The lyricist of this French version was Rodrigo’s wife，Victoria Kamhi de Rodrigo (1905–1997), born in Turkey, who was a pianist and poet. The inspiration for the "Concierto de Aranjuez" originally came from this couple’s experiences during their honeymoon in the royal gardens of Aranjuez. Influenced by various adaptations of the piece in 1967, Rodrigo shifted from opposing to accepting them. Perhaps to regain copyright control, in 1968, Rodrigo personally adapted the piece into a version for voice, piano, or guitar, titled Aranjuez, Ma Pensée ("Aranjuez, My Thoughts"). Victoria transformed this sentiment into words, creating a French poem that became the official lyrics of the work. In 1988, the "author’s version" (version del autor) for voice and guitar (Para canto y guitarra) was officially published.

The structure of Kamhi’s French poem does not follow the common lyrical technique of repeating and echoing verses. Almost none of the lines are repeated. Such a poetic structure may not lend itself well to popular music. This version is typically only performed in the context of classical vocal music.

Victoria Kamhi’s life is recounted in her autobiographical work, which includes some touching stories. The Spanish edition, De la mano de Joaquín Rodrigo: Historia de nuestra vida (Hand in Hand with Joaquín Rodrigo: The Story of Our Life), was first published in 1986, and the English translation by Ellen Wilkerson was released in 1992.

In her autobiography, we learn about the touching and tumultuous love story of Kamhi and Rodrigo. They overcame many challenges to become not only devoted life partners but also artistic collaborators for decades.

Kamhi was born into a wealthy family in Istanbul, Turkey, and received excellent musical and literary education. She showed great talent as a pianist from a young age and aspired to become a concert pianist. Her family moved to Paris in 1918. In Paris, Kamhi enjoyed several happy years, dedicating herself to studying piano, engaging in a vibrant social life, and attending operas, plays, concerts, and lectures. She also worked at a charitable organization caring for children from impoverished families.

However, in 1924, her family’s business went bankrupt, and their economic and social standing plummeted. They could no longer afford their lavish lifestyle, and frugality became their new reality. Victoria’s piano teacher offered free lessons, and she earned a teaching diploma from the Paris Conservatory. However, she could not attract students or secure performance opportunities.

In 1928, she encountered the music of Joaquín Rodrigo and soon met the young composer, who was then studying at the École Normale de Musique in Paris. The two quickly fell in love, but her father disapproved of her relationship with a blind composer who had no financial prospects. Kamhi and Rodrigo continued their relationship in secret, but in the winter of 1932, Joaquín’s proposal was rejected, and the couple separated. A few months later, Kamhi defied her father’s wishes and traveled to Valencia, Spain, where she married Rodrigo on January 19, 1933.

Although they were reunited, they were penniless and could not start a family. They had to live apart for several months in 1934. Later, with the help of friends, they received a scholarship from the the Spanish Royal Academy of Fine Arts, providing them with financial stability until the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, which canceled the scholarship. The couple spent over a year as refugees in the Black Forest in Germany before returning to Paris. With family support and the musical connections they had developed, they managed to improve their circumstances. However, in 1938, the outbreak of World War II disrupted their lives again, jeopardizing their hard-earned stability, and this time, Victoria was pregnant.

In 1939, seven months into her pregnancy, Kamhi delivered a stillborn child and fell gravely ill. In her autobiography, Kamhi recounts the days following the loss of their child. At the time, they were renting a room in a professor’s house. The professor told Kamhi that after the loss of their child, “(Rodrigo) would spend the long hours of the night at the old piano, unable to sleep and that she heard from her room a melody as full of sadness and longing that it truly gave her chills.” This melody later became the “Adagio” movement of the Concierto de Aranjuez. Kamhi remarked, “It was an evocation of the happy days of our honeymoon, when we walked in the park at Aranjuez, and at the same time, it was a love song.” Kamhi also recalled an even more painful moment after returning from the hospital: “...we had to sell my beloved Pleyel piano, a gift from my parents, to pay the clinic bills. Sorrow upon sorrow...”

With the support of family and friends, Kamhi eventually recovered, and their situation began to improve. After the Spanish Civil War ended, the couple returned to Madrid. The Royal Academy of Fine Arts restored their scholarship, and Joaquín took on roles at the Spanish National Organization for the Blind (ONCE), the Spanish National Radio, the Royal Conservatory, and a newspaper. The Concierto de Aranjuez premiered in 1940 to great acclaim, and their daughter, Cecilia, was born in 1941. The concerto’s success solidified Rodrigo’s international reputation. Kamhi's contributions to Rodrigo's music were indispensable. In addition to Concierto de Aranjuez, many of Rodrigo's vocal works also incorporated Kamhi's poetry.