La Tempranica

Gerónimo Giménez y Bellido

Gerónimo Giménez (10 October 1854 – 19 February 1923) was a Spanish composer. He was born in Seville but spent most of his childhood in Cadiz. He was a musical prodigy who spent much of his life writing zarzuelas, a musical style that is very dear to Spanish people and has spread to Latin America and even the Philippines. Typically, the zarazuela is a song or a short drama, like a musical or operetta. “La Tempranica” is an operetta in one act with three scenes. It premiered on 19 September 1900 after much anticipation and lengthy delays. It is arguably the composer’s best work. The title refers to a 16-year old headstrong woman. One of the arias, a trouser role, is about a tarantula. It’s lively and entertaining. The first selection includes the music (roughly 3m13s to 5m) but does not have a voice; so, for fun, I added the aria about the tarantula. Choosing just one interpretation was challenging but Andalusian Diana Navarro brings a gypsy-like quality to the lament over the nasty the hairy spider.

She tells her mother that she went into the barn the day before and that’s when the shaking disease set in. She says she must have been stung by the spider that has a guitar on its belly. Mother, “I’m really ill and having sweats. Dancing is the only cure for this terrible disease.”

La tarántula é un bicho mú malo;
No se mata con piera ni palo;
Que juye y se mete por tós los rincones
Y son mú malinas sus picazones.

¡Ay mare!, no zé que tengo
Que ayé pazé por la era
Y ha principiaito a entrarme
Er má de la temblaera.

Zerá q’a mí me ha picáo
La tarántula dañina
Y estoy toitico enfermáo.
Por su sangre tan endina.

¡Te coman los mengues
Mardita la araña
Que tié en la barriga
Pintá una guitarra!
Bailando se cura tan jondo doló.
¡Ay! ¡Mal haya la araña que a mí me picó!

No le temo á los rayos ni balas
Ni le temo á otra cosa más mala
Que me hizo mi pare;
Más guapo que er gayo
Pero á ese bichito lo parta un rayo.

¡Ay mare! yo estoy malito.
Me está entrando unos suores
Que me han dejaito seco
Y comío de picores.

Zerá que á mí me ha picáo
La tarántula dañina,
Por eso me he quedao
Más dergao que una sardina.

¡Te coman los mengues,
Mardita la araña
Que tié la barriga
Pintá una guitarra!
Bailando se cura tan jondo doló.

¡Ay! ¡Mal haya la araña que a mí me picó!

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Lyrics: https://lyricstranslate.com/en/la-tarantula-tarantula.html

Tarantula: Amwu | Dreamstime.com

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