"Dulcinea" (Man of La Mancha) by Richard Kiley Video

The song, "Dulcinea," from the Broadway musical Man of La Mancha. The singer is Richard Kiley, a famous baritone. Aldonza "Dulcinea" Lorenzo del Toboso is a fictional character who is referred to (but does not appear) in Miguel de Cervantes' novel Don Quixote. Seeking the traditions of the knights-errant of old, Don Quixote finds a true love whom he calls Dulcinea. She is a simple peasant in the town, but Quixote imagines her to be the most beautiful of all women. At times, Quixote goes into detail about her appearance, though he admits that he has seen her only fleetingly and has never spoken with her. In the Spanish of the time, Dulcinea means something akin to an overly elegant "sweetness". In this way, Dulcinea is an entirely fictional person for whom Quixote relentlessly fights. To this day, a reference to someone as your "Dulcinea" implies hopeless devotion and love for her, and particularly unrequited love.