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El río Guadalquivir va entre naranjos y olivos. Los dos ríos de Granada bajan de la nieve al trigo. ¡Ay, amor que se fue y no vino! El río Guadalquivir tiene las barbas granates. Los dos ríos de Granada uno llanto y otro sangre. ¡Ay, amor que se fue por el aire! Para los barcos de vela, Sevilla tiene un camino; por el agua de Granada sólo reman los suspiros. ¡Ay, amor que se fue y no vino! Guadalquivir, alta torre y viento en los naranjales. Dauro y Genil, torrecillas muertas sobre los estanques. ¡Ay, amor que se fue por el aire! ¡Quién dirá que el agua lleva un fuego fatuo de gritos! ¡Ay, amor que se fue y no vino! Lleva azahar, lleva olivas, Andalucía, a tus mares. ¡Ay, amor que se fue por el aire!
Confirmed with Federico García Lorca, Die Gedichte: Spanisch-Deutsch, ausgewählt und übertragen von Enrique Beck, Band 1, Göttingen: Wallstein Verlag, 2008, pages 66 and 68.
Text Authorship:
- by Federico García Lorca (1898 - 1936), "Baladilla de los tres ríos", appears in Poema del Cante Jondo, first published 1921 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895 - 1968), "Baladilla de los tres ríos", from Romancero Gitano, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Enrique Beck (1904 - 1974) , "Kleine Ballade von den drei Flüssen", copyright © ; composed by Günter Bialas, Hermann Reutter.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Richard Gard) , "Song of the Three Rivers", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Grant Hicks) , "Little Ballad of the Three Rivers", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Ballade des trois rivières", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Ivo Zandhuis , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2005-01-11
Line count: 32
Word count: 137
The river Guadalquivir flows between oranges and olives. The two rivers of Granada descend from the white snows to the wheat fields. Ah, love that left, never to return! The Guadalquivir has a beard of garnet. The two rivers of Granada, one of tears and one of blood. Ah, love that flew, into thin air! For boats under sail, Seville has a channel; In the waters of Granada, only sighs remain. Ah, love that left, never to return! Guadalquivir, high tower and wind in the orange groves. Dauro and Genil, lifeless cairns above the ponds. Ah, love that flew, into thin air! Who can say how the waters carry a vain fire of cries! Ah, love that left, never to return! Carry orange blossoms, carry olives, Andalucia, down to the sea. Ah love that flew, into thin air!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Spanish (Español) to English copyright © 2010 by Richard Gard, (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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Based on:
- a text in Spanish (Español) by Federico García Lorca (1898 - 1936), "Baladilla de los tres ríos", appears in Poema del Cante Jondo, first published 1921
This text was added to the website: 2010-02-03
Line count: 32
Word count: 138