Mily wrote:
Hello,
I was born in Cuba but grew up in the US. When I was little my mother used to sing a song to me at bedtime and I have been trying to find the complete lyrics but haven’t been able to. The part I remember goes:
Al reflejo de la palida luna
En un barco pirata naci
El oleaje mecia me cuna
— (can’t remember this line)
De me padre aprendiYo contaba — (only remember the first part of this line)
Cuando apenas oi una voz
Era me padre que en gran agonia
Entregaba su espiritu a Dios.There may be other stanzas but this is all I remember. It would be great if you could find out what the song is called and what all of the lyrics are.
Thanks,
Mily Oti
Here’s a loose English translation of the song:
In the pale reflection of the moon,
In a pirate ship I was born
The waves rocked my cradle.
—
I learned from Dad.I counted —
When I barely heard a voice
There was my father in great agony
Delivering his spirit to God.
If anyone can help with the rest of the lyrics to this song, please let us know about them in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
This article was posted on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008 at 2:55 pm and is filed under Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Cuba, Languages, Lullabies, Mexico, Questions, Readers Questions, Spain, Spanish, Spanish Kids Songs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
18 Responses to “Can Someone Help with a Cuban Bedtime Song?”
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December 25th, 2008 at 1:25 am
I was born and raised in Cuba. Here’s a lullaby my Mom sang to us:
Duermase mi nino, duermase mi amor, duermase pedazo de mi corazon. Este nino lindo, que nacio de dia, quiere que lo lleven a la dulceria. Este nino lindo, que nacio de noche, quiere que lo lleven a pasear en coche.
December 25th, 2008 at 1:31 am
Here’s another one: Estaba la pastora laran laran larito,
Estaba la pastora cuidando un rebanito.
El gato la miraba laran laran larito,
El gato la miraba con ojos de maldito.
Si me clavas la una laran laran larito,
Si me clavas la una te cortare el rabito.
December 25th, 2008 at 1:32 am
See my two lullabies above.
December 28th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Thanks Jorge for these 2 lullabies. I remember Duermase me nino, but the other one was new to me.
March 27th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Duermase mi nino, duermase mi amor, duermase pedaso de mi corazon. Este nino llora por una mansana, pue se le a caido por una ventana. Mansanita de horo, si yo te allara, yo te diera a Junior (your childs name) pa que no llorara… I am a n American born Mexican so pardon my spelling if it is incorrect!
March 27th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Thanks guys and gals! Would anyone like to translate any of them por favor? Or, if anyone would like to record any – that would be cool! -Mama Lisa
March 28th, 2009 at 3:19 am
I found this online:
Pirata
Soy pirata y navego en los mares
Donde todos respetan mi voz
Soy feliz entre tantos pesares
Y no tengo más leyes que Dios
Y no tengo más leyes que Dios
Viva la mar, Viva la mar.
A la luz de la pálida luna
En un barco pirata nací
A bogar fue la voz que en mi cuna
Escuchando a mi madre aprendí
Escuchando a mi madre aprendí
Viva la mar, Viva la mar.
Cuando niño a rezar, me ponía
Y mi madre empezaba a cantar
Era tanta mi dulce alegría
Que no hallaba más dicha que el mar.
Viva la mar, Viva la mar.
De la guerra los crueles horrores
En silencio me hacía contemplar
Cuántas veces me dijo no llores
Los piratas no deben llorar
Los piratas no deben llorar
Viva la mar, Viva la mar.
which translates as (no poetry intended)
Pirate
I’m a pirate and I sail over the seas
Where all respect my word/voice (?)
I’m happy among so many pains
And I have no other laws (master) than God
And I have no other laws (master) than God
Long live the sea, Long live the sea
Under the light of the pale moon
I was born in a pirate ship
To oars was the word that in my crib
I learned listening to my mother
I leaned listening to my mother
Long live the sea, long live the sea
When, as a child, I would start praying
And my mother would start singing,
My sweet happiness was such
That I could not find greater joy than the sea.
Long live the sea, Long live the sea
The cruel horrors of the war
In silence she would make me watch
How many times she told me don’t cry
The pirates must not cry
The pirates must not cry
Long live the sea, Long live the sea
You can find Jorge’s lullaby with “arrurú” instead of “duérmase” on Mama Lisa’s Cuba page with an English translation.
Jorge’s song “Estaba una pastora”
A shepherdess was watching laran laran larito
A shepherdess was watching her (little) flock
The cat was watching her laran laran larito
The cat was watching her with naughty eyes
If you scratch me/”nail your nail” laran laran larito
If you scratch me, I’ll cut your tail
(soon on Mama Lisa’s World)
Margarita’s lullaby means
Sleep, my baby, sleep my love, sleep piece/part of my heart (though there’s not such an English expression). This baby’s crying because of an apple for it fell over the window. Little gold apple, if I ever found you, I’d give you to Junior (baby’s name) so s/he wouldn’t cry
March 28th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Monique, this is it! I realize that I remember many of the lyrics even though I was confused about some others. I know that in oral tradition words get changed now and then. On top of that, I was five and still living in Cuba when I last heard this. Thanks so much for finding it. Do you happen to know its origin?
