This version of the song with lyrics is more in the realm of classical vocal music rather than a popular or crossover arrangement. To my knowledge, no version has used these specific lyrics in a popular or crossover style. The arranger of this version is the composer himself, Rodrigo, and the lyricist is his wife, Victoria Kamhi (1905-1997), a pianist and poet. The inspiration for the Concierto de Aranjuez originally came from the experiences of this musical couple during their honeymoon at the Royal Gardens of Aranjuez. Influenced by various arrangements of the Concierto in 1967, Rodrigo went from opposition to acceptance. Perhaps to regain creative rights, in 1968, Rodrigo created an arrangement for voice, piano, or guitar titled Aranjuez, Ma pensée (Aranjuez, My Thoughts). Twenty years later, Victoria turned these thoughts into words, creating a French poem that became the official lyrics for the work. In 1988, the sheet music for the "author's version" (version del autor) for voice and guitar (Para canto y guitarra) was officially published. Kamhi's poem structure is not like typical lyrics, which often use overlapping sections or responses. Her verses rarely repeat. A song with such a poem might not be well-suited to a more popular version.

  Many of the albums released on the market and tracks found online labeled as Aranjuez, ma pensée do not feature the lyrics by Victoria Kamhi. For instance, British singer Summer's 2002 album, which includes a Spanish version of this song, Aranjuez, con tu amor, still lists the title as Aranjuez, ma pensée. Similarly, the Australian group Amici Forever, an "Opera Band" known for performing classical music in a vocal classical style, released an album in 2005 titled Defined, including Aranjuez, ma pensée. Still, the song is again the Spanish version, Aranjuez, con tu amor. Not only vocal versions but also many instrumental arrangements of the piece are titled Aranjuez, ma pensée.

I believe there are two main reasons for this. One is that the original version of these adaptations is Rodrigo’s 1968 reworking of the second movement theme of Concierto de Aranjuez, titled Aranjuez, ma pensée. The official sheet music for this piece includes versions for voice and guitar, guitar alone, and piano. The second reason lies in the ongoing issues surrounding the copyright ownership of the Concierto de Aranjuez adaptations since 1960. It wasn’t until 1987 that Rodrigo’s daughter, Cecilia Rodrigo, won the rights to the work, reclaiming the rights to various adaptations, including the French version Aranjuez, mon amour with lyrics by Guy Bontempelli and the Spanish version En Aranjuez con tu amor, adapted by Alfredo Garcia Segura. These works are all owned by the Joaquín Rodrigo Publishing House (Ediciones Joaquín Rodrigo) or the Victoria and Joaquín Rodrigo Foundation (Fundación Victoria y Joaquín Rodrigo). Copyright holders are strictly required to authorize all adaptations and uses of these works and must carry the approved song titles. Therefore, we often see popular music adaptations with their own titles but still include Aranjuez in parentheses after the name.

Original lyrics and English translation:

Victoria's "Aranjuez, Ma Pensée" is a beautiful and evocative piece that blends nostalgia with a vivid sense of place. The poem describes the landscape and atmosphere of Aranjuez, a town in Spain known for its royal gardens and historical significance. The imagery of blooming roses, magnolias, the clear waters of the Tagus River, and the mention of "illustrious ghosts" brings the setting to life in a profoundly romantic and almost magical way. The reference to a famous painter capturing immortal images evokes a sense of timeless beauty, and the presence of music—guitars, mandolins, and flutes—enhances the emotional ambiance.

The latter part of the poem shifts from the grandeur of history to a personal, poignant memory. The speaker is searching in vain for a lost love among the "fronds," or the foliage, filled with memories of happier days when they were both young. The nostalgia is palpable, a longing for the past and the youthful innocence of love.

The poem masterfully blends the external beauty of the landscape with internal, emotional reflections, creating a piece that resonates with anyone who has felt the passage of time or the loss of something beautiful.

It is indeed not an easy task to translate poetic lyrics into another language. Here, concerning various translations and the assistance of AI, we can only do a literal free translation first, which may not consider the original text's poetry and beauty. I hope there will be experts who can translate it more beautifully and expressively in the future!

