In an earlier entry, I posted the Bolivian song Una Tarde de Mayo. Here’s a version that Monique Palomare’s father used to sing to her. Monique said her father learnt the song during grape picking season in France, as every year a lot of Spaniards used to come, and vineyards were always full of singing.

Below you’ll find the lyrics in Spanish, with an English translation and an mp3 recording of Monique singing the song. The last two lines of each verse are repeated.

MP3 Recording of Una tarde fresquita de mayo

Una tarde fresquita de mayo
(Spanish)

Una tarde fresquita de mayo
Cogí mi caballo y me fui a pasear
Por las sierras más altas que había
Donde mi morena solía pasear.

Yo la vi que cogía una rosa
Yo la vi que cogía un clavel
Y le dije – jardinera hermosa
¿Me das una rosa, me das un clavel?

Y me dijo muy fina y galante
Al instante yo se las daré
Si me jura que nunca ha tenido
Flores en la mano de otra mujer.

Yo te juro que eres la primera
De quien flores espero coger
Por lo tanto, jardinera hermosa
¿Me das una rosa, me das un clavel?

On a Cool Evening in May
(English)

On a cool evening in May
I took my horse and went for a ride
In the highest mountains
Where my brunette used to stroll.

And I saw her pick a rose,
And I saw her pick a carnation,
And I told her, pretty gardener,
Would you give me a rose?
Would you give me a carnation?

And she told me, very shrewdly and gallantly,
I’ll give them to you at once,
If you’ll swear to me you’ve never held
Flowers from another woman.

I swear to you you’re the first one
From whom I hope to pick flowers
Then, pretty gardener,
Would you give me a rose?
Would you give me a carnation?

Monique asked me to post this question about Une Tarde de Mayo…

I’d like to know whether anyone from the Murcia area in Spain heard it sung this way. (Quisiera saber is algún Murciano la oyó cantar así.)

If anyone can answer Monique’s question, please comment below.

Many thanks to Monique, my colleague at Mama Lisa’s World en français, for sharing this song and for singing it for us.

-Lisa

Come visit the Mama Lisa’s World Spain Page for more Spanish Songs.