"El vito" by Obradors

Composer: Fernando J. Obradors (1897-1945)
Teresa Berganza, soprano; Felix Lavilla, piano
Aix-en-provence festival 18 July 1964

El Vito
Text: Anonymous

Una vieja vale un real
y una muchacha dos cuartos,
[y yo, como]1 soy tan pobre
me voy a lo más barato.
Con el vito, vito, vito,
con el vito, vito, va.
No me haga 'usté' cosquillas,
que me pongo 'colorá'.
******************************
An old woman is worth a real1
and a young girl two cuartos2,
but as I am so poor
I go for the cheapest.
On with the dancing,
on with the dancing, ole!
Stop your teasing, sir,
else I'll blush!

Note: a vito is a dance full of fire, performed in the taverns by a woman standing on a table before an audience of bullfighters.
1 Real: A silver coin.
2 Cuarto: A copper coin.

Translations are from
Lied and Art Song Page