《Aranjuez, Ma Pensée 》Wonderful album introduction

This version of "Aranjuez, Ma pensée" appears more often in classical concerts. Some singing videos can be found online, but there are not many published records. As for who the first singer was, I have consulted the official publishing house but could not find the exact record.
An earlier record that can be found now was released in 2000, the song album "Air" by German soprano Virginia Abs. However, the song was only expressed as vocal chanting, and no French lyrics were sung.

In 2001-2, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Rodrigo's birth, a set of records, "Joaquin Rodrigo 100 ANOS," released by EMI included Puerto Rican soprano Ana Maria Matinez (1971-) Singing "Aranjuez, Ma pensée," classical bel canto singing with guitar accompaniment. In the same year, Joaquín Dérigue Publishing House and BRILLIANT CLASSICS jointly released a complete set of Rodrigo's music, including the same song. The full collection also includes the Spanish version of "Aranjuez, con tu amor," sung by her in bel canto style with piano accompaniment.

Ana Maria Matinez (1971-) was born in Puerto Rico to a Puerto Rican mother and a Cuban father and spent her formative years in Puerto Rico and New York City. She graduated from The Juilliard School with bachelor's and master's degrees in music.

She is a Grammy Award winner and considered one of the most important sopranos of her time. Her international career spans the world's most important opera houses and concert halls. Her repertoire encompasses opera's most captivating and diverse heroines, and she captivates audiences year after year with iconic roles, captivating performances, and countless captivating recordings.

After about 2009, more records of this song appeared:

This recording above is a collection of Rodrigo's vocal works. There is an extreme subtitle in Spanish and English on the album cover: "HERZ- stirb oder singe" (HEART - die or sing; Heart - death or singing). In fact, it is the title of a short poem at the beginning of its record. It is the work of Juan Ramón Jiménez, the Spanish Andalusian poet who won the 1956 Nobel Prize for Literature and was performed by mezzo-soprano Franzese. Recited by Franziska Vondru. For this album, Rodrigo used two poems by Jimenez to compose the music. (There is currently no information about this mezzo-soprano.)

 Soprano Patricia Rozario is often thought to be Spanish. In fact, she was born in Mumbai, India, and then completed her music education in London and became a British citizen. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2001. The album "Spanish Songs," released in 2009, has only guitar accompaniment. It was recorded at St. Philip's Church in Chipping Norton, England, and the effect is excellent. There are 28 songs in the entire album, most of which are related to Spanish folk songs. Some of Rodrigo's ten works have lyrics taken from unknown authors, such as "Romance de Durandart," composed by the master when he was 92. The last song on the record is "Aranjuez, Ma Pensée," with French lyrics by the master's wife, Victoria. Rosario sang this song very calmly and rationally, but it was not cold and devoid of emotion. It was precisely because of the restraint that he expressed the long and deep longing.

The guitar accompanist is Australian-born Craig Ogden. He is a Mesozoic classical guitarist who has been very active in performing and releasing records over the years, and his records have topped the British classical music charts. BBC Music Magazine also described him as "A worthy successor to Julian Bream." Ogden's music education and career were also completed and developed in the UK. In 1997, accompanied by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, he recorded and released Rodrigo's famous three guitar concertos "Concierto de Aranjuez," "Fantasia para un gentilhombre" (Gentleman's Fantasia) and "Concierto para una fiesta for guitar" & orchestra" (Festival Concerto). In 2007, Ogden appeared on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall, performing the Alan Huitz Concerto with The Philharmonia Orchestra.

Regarding the overall review of this record, BBC Music Magazine said: "Rozario is in her element, finely phrased and delicately nuanced, and Ogden responds with unforced vitality…"

 This album mainly collects guitar works. Although it is a classical guitar, it is not traditional. There are many experimental and innovative pieces, and it even has some academic flavor. Still, it is very nice to listen to and is not strictly theoretical music. Guitarist Admir Doçi is from Algeria and completed his music degree in Zurich, Switzerland. He has won many awards. His playing has been reviewed as innovative, dynamic, technically masterful, and artistically mature. In addition to performing, Dochi also serves in many music and art schools, including his native Algeria, Switzerland, and Italy. In 2019, he was appointed Professor of Guitar Teaching at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano. He settled in Italy with his family.

