Todas las aves dormian

Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Y 3995/2
Referenced and notated in: Romancero Sefardi de Marruecos, pg. 70, Editorial Alpuerto, Pardes Publishing House, 2018 Susana Weich-Shahak.
 
This Romance is based on several medieval French sources, such as the poem Amis et Amile and the Chanson de Aiol, and recounts a supposed adventure of Belissent (a name that gave rise to Melisenda), daughter of Emperor Charlemagne, who falls in love with the knight Amile (called in this version Count Niño, a name derived from another ballad). It was printed in the 16th century, but it has not been preserved in the Spanish oral tradition, only in that of the Sephardic Jews of the East and Morocco.
 
Lyrics
Todas las aves dormían,   cuantas Dios criaba y mades,
non dormía Belisera,   la hija del Emperante:
de amores del conde Niño   no podía sosegare,
vueltas daba en la su cama   como pececito en mare.
Salto diera de la cama   como la parió su madre,
tirárase una sayita,   no la tapó su brillale,
cogió candil de oro en mano,   saliérase por la calle.
Fuérase para los palacios   donde sus doncellas yacen.
—¡Buenas noches, mis doncellas!   —Belisera, bien vengades!
—Que las que sabís de amor consejo   me habéis de dare,
y las que no lo sabían   que se aparten a un lugare.
Y ahí se alhadró Clara Niña,   moza era y de antigua edades:
—Gozáid vuestros días, niña,   gozáid vuestra mocedades,
que así hici yo, mezquino,   cuando era de vuestra edade:
aguardando condes y duques,   moza me hube de quedare.
Salto diera Belisera,   saliérase por la calle,
se encontró con Martinico,   el alguacil de su padre.
—¿Dónde vas tú, Belisera,   a 'stas horas por las calles?
mañana por la mañana   se lo diré yo a tu padre.
—Por tu vida, Martinico,   empréstame tu puñale:
vengo a matar a los perros   que ladran por estas calles,
toda la noche pasada   no me dejó sosegare.
Martinico, con amor,   la 'ntregara su puñale.
La cabeza entre los hombros   al suelo se la arronjare.
—Vete ahora, Martinico,   ve y demándame a mi padre!
Fuérase para los palacios   donde el conde Niño yace,
golpecitos dió a la puerta,   nadie que la respondía
si non era el conde Niño   que velaba y non dormía.
—¿Quién es ese o cuál es ese   que a mi puerta combatía?
—Belisera soy, el conde,   que de amor por tí moría.
—Vete ahora, Belisera,   vete a casa de tu padre:
cuando yo quiera mujer   por tí yo habré de mandare.
Y al día por la mañana   las ricas bodas se hacen.
 
Translation
All the birds were sleeping, all that God had made and formed,
but Belisera was not sleeping, the daughter of the Emperor:
for love of Count Niño she could not find rest,
she tossed in her bed like a little fish in the sea.
She leapt from her bed as her mother had borne her,
she threw on a little shift, it did not cover her brilliance,
she took a golden lamp in hand, and went out into the street.
She went to the palace where her maidens lay.
“Good evening, my maidens!” “Belisera, you are most welcome!”
“You who know of love must give me counsel,
and those who do not, let them go aside.”
Then Clara Niña spoke up, a maiden yet of elder years:
“Enjoy your days, young girl, enjoy your youth,
for I did so, poor wretch, when I was your age:
waiting for counts and dukes, I was left a maiden still.”
Belisera leapt up, and went out into the street,
she met Martinico, the watchman of her father.
“Where are you going, Belisera, at this hour through the streets?
tomorrow morning I will tell your father.”
“By your life, Martinico, lend me your dagger:
I come to kill the dogs that bark through these streets,
all last night they would not let me rest.”
Martinico, with love, handed her his dagger.
She severed his head, letting it fall to the ground.
“Go now, Martinico, go and summon my father!”
She went to the palace where Count Niño lay,
she knocked softly at the door, but no one replied
except Count Niño, who was awake and not asleep.
“Who is that, or what one is that, knocking at my door?”
“It is I, Belisera, Count, who is dying of love for you.”
“Go now, Belisera, go to your father’s house:
when I want a wife, for you I shall send.”
And the next morning, the splendid wedding took place.