Di, perra mora – Romances
Composer: Anonymous (Pedro Guerrero?)
The word “villancico”, derived from “villanesca”, denotes pieces with a rustic (“villano”) – that is, popular – setting, such as this typical secular work from the 16th-century Cancionero de Medinaceli. Possibly composed by Pedro Guerrero, it tells a typical frontier story of the Spanish Renaissance: the sorrows of a Christian in love with a Moorish woman. Works like this were performed with a free choice of voices and instruments. This version was recorded at the Alcázar of Seville in 2024, as part of the Romances programme.
Lyrics
Di, perra mora,
di, matadora,
¿Por qué me matas,
y, siendo tuyo,
tan mal me tratas?
Tell me, cruel Moorish girl,
tell me, my slayer,
why do you kill me,
and, though I am yours,
treat me so cruelly?
Credits
Quiteria Muñoz, soprano
ACCADEMIA DEL PIACERE
Fahmi Alqhai, viola da gamba & direction
Recorded at the Royal Alcázar of Seville (Romances, 2024)
