El Relicario

music and lyrics by Jose Padilla

1918

translation by Gilda Tabarez  [copyright 2000]

verse 1:

Un dia de san Eugenio yendo hacia el Prado le conoci.
On St. Eugene's Day while walking through the park I met him.

Era el Torero de mas tronio, Y el mas castizo de to' Madrid!
He was the most acclaimed bullfighter, and the most noble in all Madrid!

Iba en calesa, 
He was riding in a carriage,

Pidiendo guerra,
Looking for a fight,

Y yo al mirarle,
And I as I gazed upon him,

Me estremeci.
I trembled.

Y el al notarlo bajo del coche,
And as he noticed this he alighted from the coach,

Y muy garboso se, Vino a mi,
And very gallantly came toward me.

Tiro la campa con gesto al tivo, 
He threw down his cape with a proud gesture,

Y descubriendose me dijo asi:
And uncovering himself he said this to me:

chorus:

Pisa morena, Pisa con garbo,
Tread, dark-haired maiden, Tread with grace,

Q'un Relicario, Q'un Relicario me voy hacer.
For a reliquary, For I am going to make a reliquary,

Con el cachito, De mi capote,
With the little piece, Of my bullfighter's cape,

Q'haya pisado, Q'haya pisado tan lindo pie.
Over which passed, Upon which tread so beautiful a foot.

verse 2:

Era un lunes Abrileno, el toreaba y a verle fui,
It was a Monday in April, he was bullfighting and I went to see him.

Nunca lo hiciera que aquella tarde, De sentimiento crei morir!
I would that that afternoon had never come to pass, I thought I would die of sentiment!

Al dar un lance, 
As he lunged,

Cayo en la arena,
He fell down upon the sand,

Se sintio herido,
Mortally wounded,

Miro hacia mi,
He looked toward me,

Y un relicario saco del pecho, 
And he took from his chest a locket,

Que yo al instante reconoci.
Which I recognized at once,

Cuando el Torero caia inerte,
When the Bullfighter fell down inert,

En su delirio decia asi:
In his delirium he said this:

chorus