"Guárdame las vacas" is an anonymous folk song of the
Renaissance, and in the 15th and 16th centuries its
melody was widely used by numerous authors of the time.
The metaphorical lyrics are based on a poem by the
Renaissance author Cristóbal de Castillejo (1490-1550)
that begins with the words: “Guárdame las vacas,
carillejo / y besarte he / sino, bésame tú a mí /
que yo te las guardaré”. One of the earliest
publications we know of today is an instrumental
version for vihuela that inc...(+)
"Guárdame las vacas" is an anonymous folk song of the
Renaissance, and in the 15th and 16th centuries its
melody was widely used by numerous authors of the time.
The metaphorical lyrics are based on a poem by the
Renaissance author Cristóbal de Castillejo (1490-1550)
that begins with the words: “Guárdame las vacas,
carillejo / y besarte he / sino, bésame tú a mí /
que yo te las guardaré”. One of the earliest
publications we know of today is an instrumental
version for vihuela that includes several variations by
the Spanish composer and vihuelist Luis de Narváez
(fl.-1526-1549+). In his six-volume collection of
vihuela music entitled "Los seys libros del delphín"
(Valladolid, 1538) there are seven variations on the
theme. However, nowadays it is often played on
classical guitar, and can also be found in a shorter
version consisting of only three variations.
