Pregonadas son las guerras

Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Yc5540

This is a version of La doncella guerrera, The warrior maiden, which is widely spread across Spain and within the Sephardic diaspora. In all versions, a dialogue takes place regarding the young woman's disguise, specifically the men's clothing she will wear to go to war in her elderly father's place. This exchange between father and daughter, presented through a series of parallel verses, serves as the central theme of the ballad: the concealment of her gender and sexual identity, and the denial of her womanhood in order to present herself as a man. The revelation of her as a woman typically leads to the rival King's son falling in love with her.

Text
Pregonadas son las guerras,   las guerras del rey León:
- Todo el que a ellas no fuere,   su casa 'stará en prisión,
sea conde, o sea duque,     o sea de cualquier nación.-
Si no era un renegado       qu' a su mujer maldició:
- Reventada seas, Alda,     por mitad del corazón,
siete hijas que tuvistes     y entre ellas ningún varón
quien me escapara  ahora        de las guerras del León!-
Todas las siete callaron   ninguna que respondio
Si no era la mas pequenia  que del buen dia nacio
- No maldigas a mi madre    no la maldigas, no;
- No mos maldigas, mi madre,  porque no tuvo varón:
dame armas y caballo,        vestimenta de varón,
vo os escusare, mi padre,     de las guerras del León.-
- Los tus cabellos, la niña,  son de hembra, y no de varón.-  
- Con el sombrero, mi padre,    me los taparía yo.-
- Vuestros pechitos, la niña,   de hembra es, y no es varón.-
- Con el chaleco, mi padre,    me los ajustaria yo.-
Ya cabalgaba la niña,       cabalga más que un varón;
A la entrada de las guerra,   toda la gente pasmo
a la batallia primera,    a media guerra, ganó
a la batallia segunda,  toda la guerra mato
a cumplir la batallia   el jubón se la cayó.
Todos dicen de una vez:     - Hembra es, y no es varón.
Decía el hijó del rey:      - Por novia (me) la llevo yo.-
Echola en los sus brazo[s]    y a su casa la llevó,
otro día en la mañana      las ricas bodas s' armó.

Translation:
Proclaimed are the wars, the wars of King León:
– Everyone who does not go to war, his house shall be in prison,
be he count, be he duke, be he of any nation.–
If it were not a renegade who cursed his wife:
– Burst you shall be, Alda, through the middle of your heart,
seven daughters you bore me and among them not one son,
who would free me now from the wars of León!–
All the seven were silent   none responded
Except the youngest   who was born on a good day
– Do not curse my mother, do not curse her, no;
do not curse my mother because she bore no son:
give me arms and a horse, clothing of a man,
I would free you, my father, from the wars of León.–
– Your hair, the girl’s, is of a woman, and not of a man.–
– With the hat, my father, I would cover it.–
– Her little breasts, the girl’s, are of a woman, for she is no man.–
– With the vest, my father, I would cover them.–
Already the girl was riding, she rode more than a man;
and at the entry to the wars, she astonished everyone;
At the first battle   she won half the war
and at the second battle, she killed all in the war
at the end of the battle  her jacket fell off
All say together: – A woman she is, not a man.
Said the son of the king: – As a wife I shall take her.–
He took her in his arms and to his house he led her,
and the next day in the morning the rich wedding was prepared.