Mambrú se fue a la guerra
Mambrú se fue a la guerra
Mambrú Went to War
Canción infantil
Children's Song
(Spanish)
(English)
Mambrú se fue a la guerra
Chivirín chivirín chin chin
Mambrú se fue a la guerra
No se cuando vendrá
Aja ja aja ja
No se cuando vendrá
Vendrá para la Pascua
Chivirín chivirín chin chin
Vendrá para la Pascua
O para Trinidad
Aja ja aja ja
O para Trinidad
La Trinidad se pasa
Chivirín chivirín chin chin
La Trinidad se pasa
Y Mambrú no vuelve más
Aja ja aja ja
Y Mambrú no vuelve más
Mambrú se ha muerto en guerra
Chivirín chivirín chin chin
Mambrú se ha muerto en guerra
Lo llevan a enterrar
Aja ja aja ja
Lo llevan a enterrar
Con cuatro oficiales
Chivirín chivirín chin chin
Y un cura sacristán
Aja ja aja ja
Y un cura sacristán
Arriba de su tumba
Chivirín chivirín chin chin
Arriba de su tumba
Un pajarillo va
Aja ja aja ja
Un pajarillo va
Cantando el pío pío
Chivirín chivirín chin chin
Cantando el pío pío
Y el pío pío pa
Aja ja aja ja
Y el pío pío pa.
Mambrú went to war
Chivirin chivirin chin chin
Mambrú went to war
I don't know when he'll be back
Ah ah ah ah ah ah
I don't know when he'll be back.
He'll be back for Easter
Chivirin chivirin chin chin
He'll be back for Easter
Or for Trinity Day*
Ah ah ah ah ah ah
Or for Trinity Day.
Trinity Day is over
Chivirin chivirin chin chin
Trinity Day is over
Mambrú doesn't come back
Ah ah ah ah ah ah
Mambrú doesn't come back.
Mambrú has died at war
Chivirin chivirin chin chin
Mambrú has died at war
They take him to his grave
Ah ah ah ah ah ah
They take him to his grave.
With four officers
Chivirin chivirin chin chin
And a verger priest
Ah ah ah ah ah ah
And a verger priest.
On the top of his grave.
Chivirin chivirin chin chin
On the top of his grave
A little bird is singing
Ah ah ah ah ah ah
A little bird is singing.
It's singing cheep, cheep.
Chivirin chivirin chin chin
It's singing cheep, cheep,
And cheep chirp,
Ah ah ah ah ah ah,
And cheep chirp.
Notes
*Trinity Day celebrates the Christian Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit being one God. If Mambrú doesn't come back for Easter, he comes back 7 weeks later, which is on Trinity Day.
Comments
Monique wrote: "Looking for some deeper information about the French version of the song, I came across the book "Notes pour l'histoire de la chanson" by V. Lespy, Librairie de J.B. Dumoulin, Paris (1861). The author Lespy starts with an anecdote about this song, that it has an Arabic origin –both the lyrics and music. The Arabic version would sing about the feats of one Mambrou. It is believed that the soldiers of James I of Aragon and Louis IX of France (Saint Louis) probably brought the song back from the crusades in the 13th century. If you know some French you can read the whole story at the link above."
*****
Here you can hear Mambrú se fue a la guerra
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Susana Mariscal, Daniel Dorado and Joaquin Dorado for contributing this song and to Monique Palomares for translating it.
¡Muchas gracias!
