O Serventês adaptado por Natália Correia na voz de Luís Cília: Afonso X na resistência à ditadura portuguesa

Abstract

In her 1970 compilation of songs by Galician-Portuguese troubadours, Natália Correia includes three satirical songs by Alfonso X of Castile, one of which explicitly addresses the nobility's lack of responsibility in the face of war ("O que foi passar a serra"). In the version she publishes, the Portuguese poet adapts the medieval text, making it more accessible to contemporary audiences while also reshaping its meaning. A year later, the singer-composer Luís Cília set to music the version entitled Serventês from Correia's collection, restor ing to it the musical dimension absent from the mere publication of the text. This paper examines both Correia's choice of this song by Afonso X and its adaptation into contemporary Portuguese, as well as the musical version recorded by Luís Cília, showing how the Castil ian king is recast as a voice of protest against the war conducted under Portugal's dictatorial regime.