"Romance del Pernales" - Spanish Folk Song

Francisco Ríos González, known as ‘El Pernales’ (Estepa, Seville province, 23 July 1879 – Villaverde de Guadalimar, Albacete province, 31 August 1907), was a Spanish bandit who operated in Andalusia. In 1907, he tried to flee to America with his new lover, with whom he had had a daughter, but he did not succeed. For years, the Civil Guard harassed him continuously until 31 August 1907, when he was 28 years old, in the Arroyo del Tejo area, near Villaverde de Guadalimar, in the Sierra de Alcaraz, he was surprised by Lieutenant Haro and his men while eating in an olive grove with a companion from his gang, Antonio Jiménez Rodríguez, known as El Niño del Arahal. After a shootout on both sides, the two bandits were shot dead. According to Lieutenant Haro's report, Al Pernales was found in possession of ‘a dark brown mule, a double-barrelled centre-fire shotgun, a six-shot Smith revolver, a pair of long-range binoculars, a Roskof watch, a pocket wallet containing three 100-peseta notes, a pen and two letters’. El Niño de Arahal was found in possession of ‘a light brown mare, a Smith revolver, a large spring-loaded knife made in Albacete, and a pocket wallet with four 100-peseta notes’. His grave is in the cemetery of Alcaraz, in Albacete. After his death, a false myth arose around him, considering him a new Robin Hood who stole from the rich to give to the poor, thus turning him into a popular hero. A song dedicated to his memory said: They have killed Pernales, thief in Andalusia, who stole from the rich and helped the poor. Spanish singer-songwriter Manuel Luna composed the Romance de El Pernales, which tells of his death and that of El niño del Arahal, his sidekick. Sources: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Pernales    • Romance de El Pernales   Lyrics: Y en en la provincia Albacete, y en la sierra de Alcaraz mataron al Pernales, también al Niño del Arahal. Destino suyo ha sido el ser extraño por estas tierras, el preguntarle a un guarda cuál es el camino que lleva a la sierra. El guarda les indicó el camino, y ha Villaverde se ha encaminao, y al llegar al señor juez le cuentan todo lo que ha pasao. El señor juez al momento mandó llamar a la Guardia Civil: «Todas las fuerzas que haya para la sierra tien que salir». Salieron dos de a pie tres de a caballo, con un guía y un asistente y a la cabeza que hacía, que iba un bravo teniente. Al saltar las cordilleras, a los bandidos el alta les dio y a los muy pocos momentos, El Niño al suelo cayó. Pernales le dice al Niño: “Dame la mano, vamos a ellos, no hay que temer; si no me matan esta mañana un gran recuerdo han de tener.” A los muy pocos momentos, Pernales al suelo caía; los cadáveres en un carro a Bienservida los conducían. El pueblo entero lloraba, con mucha pena y dolor de ver a los dos bandidos cruzados en un serón. ||: Pernales en toda su vida no ha matado a ningún hombre, que el dinero que robaba lo repartía entre los pobres. :||