Many people have written to me looking for the lyrics to El señor don Gato. Here are the original Spanish lyrics, followed by an English translation.
El señor don Gato
(Spanish)Estaba el señor Don Gato
sentadito en su tejado
marramiau miau, miau, miau,
sentadito en su tejado.Ha recibido una carta
por si quiere ser casado,
marramiau, miau, miau, miau,
por si quiere ser casado.Con una gatita blanca
sobrina de un gato pardo,
marrama, miau, miau, miau,
sobrina de un gato pardo.El gato por ir a verla
se ha caído del tejado,
marramiau, miau, miau, miau,
se ha caído del tejado.Se ha roto seis costillas
el espinazo y el rabo,
marramiau, miau, miau, miau,
el espinazo y el rabo.Ya lo llevan a enterrar
por la calle del pescado,
marramiau, miau, miau, miau,
por la calle del pescado.Al olor de las sardinas
el gato ha resucitado,
marramiau, miau, miau, miau,
el gato ha resucitado.Por eso dice la gente
“siete vidas tiene un gato”,
marramiau, miau, miau, miau,
“siete vidas tiene un gato”.Lord Tom Cat
(English)Lord Tom Cat was
Sitting on his roof
Marrameow meow meow meow
Sitting on his roof.He received a letter
Asking if he wants to get married
Marrameow meow meow meow
Asking if he wants to get married.With a white kitty
Niece of a brown cat
Marrameow meow meow meow
Niece of a brown cat.As the cat went to visit her
He fell down from the roof
Marrameow meow meow meow
He fell down from the roof.He broke six ribs
His spine and his tail
Marrameow meow meow meow
His spine and his tail.He’s taken to be buried
Through the fish street
Marrameow meow meow meow
Through the fish street.Smelling some sardines
The cat resuscitated
Marrameow meow meow meow
The cat resuscitated.That’s why people say
“A cat has seven lives”
Marrameow meow meow meow
“A cat has seven lives”.
There’s another English version of Senor don Gato that’s different from the direct translation. I’ll post that version next.
Many thanks to Monique Palomares of Mama Lisa’s World en français for finding the lyrics to El señor don Gato for me, and for
translating them into English.
Come visit the Mama Lisa’s World Spain Page for more Spanish Songs with their English translations and the Mama Lisa’s World en français Espagne page for Spanish songs with their French translations.
This article was posted on Sunday, June 11th, 2006 at 1:35 pm and is filed under Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, El señor don Gato, El señor don Gato, English, Folk Songs, Languages, Senor Don Gato, Spain, Spanish, Spanish Folk Songs, 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.
8 Responses to ““EL SENOR DON GATO – Lord Tom Cat” Lyrics in Spanish and English”
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July 4th, 2006 at 10:18 pm
Hi Lisa I’m looking for some simple German Sings suitable for children aged 3 to 5, I was wondering if you coul help me?
I am particularly looking for the words to “Hanschen Klein ging alein in die weite weld hinein” etc.
Thanking you in advance if you can help me out.
Doris Bates
July 4th, 2006 at 10:58 pm
You can find many German children’s songs on my Mama Lisa’s World Germany Page at http://www.mamalisa.com/world/germany.html
Here are the lyrics to Hänschen klein in German and English…
Hänschen klein
(German)
Hänschen klein
Ging allein
In die weite Welt hinein
Stock und Hut
Stehn ihm gut,
Ist gar wohlgemut.
Aber Mutter weinet sehr
Hat ja nun kein Hänschen mehr
Da besinnt sich das Kind,
Läuft nach Haus geschwind.
Liebe Mutter, ich bin da
Dein Hänschen tra la la
Bin bei dir,
Bleib’ bei dir
Freue dich mit mir!
Little Johnny
(English)
Little Johnny
Went alone
In the wide world,
Stick and hat
Suit him well
He’s cheerful!
But Mother weeps much,
Now she has her little Johnny no more,
So, the child thinks it over,
He goes back home.
Dear Mother, I’m here,
Your Johnny tra la la,
I’m by you,
I stay by you,
Rejoice with me!
December 14th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
I need 26 copies of senor don gato by January 3rd!
