"A Rola" - Oliventine Portuguese Folk song (PT Lyrics + Translation ES & ENG)

Origin: Olivenza, Llanos de Olivenza, Badajoz (Extremadura, Spain)
Artist: Acetre
Album: "Dehesario" (2007)

First of all, I appreciate feedback on the French and Italian subtitles (which I found online, but made some changes), if you know the language, of course!

(0:10) "auga", is a dialectal and popular Portuguese variant of "água" (water).
(0:20; 0:36) "gargante"; "cante", here both end in "e" just to simulate and reproduce the vocal sound. Possibly typical of the Oliventine dialect (?), since the same thing happens with the Alentejo dialect, where certain words end in "e" or "i".
(2:28) "darei-te", is the incorrect form of "dar-te-ei".

"A Rola" (the turtledove) is a traditional folk song from Olivenza, performed by Acetre, a traditional music group from the spanish region of Extremadura. This piece is sung in Oliventine Portuguese, a sub-dialect of Alentejan Portuguese, preserved in Olivenza, which has been influenced over time by Castilian. The verses of this song can be found in traditional Portuguese themes, with the first quatrain belonging to and echoing a Cante Alentejano, called "Gota de água" (Drop of water), while the rest of the verses seem to belong to a cantiga de roda (children's dance-game) called "No Alto Daquela Serra" (In the top of that mountain), quite popular within the Douro region.

Now, the border between Portugal and Spain is the oldest in Europe, having been defined in the Treaty of Alcañices in 1297, signed between Portugal and Castile (a kingdom that later merged with others to form Spain). The border defined in that treaty remains as it is today, with two exceptions: the small town, San Felices de los Gallegos, near Almeida (Spain returned Almeida to Portugal, though), and Olivenza, a small town in the Alentejo region. The demarcation of Olivenza is until today, subject of litigation between Spain and Portugal, and still claimed "de jure" by later. But, in spite of this territorial dispute, the issue has not been a sensitive matter in the relations between the two countries. Olivenza is, therefore, the main spanish town and municipality located in the western part of the province of Badajoz, as well as the capital of the judicial district of Llanos de Olivenza.

In this song, the repeated request for a "little drop of water" and the desire to "sing like a turtledove", a bird known for its melodious song, reinforce the idea that love is as essential as water to quench the thirst of the soul. When spring arrives and during the summer, it is common to hear the turtledove singing, especially during the hottest hours and usually near areas with large trees, reinforcing this sweet loving theme. In the second part (0:44), the verses express the desire and resignation of an unrequited love, when a kiss is asked for and refused, respectively. Likewise, in the children's dance-game*, there is also a love narrative, where the boy seeks the affection of the girl he is courting in the circle, subjecting himself to her variable response (if a yes, she would ask for a kiss). In both situations, there is a constant dramatic element, both in the lyrics and in the choreography: the boy kneels at the girl's feet, demonstrating the intensity of his feelings.

Song Source ("A Rola"):    • A Rola (la Tórtola)  

"Gota de água" Song:    • Gota de água  

No Alto Daquela Serra (dance-game* pt lyrics): https://folclore.pt/cantigas-de-roda-danca...

Artwork: "The Kiss" by Francesco Hayez (1859)