Ya se sale

Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Yc2486/9
Referenced and notated in: Romancero Sefardi de Marruecos, pg. 103, Editorial Alpuerto, Pardes Publishing House, 2018 Susana Weich-Shahak.

This romance is based on the classical legend of Procne and Philomela: Tereus is married to Procne (Blancaflor in the romance), but is in love with her sister, Philomela, whom he eventually rapes and whose tongue he cuts out to prevent her from betraying him. It is known among the Sephardim of the Middle East and Morocco, as well as in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America; however, no ancient version survives. This is common in romances on the topic of incest since editors of the 16th and 17th centuries did not usually include them in their collections, likely for moral reasons.


Text:
Ya se sale la leona,       entre la paz y la guerra,
con sus dos hijas queridas,       Blancaflor y Felimena.
Por ahí pasara Tarquino,    namoróse d'una de ellas:
namoróse de Blancaflor    y no olvidó a Felimena. 
Al domingo tuvo boda     y al lunes partió a su tierra.
Y al fin de los nueve meses     vino 'l que nunca viniera.
- Buenos días, la mi suegra!   - Bien vengáis y tú, Tarquino!
cómo 'sta  la Blancaflor,      hija mía y mujer vuestra?
- Que vos pide de favor      que la dis a Felimena,
que está al tiempo de parir   y no tiene quien la atienda.
- Felimena te la llevas       con intención de devolve[r]la,
que la quiere e' rey de España    para casarse con ella.
Ella se subió al caballo     y encima una capa negra.
- Guarda tu honra, Felimena,   es tuya más que es mía.
- Yo la guardaré, mi madre,  y aunque me cueste la vida.
'La mitad de aquel camino     quiso él 'busar de ella.
- ¿Qué te pasa, cuñadito?   Que el demonio a ti t' atienta!
- No m' atienta a mí 'l demonio,    eres tú....
Cogió navajita aguda        y la lengua se la cortara.
Por ahí pasara un pasaje,    le pidió un papelico,
con sangre de sus venas       le escribió dos letras.
La 'rmana  al oír la noticia,   tomó y mató al recien nacido
y al otro día de mañana,        a sus tierras se marchaba.


Translation:

The lioness now goes out, between peace and war,
with her two beloved daughters, Blancaflor and Felimena.
Along there Tarquino passed, and fell in love with one of them:
he fell in love with Blancaflor and did not forget Felimena.
On Sunday there was a wedding, and on Monday he departed to his land.
And at the end of nine months came what should never have come.
“Good day, my mother-in-law!” “Welcome, and you, Tarquino,
how is Blancaflor, my daughter and your wife?”
“She asks you as a favor to give her Felimena,
for she is about to give birth and has no one to attend her.”
“You are taking Felimena with the intention of returning her,
for the king of Spain wants her in order to marry her.”
She mounted the horse and wore a black cloak over herself.
“Guard your honor, Felimena, it is yours even more than mine.”
“I shall guard it, my mother, even if it costs me my life.”
Halfway along that road he wanted to abuse her.
“What is happening to you,  brother-in-law? The devil is tempting you!”
“It is not the devil tempting me, it is you...”
He took a sharp knife and cut out her tongue.
Along there a traveler passed by; she asked him for a little piece of paper.
With the blood from her veins she wrote him two letters.
The sister, upon hearing the news, took and killed the newborn child,
and on the next morning departed for her own land.