Rubric: “On the third [course] at the first fret is the f-clef. On the second [course] at the third fret is the c-clef.” This indicates a vihuela in d-tuning.

The composition is a set of three variations on the popular tune “Si tantos halcones”, used as a cantus firmus in the soprano voice. Each variation is of different length and there are differences in the melody in each variation. Variations 1 and 2 only set the estribillo text, while variation 3 sets the estribillo followed by the copla, with an implied return to the opening in order to sing the vuelta and repeat the estribillo.
V. 1 -- The cantus firmus is in the cantus, with two lower counterpoints during the majority, at times only one voice against the c.f., and in one passage it is in four voices, concluding with coda marked “final”.
V. 2 – Narváez adds the rubric “Las vozes entran con el mismo canto llano” indicating the voices beneath the cantus firmus are in imitation
V. 3 – There is a rubric “Esta tercera diferencia y buelta no se a de tañer la boz que va señalada de colorado para cantar porque se hizo para este efecto de lleuar el contrapunto con la vihuela sobre la boz que se canta y de otra manera si se tañese la boz sería muy dificultoso de tañer por las consonancias estrañas que tiene. Llevase en estas dos partes el compás muy despacio.” [(In) This third variation and “Vuelta” you don’t have to play the voice that is written in red for singing because it was made for this effect so that the counterpoint on the vihuela over the voice and in another manner. If you were to play it, it would be very difficult to play because of the strange harmonies that it contains. In both parts, play with a very slow tempo.] The setting has a more virtuosic style of accompaniment against the cantus firmus

This appears to be the earliest surviving setting of this villancico, presumably drawn from popular tradition. The cantus firmus, in red ciphers, is slightly different in each of the three stanzas. The simplified melody shown in the analysis frame is derived from the melody in the final variation. As can be seen, the theme appears to be based on two simple melodic phrases, indicative of its popular nature. The texture in each of the three variations places the cantus firmus voice in the superius, and adds two voices below it. Narváez’s music was reprinted by

The poem is apparently of popular origin, but appears to have given rise to other related versions in more elegant verse by composers such as: Gutierre de Cecina, “Como garza real, alta en el cielo..” (Nº 152 en la edición de López Bueno). Further versions are given in alonso2003. The text used here is the copla of a villancico that has the following text (Frenk237,238):
Mal ferida iva la garça enamorada;
sola va y gritos dava.
Si tantos halcones
la garça combaten,
¡por Dios que la maten!
Frenk shows that the song was cited among the refrains cited Correas y Núñez, it is mentioned in the entry for “garça” in Covarrubias, as well as appearing in the works of Iñiguez de Medrano, González de Eslava, and in several cancioneros now in Toledo, Modena, etc.

Later than Narváez’s musiic, Valderrábano also set the music for vihuela (va137). Valderrábano also used the opening theme as the initial theme of his Fantasia 25 (va112). Other settings based on the same melody are in
• F-Pn Espagnol 219, Libro 2, Cap. 4, “Exemplo de como se puede echar un cantarzico sobre el kyrie”. It seems that this is an example of a Kyrie built from the popular melody, which is given in the tenor. - Barbieri (casares1986)
• P-Ln CIC no 60, fols 48v-49, [no 38], Si tantos monteros (edited in moraisVCR) An independent work based on same popular tune. Opening counterpoint is similar.
• I-MOe alfa.q.8.21 “Odae alique hispanicae” , fols 18v-19v. Text with alfabetto. Text reproduced in aubrun1950
• I-MOe alfa.p.6.22 Odae aliaque carmina hispana – Text with alfabetto, the version used by o
• I-MOe alfa.r.6.4 Carmina hispana, fols 59r-60r – Text with alfabetto
These last three MSS have largely the same repertory. The alfa,q.8.21 and alfa.r.6.4 are different copies of the same piece.
The chord progressions and text repetitions make it seem unlikely that these 17th century songs are sung to the same tune that is common to all the 16th-century versions.

REPRINT
• Phalèse in Des chansons reduictz en Tablature, fol. h1v-h2v (Brown 1546-18, nºs. 32-33).