Context:
Some songs of rural areas in Spain illustrate different manual jobs to show the repetitive nature of the tasks. The monotony and mechanics of the movements form the rhythmic basis. The song uses a rhythm from popular bakers’-songs.
On youtube as Bailes a lo pesao
Original
Dicen que tienes, que tienes,
Que tienes más de mil reales,
Si los tienes guardalos,
Tus ojos solo lo valen.
Y al pasar el ríu tropecé en la rama.
Se me ha caído el pañuelo,
Y me lo ha llevado el agua,
Y ahora no tengu pañuelu ni nada.
Ya duerme la blanca flor,
Entre blancos algodones.
Dicen que tienes la fama,
De robar los corazones.
Y al pasar el ríu tropecé en la rama.
Dice tu madre que tienen,
Una reina para mi.
Anda ve y dile a tu madre,
Que la reina está en Madrid.
Y al pasar el ríu tropecé en la rama.
Y allá va la despedida,
La despedida voy dando.
Esta si que es despedida,
Que me despido cantando.
Y al pasar el ríu tropecé en la rama.
English translation
They say that you have, that you have,
That you have more than a thousand reales,
If you have them, keep them,
Your eyes alone are worth it.
And as I passed the river I tripped on the branch.
I dropped my handkerchief,
And the water carried it away,
And now I have no handkerchief or anything.
The white flower is already sleeping,
Among white cotton balls.
They say you have the reputation
Of stealing hearts.
And when I passed the river I tripped on the branch
Your mother says they have,
A queen for me.
Go and tell your mother,
That the queen is in Madrid.
And as I passed the river I stumbled on the branch.
And there goes the farewell,
The farewell I’m giving.
This is a farewell,
That I say goodbye singing.
And as I passed the river I stumbled on the branch.