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fluentbyear
🇪🇸 Spanish · Advanced Level 2

PART 3 · LESSON 22 OF 30 · 40 MINUTES

A Song from the Balcony

On the longest night of Holy Week, nobody in Triana goes to bed. At half past one in the morning the Hope of Triana comes out of her chapel in Pureza Street, and when she stops under the balcony, Encarna sings to her, as she has for fifty years. This year the song is for Paco. Say nobody sleeps, here she comes, be quiet, you could hear a pin drop, and talk about the great night of Seville's Holy Week - the silence, the songs sung to a passing float, and the dawn.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

It's the night between Holy Thursday and Good Friday, April 13th to 14th, half past one in the morning. Pureza Street is as full as at midday, and at the end of the street the doors of a little chapel are open. The Hope of Triana is about to come out. Encarna, in a black lace mantilla, has climbed the stairs to the balcony upstairs on Julian's arm. The doctor said rest. Encarna said nothing. At four, and again at dawn, the night goes on. This is the conversation you'll be able to say by the end of the lesson.

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Words and phrases

The lesson is for your ears. Open this afterwards, to see what you learned.
la calle está llenalah KAH-yeh ehs-TAH YEH-nahthe street is full
Nadie se ha ido a dormir.NAH-dee-eh seh ah EE-doh ah dohr-MEERNobody has gone to sleep.
la Madrugálah mah-droo-GAHthe great night
no duerme nadienoh DWEHR-meh NAH-dee-ehnobody sleeps
¡Ya viene la Esperanza!yah bee-EH-neh lah ehs-peh-RAHN-sahHere comes the Hope!
Callaos.kah-YAH-ohsBe quiet. To a group, in Spain.
Le voy a cantar una saeta.leh boy ah kahn-TAHR OO-nah sah-EH-tahI'm going to sing her an arrow song.
¿Desde el balcón?DEHS-deh ehl bahl-KOHNFrom the balcony?
¿Delante de todos?deh-LAHN-teh deh TOH-dohsIn front of everyone?
Llevo cincuenta años cantándosela.YEH-boh seen-KWEHN-tah AH-nyohs kahn-TAHN-doh-seh-lahI've been singing it to her for fifty years.

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