Original Literature
Translated Literature
ROMANCE DE LA PÉRDIDA DE ALHAMA
Paseábase el rey moro
por la ciudad de Granada
desde la puerta de Elvira
hasta la de Vivarrambla.
—¡Ay de mi Alhama!—
Cartas le fueron venidas
que Alhama era ganada.
Las cartas echó en el fuego
y al mensajero matara,
—¡Ay de mi Alhama!—
Descabalga de una mula,
y en un caballo cabalga;
por el Zacatín arriba
subido se había al Alhambra.
—¡Ay de mi Alhama!—
Como en el Alhambra estuvo,
al mismo punto mandaba
que se toquen sus trompetas,
sus añafiles de plata.
—¡Ay de mi Alhama!—
Y que las cajas de Guerra
apriesa toquen el arma,
porque lo oigan sus moros,
los de la vega y Granada.
—¡Ay de mi Alhama!—
Los moros que el son oyeron
que al sangriento Marte llama,
uno a uno y dos a dos
juntado se ha gran batalla.
—¡Ay de mi Alhama!—
Allí fabló un moro viejo,
de esta manera fablara:
¿Para qué nos llamas, rey,
para qué es esta llamada?
—¡Ay de mi Alhama!—
Habéis de saber, amigos,
una nueva desdichada:
que cristianos de braveza
ya nos han ganado Alhama.
—¡Ay de mi Alhama!—
Allí fabló un alfaquí
de barba crecida y cana:
Bien se te emplea, buen rey,
buen rey, bien se te empleara.
—¡Ay de mi Alhama!—
Mataste los Bencerrajes,
que eran la flor de Granada,
cogiste los tornadizos
de Córdoba la nombrada.
—¡Ay de mi Alhama!—
Por eso mereces, rey,
una pena muy doblada:
que te pierdas tú y el reino,
y aquí se pierda Granada.
—¡Ay de mi Alhama!—
Translated Literature
BALLAD OF THE FALL OF ALHAMA
The Moorish king was traveling
through the city of Granada
from the Gate of Elvira
to the Gate of Vivarrambla.
– Alas, my Alhama! –
Letters came for him
stating that Alhama was taken.
He threw the letters in the fire
and killed the messenger.
– Alas, my Alhama! –
He descends from his mule
and mounts a horse;
he proceeds through Zacatín
quickly, to the Alhambra.
– Alas, my Alhama! –
As soon as he was at the Alhambra,
at that very moment, he ordered
that their trumpets be played,
their long, silver herald’s trumpets.
– Alas, my Alhama! –
And that the drums of War
reach the army in haste,
so that they may heed their Moors
from the Vega and Granada.
– Alas, my Alhama! –
The Moors who heard the sound
that Mars cries to blood thirst,
one by one and two by two
gathered to a form a great squadron.
– Alas, my Alhama! –
Then, an old Moor spoke,
in this way he would speak:
“Why are you calling us, my king,
what is this summons for?”
– Alas, my Alhama! –
“You must know, friends,
of a new misfortune:
that the fierce Christians
have already taken Alhama.”
– Alas, my Alhama! –
Then, an alfaqui
with a long beard and grey hair spoke:
“It served you right, good king.
Good king, it served you right.”
– Alas, my Alhama! –
“You killed the Abencerrajes
who were the flower of Granada,
and you seized the renegades
of Cordoba, the renowned.”
– Alas, my Alhama! –
“For that you deserve, my king,
a two-fold sentence:
that you will lose your life and your kingdom
and that here Granada will be lost.”
– Alas, my Alhama! –
