Juan Vasquez is inspired by the symbolism of the popular poetry to write the literary and musical patterns in ballads and villancicos. Citrus fruits were said to be aphrodisiacs and the lemon water was said to be abortive. Many versions of this poem were made, and its melody became one of the most famous of the Spain in the 16th century. The sadness depicted by El Greco has to be sung with a ritenuto tempo.
