Monja por fuerza
Isabel wrote from Virginia, "I learned this song growing up in Cuba. We would stand in a circle and do the movements according to the lyrics of the song."
Monja por fuerza
Nun By Force
Juego en círculo
Circle Game
(Spanish)
(English)
Una tarde de verano,
Una tarde de verano
Me sacaron de paseo,
Me sacaron de paseo
Al doblar por una esquina,
Al doblar por una esquina
Me encontré con un convento,
Me encontré con un convento (1)
Desde allí salía una monja,
Desde allí salía una monja
Toda vestida de negro,
Toda vestida de negro (2)
Con una luz en la mano,
Con una luz en la mano (3)
Que parecía un entierro,
Que parecía un entierro
Me sentaron en la sillita,
Me sentaron en la sillita (4)
Me cortaron la melena,
Me cortaron la melena (5)
Anillito de mi dedo,
Anillito de mi dedo (6)
Pulsera de mi muñeca,
Pulsera de mi muñeca (7)
Gargantilla de mi cuello,
Gargantilla de mi cuello (8)
Polisón de mis caderas,
Polisón de mis caderas (9)
On a Summer evening,
On a Summer evening,
They took me out for a walk,
They took me out for a walk.
Coming around a corner,
Coming around a corner,
I came upon a convent,
I came upon a convent. (1)
A nun came out of it,
A nun came out of it,
All dressed in black,
All dressed in black, (2)
With a candle in her hand,
With a candle in her hand (3)
That made it look like a funeral,
That made it look like a funeral.
They sat me on a little chair,
They sat me on a little chair (4)
They cut off my long hair,
They cut off my long hair (5)
The little ring from my finger,
The little ring from my finger (6)
The bracelet from my wrist,
The bracelet from my wrist (7)
The choker from my neck,
The choker from my neck (8)
The bustle from my hips,
The bustle from my hips. (9)
Notes
This song dates back to the 1500 - 1600's in Andalusia, Spain. There are many versions of this song with different titles in the Spanish speaking world, such as "Romance de la niña que no quiere ser monja" (Romance of the Girl Who Doesn't Want To Be a Nun), "Las monjitas" (The Little Nuns), "Monjita del monasterio" (Young/Little Nun of the Monastery) and "Yo me quería casar" (I Wanted To Get Married). In some versions the girl wants to wed a boy, but her father doesn't want her to and he locks her up in a convent with the complicity of the nuns who kidnap her.
There's a version of this song from Spain called "Monjita en el monasterio".
Game Instructions
(1) Join hands as if praying.
(2) Both hands move down in front of the chest.
(3) The forefinger of the right hand upright like a candle, fold the other fingers down.
(4) Squat down on the floor.
(5) Move the forefinger and middle finger like scissors cutting hair.
(6) Hold one finger with the other hand as if holding a ring.
(7) Hold one wrist showing where the bracelet is.
(8) Put your open hand on your throat.
(9) With hands on your hips, move hips from side to side.
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Sabel Mollinedo for contributing this song and for the game instructions. Translation by Monique Palomares and Lisa Yannucci.
¡Muchas gracias!