Mily
March 28th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Mily, not at all. I couldn’t even find an author’s name. Could you please record it (else on your computer or on an mp3 player/usb key and email it to Lisa? and then we’d post it on Mama Lisa’s World with music and all.
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:29 am
I found a slightly different version for the last verse that says
De la guerra los crueles horrores
(The horrors of cruel war)
en silencio me hacía contemplar
(I was quietly contemplating)
cuantas veces me dijo no llores,
(How many times I did not cry,)
los piratas no saben llorar,
(Pirates do not know how to mourn,)
los piratas no saben llorar,
(Pirates do not know how to mourn,)
viva la mar, viva la mar.
(Long live the sea, Long live the sea)
October 4th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Al reflejo de la pálida luna
En un barco pirata nací
El oleaje mecía mi cuna
Y a luchar de mi padre aprendí
Muchas veces los rudos afanes
Del combate me hicieron temblar
Otras tantas me dijo me padre
Los piratas no saben llorar
Sé pirata, me dijo mi padre
Yo te lego venganza y valor
De la dicha al libre albedrío
La aventura que juzgues mayor
Yo contaba tres lustros y un día
Cuando apenas se oía una voz
Era mi padre que en lenta agonía
Entregaba su espíritu a Dios
October 5th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Thanks! Here’s a rough English translation I did with Monique’s help:
In the reflection of the pale moon
On a pirate ship I was born
The waves rocked my cradle
And from my father learned to fight on
Many times the rough toil
Of combat made me tremble
Many others my father left me
Pirates do not know how to cry
Be a pirate, my father told me
I’ll bequeath to you vengeance and courage,
Everything from happiness to freewill,
And the adventure you judge most important.
I was fifteen years old and one day
When scarcely a voice was heard
My father was in slow agony
Delivering his spirit to God.
November 20th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
From The Books of Pirates, and the Saga of “[i]El Vengador: El Marqués de Torre Bermeja[/i]”, and “[i]Morgan, The Devil[/i]”:
Al la Luz de una pálida Luna!
En un Barco Pirata nací
Fue la voz de abordaje a mi cuna!
Que de escuchar de mi padre aprendí…
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:11 pm
I find it interesting that Prudencio Celaya wrote the version I remember. My mother’s maiden name was Celaya and my grandfather’s name was Prudencio.
Thanks to Byron for the references.
March 14th, 2011 at 6:50 am
I learned form my father, of cuban origin, the followinf slightly different version:
A la luz de la pálida luna
en un barco pirata nací, nací,
y la voz de abordaje en la cuna
de mi pabre el pirata aprendí.
Cuando aún era un niño
los tristrs horrores
de un fiero combate lloré al presenciar;
¡Cuántas veces me dijo mi padre
los piratas no saben llorar!
June 24th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
la estrofa que falta es : “abordar fue la voz que en mi cuna”
de mi padre pirata aprendí.
En colombia aprendí esta versiín de mi padre un gran marinero:
Soy pirata y navego en los mares,
donde todos respetan mi voz;
soy feliz entre tantos pesares
y no tengo más leyes que Dios,
y no tengo más leyes que Dios,
viva la mar, viva la mar.
A la luz de la pálida luna
en un barco pirata nací;
a bogar fue la voz que en mi cuna
escuchando a mi padre aprendí,
viva la mar, viva la mar.
De la guerra los crueles horrores
en silencio me hacía contemplar
cuantas veces me dijo no llores,
los piratas no saben llorar,
los piratas no saben llorar,
viva la mar, viva la mar.
Cuando niño a rezar me ponía
y mi madre empezaba a cantar,
era tanta mi dulce alegría
que no hallaba más dicha que el mar
que no hallaba más dicha que el mar
viva la mar, viva la mar.
Yo tenía quince años y un día
Cuando apenas se oyó una voz
era mi padre que en lenta agonía
La entrega de su espíritu a Dios.
July 15th, 2014 at 8:55 pm
Alguien sabe donde encontrar la música de esta canción?
July 27th, 2018 at 3:53 am
Mily, it is logical that this version seems interesting to you. Your grandfather was the father of my grandfather and your mom was my mother’s aunt-godmother. I used the name of Prudencio Celaya as a tribute to the man who taught me this song among so many other things. So that, through time and worlds, his voice continues to transmit all the tenderness of grandfather that he put in that lullaby that rocked my first childhood dreams. I’m not speak English and I used a computer translator. I do not think the result is very happy. I’m sorry and I apologize for that. Also for my imposture, which must have caused a shock and for the time elapsed. My intention was to help the person who was looking for the lyrics of the song and I never returned to the forum. I am deeply sorry. This time I sign with my real name:
José Armando Celaya