This album opens with three Spanish songs by Rodrigo, the fourth of which is "Aranjuez, Ma Pensée." Only these four songs are on the entire album. The singer is Swiss mezzo-soprano Leila pfister. Rodrigo is a member of the Aachen Opera ensemble in Germany. She is said to be particularly interested in 20th—and 21st-century music and romantic art songs. Her studies in dance and theater have made her a versatile artist.

Perhaps because artistic concepts are compatible, Dortch and Pfister's cooperative relationship seems profound. In December 2022, after collaborating on this record in 2010, they can also be seen participating in an avant-garde cultural event in a small town in Switzerland, performing Rodrigo's works together.

However, the singing of "Aranjuez, Ma Pensée" in this 2010 album is less innovative and maintains a rather romantic art song style. This is perhaps what mezzo-soprano Pfister is good at.

It is relatively rare for an album to use this song title as the album title, and it is ranked first.

I think the timbre of soprano Gabriela Sevilla is sweet and light. Her voice is not particularly sharp and sounds very relaxed. No material about her has been found yet, and there is no introduction to her on the website of the record company Tempus Clásico. But there is a brief introduction to guitar accompanist Alejandro Mora. He is from Mexico City. He won second place in a competition in Mexico in 1992 and started his career as a performer. He has performed many times at home and abroad. Now, he performs ancient music with an 11-string guitar.

The Malkin-Trybek Duo, a duo from the United States, consists of Iris Malkin and Edward Trybek.

Israeli-born mezzo-soprano, pianist, and vocal coach Iris Malkin graduated from the Jerusalem Conservatory of Music. Iris frequently performs as a singer and pianist at concerts and festivals in Israel, Europe, and the United States. In addition to mainstream operatic repertoire, Iris has performed prominently in Hebrew and Jewish works and Spanish songs. She is dedicated to sharing her passion for art song performance with audiences around the world. Iris is also a popular singer for film, video game, and movie trailer recordings, and her performance on the soundtrack "Kill Zone" was nominated for a Hollywood Music Media Award for Best Original Score in 2009.

Guitarist Edward Trybek is a composer, orchestrator, and conductor whose work spans music for film, television, and video games. He has released two classical guitar solo albums, "Portrait of Edward Trybek" (2007) and "Images of Spain" (2008), which have received good reviews.

In January 2012, the two musicians released a duet album, Cadencia, under the name The Malkin-Trybek Duo, which contained songs from England, Spain, and Puerto Rico. This album features 8 of Rodrigo's works. Regarding the title and meaning of the album, they explained:

The subtle beauty and the exquisite balance of voice and guitar unifies our musical selections from a wide range of time periods and origins. We are excited to share with you medieval Jewish Sephardic songs, Baroque English songs, 19th century music of Fernando Sor, and 20th century songs by famed composer Joaquín Rodrigo, as well as new compositions of Ernesto Cordero from Puerto Rico. "Cadencia", the title we chose for our CD, is the name of the third song in Ernesto Cordero's cycle "Four Works for Voice and Guitar" and means 'Cadence'. Cadence has two musical meanings - the first, 'rhythm', is the basic element of any music, and just like the beating of our hearts is the essence of our being; the second is 'a musical ending' and what can be more complete than expressing our feelings with music and finishing with the most beautiful and heartfelt Cadencia?

（From: https://www.fye.com/malkin-trybek-duo---cadencia-pid.735160881.html）

 American mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer, born in 1957, is also a writer, teacher, and arts advocate. Her opera career spans over 40 years, and she has performed 50 opera roles. Suzanne has performed in almost all the great opera houses on four continents. She was a guest artist at the Metropolitan Opera from 1989 to 2016, playing leading roles. Susanna retired from the opera stage in August 2022 but continues to perform in concerts and work in music education and charity.

Suzanne sings in a broad repertoire and has published over 25 opera and oratorio CDs. One of her favorites is Wayfaring Stranger, a collection of international folk songs she arranged for voice and guitar with Grammy Award winner Sharon Isbin. This album was recorded early, mainly in March 1998, at the America Academy of Arts and Letters in New York. But I don’t know why the album was not released until 2009.

