Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Córdoba. Lejana y sola. Jaca negra, luna grande, y aceitunas en mi alforja. Aunque sepa los caminos yo nunca llegaré a Córdoba. Por el llano, por el viento, jaca negra, luna roja. La muerte me está mirando desde las torres de Córdoba. ¡Ay qué camino tan largo! ¡Ay mi jaca valerosa! ¡Ay, que la muerte me espera, antes de llegar a Córdoba! Córdoba. Lejana y sola.
G. Crumb sets lines 8-9
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Federico García Lorca (1898 - 1936), "Canción del jinete", appears in Canciones, in Andaluzas [author's text checked 1 time 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 Suzanne Baron Supervielle (1910 - 2004), "Canción del jinete", 1952 [ voice and piano ], from Nueve canciones de Federico García Lorca, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Crumb (1929 - 2022), "La muerte me está mirando", published 1969, lines 8-9 [ soprano, flute (piccolo and alto flute), harp, contrabass, and percussion ], from Madrigals, Book IV, no. 3, New York, Peters [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Will Harmer , "Canción de Jinete" [ countertenor and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Manuel Oltra i Ferrer (1922 - 2015), "Canción del jinete" [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Tres Andaluzas, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928 - 2016), "Canción del jinete", published 2000 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Lorca Sarja (Lorca Suite), no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ruth Schonthal (1924 - 2006), "¡Ay qué camino tan largo!", 1956, published 2002 [ soprano and instrumental ensemble ], from Homage à Garcia Lorca, no. 2, Furore Verlag; revised 1993 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Enrique Beck (1904 - 1974) , copyright © ; composed by Wilhelm Killmayer.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chanson du cavalier", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Hein Calis
This text was added to the website: 2009-09-13
Line count: 14
Word count: 66
Córdoba. Distant and alone. Black pony, full moon, And olives in my saddlebag. Even if I know the roads I’ll never arrive in Córdoba. Across the plains, against the wind, Black pony, red moon. Death watches for me From the towers of Córdoba. Alas, the road is so long! Alas, my valiant pony [struggles]! Alas, Death is already seeking me, Before I arrive in Córdoba! Córdoba. Distant and alone.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translator's notes
Line 1. Córdoba is a city in southern Spain. The rhythm of the word itself can evoke the sound of a galloping horse. Córdoba is located on a dry plain in Andalusia, below the Sierra foothills, near the southern tip of Spain. Córdoba has the highest summer temperatures in Europe.
Line 9. The Great Mosque of Córdoba was the largest mosque in the world for many centuries. The nearby minaret of St. John was built in 930 A.D., was repurposed as a tower. As you approach the city from the surrounding plains, towers loom over the medieval city.
Translated titles
"Canción del jinete" = "Rider's Song"
"Canción de Jinete" = "Rider's Song"
"La muerte me está mirando" = "Death watches for me"
"¡Ay qué camino tan largo!" = "Alas, the road is so long!"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Spanish (Español) to English copyright © 2025 by Laura Prichard, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in Spanish (Español) by Federico García Lorca (1898 - 1936), "Canción del jinete", appears in Canciones, in Andaluzas
This text was added to the website: 2025-07-11
Line count: 14
Word count: 69