Sunday, July 06, 2008
I Love This Place: Part I
In the U.S. we all grew up singing Happy Birthday to You on a person's birthday. Easy to sing for even the most tone-deaf among us, but admittedly a pretty lame tune. Here in Mexico, we're having to learn a new song: Las Mañanitas. First off, it's a way cooler song -- complex and romantic. And second, it comes bundled with a really wonderful tradition. The family of the birthday boy/girl hires a guitar-strumming balladeer to stand outside the bedroom window of said birthday boy/girl and wake him/her up with an early morning serenade. Now that's the way to start off a special day!! (Disclosure: At birthday parties the song is sung before the cake is cut.)
Las Mañanitas Lyrics (Loose English Translation):
These are the morning songs that King David sang.
Because today is your birthday, we're singing them for you.
Wake up, my dear, wake up. Look, it is already dawn.
The birds are already singing and the moon has already set.
How lovely is the morning in which I come to greet you.
We all come with joy and pleasure to congratulate you.
On the day you were born, all the flowers blossomed
and in the baptismal fount the swallows sang.
The morning is coming now, the sun is giving us its light.
Get up this morning, look what has already arisen.
# posted by goots @ 10:22 AM 
