“Carceleras” from Las hijas del Zebedeo
Music by Ruperto Chapí
Text by José Estremera
Translation © by Beate Binnig, reprinted with permission from the LiederNet Archive


Al pensar en el dueño
de mis amores,
siento yo unos mareos
encantadores.
Bendito sea
aquel picaronazo
que me marea.
When I think of the lord
of my love
I feel a charming
dizziness.
Blessed be
that rascal
who makes me feel so dizzy.

A mi novio yo le quiero
porque roba corazones
con su gracia y su salero.
El me tiene muy ufana
porque hay muchas que le quieren
y se quedan con las ganas.
I love my beloved
because he steals hearts,
with his grace and his charm.
He makes me feel proud
because a lot of girls love him
but they are left with their desire.

Caprichosa yo nací,
y le quiero solamente,
solamente para mí.
Que quitarme a mí su amor
es lo mismo que quitarle
las hojitas a una flor.
Capricious I was born,
and I want him all for myself
Only for myself.
To take away from me his love
is the same as ripping off
the leaves of a flower.

Yo me muero de gozo
cuando me mira,
y me vuelvo jalea
cuando suspira.
Si me echa flores
siento el corazoncito
morir de amores.
I die of pleasure
when he looks at me,
and I lose my head
when he sighs.
When he throws flowers at me
I feel my little heart
die of love.

Porque tiene unos ojillos
que me miran entornados,
muy gachones y muy pillos,
y me dicen ¡ay! lucero,
que por esa personita
me derrito yo y me muero.
For he has sweet eyes
which look at me half-open
very tenderly and very naughtily,
telling me "Oh my darling,
for this little one
I will lose my soul and die."