Cairo Cairo is based on a traditional, a Spanish chanson from the fifteenth century, the composer is unknown.
The original lyrics are:
Pase el agua, ma Julieta, Dama,
Pase el agua. Venite vous a moy.
Jum’en anay en un vergel,
Jum’en anay en un vergel,
Tres rosetas fui culier; ma Julieta, Dama,
Pase el agua. Venite vous a moy.
A literal translation would be:
Cross over the water, Julieta
cross over the water, my lady,
and come to me.
I’ve been out into the garden,
three rose-buds for to get
for thee, my Juliet.
Cross over the water, my lady,
and come to me.
However, this must lose something
in translation, as the song is regarded as being sensual and erotic. I
daresay the rose-buds have got something to do with it.
Here, you’ll find an example of a
group performing the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0iWwy7YbAA
And another performance, by a different group:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_e_Cw4jVgs
