possibly by José Marín (1619? - 1699)
Translation © by Jennifer Gliere

Mi señora Mariantaños
Language: Spanish (Español) 
Our translations:  ENG
Mi señora Mariantaños,
en la eternidad de un mes,
pregunta como la quise
i ignoro que responder;
porque yo no sé
donde anda el amor
sin qué ni porqué.

Usted era fea adrede
y fue fáçil sin querer,
y vino a ser mi ocasión,
que pudo mas que Luzbel;
porque yo no sé
quando en lo peor
se halló que escojer.

Efectos de avorreçida
la deslumbravan tal vez,
pues quando la quise mal
fué quando quise muy bien;
porque yo no sé
que aya voluntad
a más no poder.

Si era esquiva, se quedava
A solas con se esquivez,
Y nunca pudo su ardid
Hecharme un ruego a perder,
porque yo no sé
quál sera peor,
huir o bençer.

Obraban sus buenas mañas
entre cariçia y desdén,
y yo tube por desvío
lo que ella entendió atraer,
porque yo no sé
juzgar el amor
si no es él por él.

Ni más ni menos la quise,
con que podrá conozer,
que, si fué mi amor caval,
lo que me vendió compré;
porque yo no sé
dejar de pagar
lo que fué bender.

Text Authorship:

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

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

  • ENG English (Jennifer Gliere) , "My lady Mariantaños", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Jennifer Gliere [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2018-01-18
Line count: 42
Word count: 182

My lady Mariantaños
Language: English  after the Spanish (Español) 
My Lady Mariantaños
in the eternity of a month
asks how I loved her;
I know not what to answer,
for I do not know
where there is love
without substance or reason.

You were deliberately ugly
and you were easy without wanting to be
and it came to be my occasion
that I could more than Lucifer;
and I am not sure
which was the worse
I could choose.

Impatience perhaps
blinded her some,
since I loved her badly
when I loved her best;
for I do not know
what’s worse: to fly away 
or to win and remain.

If she were elusive, she would stay
Alone by herself,
And her ploy could never
Make me a request to lose, 
Because I do not know
What would be worse, 
To flee or to sell.

They worked their good tricks
between affection and disdain.
And I had by happenstance
What she wanted to attract,
Because I do not know
How to judge love
If it is not love for love’s sake.

I loved her neither more nor less,
so she will plainly see
that my love was honest;
what she sold I bought,
as I cannot 
but pay for that 
which was for sale.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Spanish (Español) to English copyright © 2018 by Jennifer Gliere, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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This text was added to the website: 2018-03-05
Line count: 42
Word count: 204