Cielito Lindo
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"Cielito Lindo" is a Mexican folk song or copla popularized in 1882 by Mexican author Quirino Mendoza y Cortés (c. 1862 – 1957).[1] Its title is roughly translated as "Lovely Sweet One". Although the word cielo means "sky" or "heaven", it is also a term of endearment comparable to "sweetheart" or "honey". Cielito, a diminutive, can be translated as "sweetie"; lindo means "cute", "lovely" or "pretty". The song is commonly known by words from the refrain, "Canta y no llores", or simply as the "Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay song". Commonly played by mariachi bands, it has been recorded by many artists in the original Spanish as well as in English and other languages, including by Tito Guízar, Pedro Infante, Vicente Fernández, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Eartha Kitt, Menudo, and Ana Gabriel. It also featured prominently in the iconic Mexican film Los tres García.
There is some debate as to whether the song's lyrics refer to the Sierra Morena, a mountain range in southern Spain, or the similarly named Sierra de Morones, in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. However, most Mexicans believe that this is a misrepresentation of the lyrics and that rather, it is intended as "la Sierra, Morena"; "Morena" is a common term of endearment, and with the comma, it would mean the singer is addressing the woman in the song instead of a specific place.[2] It has become a famous song of Mexico, especially in Mexican expatriate communities around the world, and is sung at international sporting events such as the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup.
Lyrics
[edit]The song's lyrical scheme corresponds to the Castilian classical stanza known as the seguidilla, i.e. seven lines of alternating heptasyllabic and pentasyllabic verses. Lyrics vary widely from performer to performer, and every singer is free to add and remove some verses for his or her own interpretation. Some of the most traditional lyrics are the following:
Lyrics | Literal English translation | Idiomatic translation |
---|---|---|
De la Sierra Morena, Estribillo: Pájaro que abandona, (Estribillo) Ese lunar que tienes, (Estribillo) Una flecha en el aire, (Estribillo) |
From the Sierra Morena, Refrain: A bird that abandons, (Refrain) That beauty mark that you have, (Refrain) An arrow in the air (Refrain) |
From the Sierra Morena, Refrain: A bird that abandons, (Refrain) That beauty mark that you have (Refrain) An arrow in the air, (Refrain) |
In the article "¡Hasta que me cayó el veinte!",[3] Ortega discusses the origins of the first verse of this song. His research discovered that in the early 17th century, armed bandits would take refuge in the Sierra Morena mountains of Spain and that people feared for their lives when they had to travel through the region. The words of the first verse of "Cielito Lindo" were found in a song from that era, hinting at that fear. But with time the meaning of the verse changed as people began romanticizing it. "Your face is the Sierra Morena. Your eyes are thieves who live there." The verse had other melodies put to it and variations on the lyrics. Quirino Mendoza, the composer, adapted the verse to his own melody and gave us the song we know today.
Versions
[edit]- In 1989, José Feliciano on his album I'm Never Gonna Change. His version won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance.[4]
"Cielito lindo huasteco"
[edit]"Cielito Lindo" should not be confused with another popular and traditional song called "Cielito lindo huasteco" also known as "Cielito lindo" from La Huasteca in Mexico. This song, distinctly different from the common version above, has been played by many conjuntos huastecos, as it is considered one of the most popular Son Huasteco or Huapango songs. While the music is quite different, the lyrics of both songs have a similar metric structure, and both use the phrases cielito lindo and ay ay ay ay as fillers, though in different places within the stanza.
Some singers, for example Julio Iglesias, perform the song under the title De domingo a domingo, taken from the first words of the lyrics as sung in that version; as with the other song, the lyrics used vary widely among performers, and some borrow stanzas from the former. One frequently sung stanza has the words Árbol de la esperanza, mantente firme ("Tree of hope, stay firm") which appear in an eponymous painting by Frida Kahlo.
Sometimes mariachis perform combined versions of "Cielito Lindo" and "Cielito lindo huasteco" which are completely different, thus creating some confusion about both.
See also
[edit]- "México Lindo y Querido", another traditional Mexican song
References
[edit]- ^ "Biografía de Quirino Mendoza y Cortés" (in Spanish). Mexico: Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de México (SACM). Archived from the original on 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2009-09-28.
- ^ Schmidt, Samantha (June 19, 2018). "'Ay Ay Ay Ay': How 'Cielito Lindo,' sung proudly at the World Cup, became a Mexican anthem". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-01-13.
- ^ Arturo Ortega Morán, ¡Hasta que me cayó el veinte!: Cielito lindo Archived 2008-01-23 at the Wayback Machine, El Porvenir, 30 October 2005
- ^ "Top Grammy Winners". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Publishing. 22 February 1990. Retrieved 27 July 2015.