Susanna's singing voice is that steady and generous type, warm and not greasy. There is a comment from Opera News posted on the home page of her website, which Suzanne should agree with:

“Her rich vibrant sound retains its warmth from top to bottom and throughout its broad dynamic range”

The guitarist is American Sharon Isbin (1956-). She is a good friend of Rodrigo's family and a necessary interpreter of Rodrigo's guitar work, with high visibility in live performances and recordings. The next record we’re going to feature is also her guitar playing.

Sharon began studying guitar in Italy at the age of 9. In 1979, after she won the Queen Sofia Competition in Spain, Rodrigo invited her to his home, and Sharon played the Alain Huitz Concerto for Rodrigo and his wife, starting their long friendship. In 1991, Sharon recorded the Alain Huitz Concerto for the first time. Rodrigo praised this performance as "magnificent," one of his favorite versions.

As a guitarist, Sharon has made extraordinary achievements and won numerous awards, including multiple Grammy Awards for classical music. Her more than 35 albums, ranging from Baroque, Spanish/Latin, and 20th Century to crossover and jazz fusion, reflect her extraordinary versatility. She has premiered more than 80 works composed for her by famous composers worldwide, including more concertos than any other guitarist. Sharon's record was even sent into space as a gift to Russian astronauts in 1995. Sharon is a magna cum laude student at Yale University and a Master of Music at the Yale School of Music. She is also the first guitar teacher in the famous Juilliard School of Music in New York in a century. In 1989, she founded the guitar department at the school and served as its director.

Sharon has been practicing Transcendental Meditation since she was 17. She has donated her time to working with many music celebrities and the David Lynch Foundation on charity activities to bring Transcendental Meditation to at-risk communities. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking in the jungles of Latin America, cross-country skiing, snorkeling, and mountain climbing.

Sharon Isbin’s works, achievements, and life are all so exciting. If you are interested, you can visit her website or social media, which contains a wealth of information.

https://www.sharonisbin.com/

https://www.sharonisbintroubadour.com/index.html

https://www.facebook.com/SharonIsbin/

American mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, who is also active on the opera stage and in concerts, was born in New York in 1982. She had loved singing since she was a child and later entered Juilliard School to obtain a degree. She has received many major awards for her acting career, including a Beverly Sills Artist Award (2011), a Grammy Award (2013, 2016), and the prestigious Richard Tucker Foundation Award (Richard Tucker Foundation Award, 2013) etc.

"Alma Española" (Alma Española), a collaboration between Isabel and guitarist Sharon Isbin, is a pioneering work. Sharon said: "It's the first time in 40 years that this type of art song from Spain — with guitar and a well-known, major, Spanish-speaking singer — have been brought together."

Isabel’s mother is from Argentina, and Spanish is also her native language, so she can better understand and interpret Spanish songs. Earlier in 2015, she released an album of Spanish songs, "Isabel Leonard: Preludios," accompanied by pianist Brian Zeger. And this one, released in 2017, maybe more of an attempt to deeply capture the soul of Spanish songs. Sharon said: "If musical instruments are said to have souls, then there is no instrument with a soul more Spanish than the guitar. And now, there is arguably no recording with a more Spanish soul than Alma Española."

“When you hear Isabel read the poetry in one of the songs and her pronunciation and her sense of spirit about the music — it’s got to be in the blood of the singer,” Isbin said. “I can‘t imagine a more perfect partner with whom to have done this album.”

Isabelle took the title of this album. Sharon agrees very much: “It's really about the whole spirit of Spain. As captured by these composers and arrangers who steeped themselves in the culture and in the history of that yearning, that longing, that nostalgia, that beauty, that jubilation — all of which is brought together under the beautiful context of combining the intimacy of guitar with voice."

Isbin talks about Alma Española, the recording's roots in the tradition of soulful flamenco cante jondo, "deep song," and, combining voice and guitar, the profound intimacy of its sound world — all of which the recording's title reflects.

