36. La bella en misa (CES)

A very truncated version of the romance La bella en misa (CMP S7) as documented in Salonica around the beginning of the twentieth century. This story about a beautiful lady entering the church, illuminating it and disturbing the ceremony is reduced here to a partial description of her beauty with similes from nature. Her head is compared to a grapefruit and her cheeks to the excellent apples from Skopje. The closest version of this romance is the one documented by Yacob Abraham Yoná of Salonica in a number of brochures he published (Armistead and Silverman 1971a, pp. 319-332). See also Attias 1961, no. 14; Hemsi 1995, no. 59; Perez 2007, pp. 23-28; PF 185/02 (sung by Estrea Aeliyon from Salonica). The melody covers two lines of the romance in the AB BC CD, etc. pattern. The melody is a classic example of the performance of romances in the Ottoman Empire with a very melismatic four-phrase tune without a clear beat.

Tres damas van a la misa a hacer la oración,

entre medio la mi esposa y la que más quería yo, y mi señor.

Entre medio la mi esposa y la que más quería yo.

Sayo lleva sobre sayo y un šiboy d’altornación, cara de flor.

Sayo lleva sobre sayo y un šiboy d’altornación,

Su cabeza una toronja y sus cabellos briles son, cara de flor.

Su cabeza una toronja y sus cabellos briles son.

Las sus caras coroladas manzanas de Eskopia son, cara de flor.