| De Antequera sale el moro, |
From Antequera the Moor rode out, |
Came the Moor from Antequera, |
| De Antequera, aquesa villa: |
From Antequera, that town: |
Riding from that city ancient: |
| Cartas llevaba en su mano, |
Letters he carried in his hand, |
And the letter that he carried |
| Cartas de mensajería; |
Letters with messages. |
With dark messages was laden, |
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| Iban escríptas con sangre |
They were written with blood |
And the words in blood were written, |
| Y no por falta de tinta: |
And not for lack of ink. |
Not for lack of ink thus painted. |
| El moro que las llevaba |
The Moor who carried them |
And the Moor who clutched them tightly |
| Ciento y veinte años había; |
Was a hundred and twenty years old; |
Sixscore years of life had tasted. |
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| Ciento y veinte años, y el moro |
A hundred and twenty years, but the Moor |
He was now one hundred twenty, |
| De doscientos parecía |
Seemed two hundred. |
But two hundred seemed, and aged, |
| La barba llevaba larga. |
His beard was long, |
For his beard was long and thinning; |
| Muy larga hasta la cinta; |
Very long, down to his waist. |
To his waist it fell in grayness, |
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| Con la cabeza pelada |
With a bare head |
And his baldness shone in sunlight, |
| La calva le relucía; |
His baldness gleamed. |
So his head was nearly naked, |
| Toca llevaba tocada. |
He wore a head cloth |
Save the cloth in which he wrapped it, |
| Que muy gran precio valia; |
That was valued at a great price; |
Worth a price beyond all payment, |
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| La mora que la labrara |
The Moorish lady who made it |
Woven by a Moorish lady, |
| Por su amiga la tenia. |
Was his girlfriend. |
By his sweetheart kind and gracious. |
| Caballero en una yegua |
He rode on a mare |
And he rode a mare of spirit, |
| Que grande precio valia, |
That was valued at a great price, |
Finely bred, beyond all payment, |
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| No por falta de caballos |
Not for lack of horses, |
Not for lack of horses ridden; |
| Que hartos él se tenía; |
For he had enough of these. |
Many horses filled his stables, |
| Alhamar en su cabeza |
The head cloth on his head |
And the tassels on his headcloth |
| Con borlas de seda fina. |
Had tassels of fine silk. |
Were of finest silk created. |
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| Siete celadas le echaron. |
Seven ambushes they attempted; |
Seven ambushes they plotted, |
| De todos s'escabullía; |
He escaped from them all. |
But all seven he evaded. |
| Por los campos de Archidona |
Through the fields of Archidona |
Through the fields of Archidona |
| A grandes voces decía: |
In a loud voice he said: |
Crying loudly, he declaimed it: |
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| Si supieses , el rey moro, |
"If you knew, Moorish King, |
"Moorish King, if you knew something |
| Mi triste mensajería, |
My sad messages, |
Of my sad communications, |
| Mesarías tus cabellos |
You would dishevel your hair |
Then your hair would be disheveled |
| Y la tu barba vellida. |
And your hairy beard." |
And your beard in disarrangement." |
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| Tales extremos haciendo |
Doing such extreme deeds, |
To the town once called Elvira, |
| Llega a la puerta de Elvira; |
He arrived at the gate of Elvira [Granada]; |
With his actions this outrageous, |
| Vase para los Palacios, |
He went to the Palaces |
Went he to Grenada's palace |
| Dond'el rey moro vivía: |
Where the Moorish King lived. |
Where the Moorish King awaited. |
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| Encontrado ha con el Rey, |
He had found the King, |
He at last had reached the palace, |
| Que del Alhambra salía |
He who from the Alhambra came |
Who from the Alhambra hastened |
| Con doscientos de a caballo, |
With two hundred knights, |
With two hundred knights of valor, |
| Los mejores que tenia. |
The best he had. |
All his best and most courageous. |
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| Ante el Rey cuando se halla, |
When he found himself before the King, |
In to see the King he entered, |
| Tales palabras decia: |
He said these words: |
And he bowed his head to say this: |
| Mantenida Dios a tu Alteza, |
"God keep your Highness, |
"God in Heaven keep Your Highness |
| Salve Dios tu señoría. |
God save your lordship." |
And Your Lordship grant salvation." |
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| Bien vengas, el moro viejo, |
"Welcome, Old Moor. |
"Peace to you, Old Moor, and welcome. |
| Dias ha que te atendía. |
For days I have waited for you. |
You for days I have awaited. |
| ¿Que nuevas me traes, el moro, |
What news do you bring me, Moor, |
Of my city, Antequera, |
| De Antequera, esa mi villa? |
From Antequera, my town?" |
Tell me, Moor, what news is latest?" |
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| No te las daré, buen Rey, |
"I will not give it to you, good King, |
"My good King, I fear to tell you; |
| Si no me otorgas la vida. |
If you do not guarantee my life." |
Swear my life will not be taken." |
| Dimelas, el moro viejo, |
"Tell it to me, Old Moor, |
"Tell me, Moor, and do not fear me. |
| Que otorgada te seria. |
And it shall be guaranteed to you." |
You are safe; my word is sacred." |
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| Las nuevas que, loh rey, sabrás |
"The news, O King, you know |
"King, you know it is not good news; |
| No son nuevas de alegría; |
Is not news of joy; |
All my news with grief is tainted, |
| Qu'ese infante Don Fernando |
For that Prince Don Fernando |
For the prince, that Don Fernando, |
| Cercada tiene tu villa. |
Has surrounded your town. |
Antequera has blockaded. |
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| Muchos caballeros suyos |
"Many knights are his; |
"Many knights are sworn to serve him; |
| La combaten cada día; |
They fight each day; |
Every day the battle rages. |
| Aquese Juan de Velasco |
Here is Juan de Valasco |
With them rides Juan de Valasco |
| Y el que Enriquez se decía, |
And he that is called Enriquez, |
And Enriquez, who is famous, |
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| El de Rojas, y Narvaez, |
"He of Rojas, and Narvaez, |
"He from Rojas and Narvaez, |
| Caballeros de valía, |
Knights of valor. |
Knights stouthearted, strong, and brazen. |
| De día la dan combate, |
During the day, they fight; |
They attack by day and nightly |
| De noche hacen la mina; |
At night, they dig beneath our fortifications. |
Dig beneath the walls' foundations. |
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| Los moros que estaban dentro |
"The Moors who were inside |
"All the Moors inside were eating |
| Cueros de vaca comían: |
Were eating cowhides. |
Leather to avoid starvation. |
| Si no la socorres, Rey, |
If you do not help her, King, |
If, O King, you do not help her, |
| Tu villa se perdería. |
Your town will be lost." |
Then your city will be taken." |
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| Cristóbal de Morales |
Carol Anne Perry Lagemann |
Carol Anne Perry Lagemann |