Cuerpo bueno, alma divina,
¡ Qué de fatigas me cuestas!
Despierta si estás dormida
y alivia por Dios mis penas.
Mira que si no fallezco,
la pena negra me acabana.
Tan sólo con verte ahora
mis pesares se acabaran
¡Ay, ay, qué fatigas!
¡Ay, ay, que ya expiro!

About the headline (FAQ)

Note (courtesy Laura Prichard): This is a solo serenade from the tonadilla "El criado fingido" (The Supposed Servant, 1779) in which a student, impersonating a servant, sings of love in the rhythm of a polo dance-song. This song was used by Bizet as the basis of the entr’acte that precedes Act IV of Carmen.

Text Authorship:

• by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

• by Manuel Vicente del Pópulo García (1775 - 1832), "Cuerpo bueno" [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Joaquín Nin y Castellanos (1879 - 1949), "Polo" [ voice and piano ], from Veinte cantos populares españoles, no. 20 [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

• ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2010-04-25
Line count: 10
Word count: 48

Attractive body, divine soul,
How many torments you cause me!
Wake up if you’re asleep
and relieve, for God’s sake, my sorrows.
See that otherwise I’ll perish,
dark sorrow is killing me.
If only by seeing you now
my torments would end
Alas, what torments!
Alas, I’m dying now!