（The above information is based on a telephone interview with Sharon Isbin by Jennifer Hambrick. - WOSU public media, November 2, 2017.）

 The Spanish tenor José Ferrero (1972-2016), who died young, was famous in Spain and Europe. He left at least six excellent albums to music fans. In addition to opera, he enjoyed chamber music performances. In 2002, he founded the Capilla Antigua de Chinchilla Chamber Orchestra due to his love for early Baroque music. He participated in many music festivals and concerts in Spain and made several records.

Albums recorded entirely with Rodrigo's songs are rare in the record market. The title of this album is "Serranilla: Songs with Guitar Accompaniment". Serranilla is a short poem form in Spanish literature. Commentators believe Jose's singing style is habitual: "hanging out on the lower side of the pitch." The same goes for his rendition of "Aranjuez, Ma Pensée."

Marco Socías (1966-), who serves as guitar accompanist, was born into a pianist family. He studied music in his hometown of Málaga in his early years and later went to Cologne, Germany, for further study. Marco became the youngest professor in Spain at the age of 21. In 1997, Marco recorded Rodrigo's guitar work "Elogio de la Guitarra" (Guitar Praise), which Rodrigo praised very much:

“A new recording of my guitar works is always a cause of satisfaction. But in the case of this young Spanish performer, that satisfaction becomes delight. Marco Socías offers a profound and emotional journey through some of my most emblematic works with genuine musicality and a powerful technique.”

 The IM duo consists of Latvian soprano Ludmila Ignatova and Italian guitarist Andrea Monarda. They mainly toured the Netherlands, Italy, and Latvia.
Ludmila Ignatova was born in 1985 and began studying music at six. In 2015, he graduated with honors from the "Master of Music" program in opera singing at the "Antonio Vivaldi" Conservatory of Music in Italy. In addition to her voice major in college, she also studied law and qualified as a lawyer.

Known as the "twenty-fingered guitarist," Monalda is fast but precise. In addition to his performance and music creation, he has frequently published and created ideas in musicology magazines.

Two guitars accompany the singing, a wonderful combination. This recording by Czech mezzo-soprano Barbora Polášková and the Siempre Nuevo Duo includes songs by Czech and Spanish composers.

Polashkova, who has a thick voice, according to the introduction of the Czech National Moravian-Silesian Theater:

According to the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre in Czech, Barbora Polášková“is one of the most outstanding talents of the young singing generation. She received her musical education at the conservatories in Prague and Pilsen and at a number of master classes at home and abroad. …… She has a completely natural, but technically well-mastered voice that amazes listeners with its distinctive color and extraordinary range. Thanks to her exceptional musicality and flexibility of expression, she is able to interpret an unusually wide repertoire, which ranges from the music of the High Renaissance to completely contemporary music. She excels in emotionally tense operatic arias, but at the same time she is also able to take on intimate chamber song cycles very convincingly. 

https://www.ndm.cz/cz/osoba/6888-polaskova-barbora.html

Siempre Nuevo, a guitar duo also from the Czech Republic, introduces themselves on their website:

The duo was founded in October 2007 by young Czech guitarists Matěj Freml (*1982) and Patrick Vacík (*1984). At that time they were studying together at the Liszt School of Music in Weimar, Germany, where they also received their first chamber music lessons with Prof. Thomas Müller-Pering and Prof. Mathis Christoph.  In May 2008 the young musicians won their first duo-competition in Gorizia, Italy, whereupon they were invited to play at a duo-recital at the “summer music festival” in Grado, Italy. Other invitations followed, including concerts in the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland and Slovakia. The important step forward was the offer for the duo to give a recital at the Shanghai Music fair 2010 followed by the other concert tours including masterclasses to China (Qingdao, Suzhou, Xuzhou, Guangzhou, etc.) for Martinez Company.  Besides their “solo” career duo Siempre Nuevo decided on different projects just as “Guitarra Cantante” with Mezzosoprano Barbora Polášková”,  “European melodies” with Soprano Markéta Fassati or “4 2” with famous Epoque Quartet (string quartet). They published three CD recordings by now: First Steps (2010), Domenico Scarlatti: Sonatas (2012) and latest Guitarra Cantante (2017).  Siempre Nuevo plays original compositions as well as adaptations for two guitars. Their repertoire includes an equal measure of works of the renaissance, baroque and classical period right up to compositions of the romantic and contemporary periods. Both musicians increasingly use historical instruments, which give the older pieces, especially classical pieces, a unique, authentic sound. This diversity and the fresh, expressive interpretations often were subject of praise from audiences and critics。

https://www.siempre-nuevo.com/

Victoria Cammy, Rodrigo's wife, wrote the song "Aranjuez, ma Pensée." In addition to the publicly released records mentioned above, some live performance videos can be found on YouTube. I have compiled a playlist on YouTube; you can enjoy it if you are interested.

