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The Gypsies Dance

The gypsies dance,
the King watches them;
the Queen, jealous,
orders their arrest.
 
For Twelfth Night
Belica and Inés
performed for the King
a gypsy dance.
Clumsy Belica
fell beside the King,
and the King lifted her up
being purely courteous;
more as if she's Belilla
having such a pretty face,
the Queen, jealous,
orders their arrest.

English translation by Paul Archer of Bailan las gitanas by Miguel de Cervantes, the original poem appears below.

Bailan las gitanas

Bailan las gitanas,
míralas el rey;
la reina, con celos,
mándalas prender.

Por Pascua de Reyes
hicieron al rey
un baile gitano
Belica e Inés.
Turbada Belica,
cayó junto al rey,
y el rey la levanta
de puro cortés;
mas como es Belilla
de tan linda tez,
la reyna, celosa,
mándalas prender.

For more translations of poems by Cervantes, go to Translations.

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