January 26th, 2010 at 5:52 am
Good translation, but the literal translation of the title is a bit off in a jarringly amusing way :)
“señor” can mean Lord (nowadays, used in Spanish just for Our Lord), or it can simply mean “sir” or “mister”, a polite way of adressing a man right before his name, exactly like “Don”. Guess which one would be correct? =^_^=
“señor Don Gato” is simply a (humorously) formal of saying “Mr. Cat”… unless you are a worshiper of Bastet, straight from ancient Egypt…
January 26th, 2010 at 11:44 am
But since it is “Señor Don…” it’s somewhat more than just “Señor” or just “Don”… Let’s say that Sir Tom Cat would be a good compromise between Lord and Mister
February 9th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Thank you! I was searching for this songs lyrics for a while until I found it here. Wasn’t even expeting the english translation, it was a great bonus!
December 26th, 2013 at 2:22 pm
Spero che vi interessi una bella traduzione libera del testo spagnolo, che ho trovato nella vecchissima Enciclopedia dei Ragazzi Mondadori in 6 volumi, del 1924 circa:
La famosa storia del gatto
Il signor don gatto è assiso
Sovra seggio d’oro schietto;
Ha le calze tutta seta,
Traforato stivaletto.
Sbuca fuori il suo compare,
E gli chiede se vorria
D’una certa gatta nera
aggradir la compagnia.
Per vederla il micio lesto
Dalla sedia balza; il piè
Gli vacilla, oscilla, piomba
Nel cortil, di peso, ohimé.
Quattro coste si è spezzate,
Una zampa s’è slogata;
Tutto questo gli è accaduto
Per veder la fidanzata!
Venga il medico, e il chirurgo,
Venga tosto l’infermier;
Ma dinanzi a tutti venga
Don Carlos, quel gran barbier.
Il signor don Carlos giunge
Ed il polso gli ha tastato;
Gelatina e brodo caldo
Si dian subito al malato.
Detto fatto gli han tirato
Anche il collo a una gallina;
Ma il micione, poveraccio,
Morto è l’indoman mattina.
Tutti i topi per la gioia
Metton vesti a più colori;
Ma le gatte in lutto stretto
Lacrimose vengon fuori.
Tutti i gatti al funerale
Son comparsi incappucciati;
Dicon piano: miao, miao,
I gattini desolati.
April 28th, 2015 at 2:33 pm
I got to play Senor Don Gato as a child. I got to ride in a red wagon in the funeral, and had the solo. The (English) version I learned in kindergarten, which is when we held the play, went like this (and apologies – I don’t have the phonic fonts):
Oh, Senor Don Gato was a cat.
On a high red roof Don Gato sat.
He was there to read a letter,
Meow, Meow, Meow.
Where the reading light was better,
Meow, Meow, Meow.
T’was a love note for Don Gato.
“I adore you,” wrote the lady cat,
Who was fluffy, white, and nice and fat.
There was not a sweeter kitty,
Meow, Meow, Meow,
In the country or the city,
Meow, Meow, Meow,
And she said she’d wed Don Gato.
Oh, Don Gato jumped so happily
He fell off the roof and broke his knee.
Broke his ribs and all his whiskers,
Meow, Meow, Meow,
And his little solar plexus,
Meow, Meow, Meow.
“Aye Carumba!” cried Don Gato.
Oh, the doctors all came on the run,
Just to see if something could be done.
Oh, they held a consultation,
Meow, Meow, Meow,
About how to save their patient,
Meow, Meow, Meow.
How to save Senor Don Gato!
((Slowly; sadly)) But in spite of everything they tried,
Poor Senor Don Gato up and died.
Oh it wasn’t very merry,
Meow, Meow, Meow,
Going to the cemetery,
Meow, Meow, Meow,
For the ending of Don Gato
((As a march)) As the funeral passed, the market square,
Such a smell of fish was in the air!
((gradually faster/louder, until…)) Though his burial was slated,
Meow, Meow, Meow!
He became reanimated!
((very fast!))
Meow, Meow, Meow!
((Triumphantly)) He came back. To life! Don Gato!!
Meow Meow, Meow Meow,
Meow Meow, Meow Meow,
Meow Meow Meow Meow Meow!!