Romance de La Luna

Camarón de La Isla's 'Romance de La Luna' is a hauntingly beautiful flamenco song that weaves a rich tapestry of imagery and emotion. The lyrics, inspired by Federico García Lorca's poetry, tell a surreal and mystical story involving the moon, a child, and the gypsies. The moon, personified as a seductive and ethereal figure, visits a forge, captivating a child with her presence. The child is mesmerized, unable to look away, symbolizing innocence and fascination with the unknown.

The moon's warning to the child about the approaching gypsies adds a layer of tension and foreboding. The gypsies, often romanticized in Spanish culture, are depicted here as both enchanting and dangerous. The moon's plea to the child to let her dance and escape before the gypsies arrive suggests a fleeting beauty and the inevitability of change. The imagery of the moon's 'hard tin breasts' and 'starched whiteness' contrasts purity with a sense of coldness and distance, enhancing the song's mystical aura.

As the gypsies approach, the song takes on a more urgent tone. The child, now with closed eyes, represents a surrender to fate or perhaps a dreamlike state. The final verses, where the moon leads the child by the hand through the sky, evoke a sense of transcendence and escape from earthly troubles. The gypsies' lament and the air 'watching over' them add a poignant end to the tale, blending sorrow with a sense of eternal vigilance. Camarón de La Isla's delivery, steeped in the deep emotional resonance of flamenco, brings this poetic narrative to life, making 'Romance de La Luna' a timeless piece that explores themes of innocence, danger, and the mystical allure of the moon.