.
- Oy, válgame Dios del cielo       y qué bonito cantare!
¿si son  ángeles del cielo       o sirena de los mares?-
- Ni son  ángeles del cielo     ni sirena de los mares,
persona soy, caballero,     dando consuelo a mi padre.-
- Padre que tal hija tiene     no merecía ajuare.-
Mandóla cien marcos de oro       y otros tantos de ajuare,
con uno de sus marqueses,      con él la hubo de casare.
Al día por la mañana      las ricas b-odas se hacen.

Translation:
The good Cidi walked about through his splendid hall,
book of gold in his hand he was saying the prayers,
tears from his eyes down his face were running.
Hearing him is the princess from her splendid hall.
– What have you, my father, or who has done you harm?
if the Moors have harmed you, I will order them killed,
if Christians have harmed you, I will order them captured,
if Jews have harmed you, I will order them exiled.–
– Neither have the Moors harmed me, nor shall you order them killed,
nor have Christians harmed me, nor shall you order them captured,
nor have Jews harmed me, people they are who do no harm;
the greatest of my worries, daughter, is that I see you grown,
and I have no trousseau to give you nor money to endow you.–
– Do not give me anything, my father, a nun I wish to become:
I will serve the God of the heavens and honor your white beard,
I will raise my little brothers as though I were their mother,
He is husband of widows, father of the orphans.–
Hearing this is the good king from the hall where he was.
– Oh, God of heaven help me how beautifully she sings!
Are they angels of heaven or a siren of the seas?–
– Neither angels of heaven are we nor siren of the seas,
I am a person, knight, giving comfort to my father.–
– A father who has such a daughter deserves no dowry.–
He ordered her a hundred marks of gold and just as much in trousseau,
with one of his marquises, with him she was to be married.
At daybreak in the morning the rich weddings are made.