3-01-02.     Aranjuez cover with lyrics（French 2）Aranjuez, Ma Pensée

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCMz7tUFVhRk6sziRxNfdQRMeIgBJT-o1

Many of the videos of singing this song found on YouTube are still images accompanied by the song and can only be regarded as audio. There are a few videos of live singing, but I did not include them in the playlist because the singing was too amateurish or the sound was poorly received.

There are several unique videos among them, briefly explained as follows:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsF-mnXajfU

Sanet Allen, who lives in California, USA, and is in charge of music work at a Baptist church, holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. She has a very delicate and pure voice and singing skills. She collaborated with Avril Kinsey, a guitarist and educator who also received a doctorate in musicology from South Africa, on "Aranjuez, ma Pensée," included in Avril Kinsey's guitar album "Sensual Guitar." This superbly performed album does not appear to have been released as a physical record but can only be purchased and downloaded on the website.

https://dev.avrilkinsey.net/product/sensual-guitar-cd-am002-cd-score/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5ImW4dFueE&list=PLCMz7tUFVhRk6sziRxNfdQRMeIgBJT-o1&index=6

This video is a trailer for a Spanish "show-concert" (espectáculo-concierto in Spanish; show-concert in English). The play's title is "Towards the Light" (Hacia la luz in Spanish; Towards the Light in English). The theme song is "Aranjuez, Ma Pensée". It tells the story of Rodrigo's wife, Victoria, assisting her husband. This video is only 2 minutes long. To listen to soprano Ariadna Martinez singing the complete song, there is also an 8-minute video (see below), a clip from the concert. There is a short explanation under the video:

Video summary of the concert show Hacia la Luz. The work of the maestro Joaquín Rodrigo through the eyes of his wife Victoria Kamhi, a woman ahead of her time who had to fight against the incomprehension of her time in a life of continuous sacrifices so that her husband could develop his activity and leave us this brilliant work that endures over time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLJHJFTopNM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGDVFI0V0kw&list=PLCMz7tUFVhRk6sziRxNfdQRMeIgBJT-o1&index=2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-slWw8Zht1s&list=PLCMz7tUFVhRk6sziRxNfdQRMeIgBJT-o1&index=3

These two videos are live recordings of a duo called Duo Minimo Ensemble singing live in 2010 and 2013, respectively. Although the video quality is not good, one can tell that their performance is of a high professional level. This duo is composed of contralto Daniela del Monaco and guitarist Antonio Grande. They released several records but did not include the song Rodrigo.

There is also a video on YouTube that cannot be edited into the playlist, which is a performance at the 2021 Joaquín Rodrigo International Guitar Festival (Festival guitarra Quartell Mestre Joaquín Rodrigo). This guitar music festival, named after Rodrigo, is held in his mother’s hometown of Quartell (in Valencia, Province of Valencia in eastern Spain). Since its inception in 2015, the classical guitarist has been an international event for flamenco guitarists. This performance on June 27, 2021, features soprano Ruth González and guitarist Jonathan Parkin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5yaoJH6HOU&list=PLFVTbgMtPnelTqaU2BY9waSkPTajptqM5&index=12

On April 20, 2024, at the Shanghai Left Bank Music Festival, in a salon concert held at Yellow Lounge China (China Yellow Label Live, located in Tri Space of BAS, Blackstone M+ Park), guitarist Yang Xuefei and mezzo-soprano Zhu Hui Ling performed "Aranjuez, Ma Pensée."  It is rare to perform such a piece of music in China. I went to listen to it and enjoyed it very much. Yang Xuefei met Rodrigo when she was fourteen and recorded the full version of Aranjuez Guitar Concerto, released by EMI in 2010.