Cielito Lindo

For other uses of "Cielito Lindo", see Cielito Lindo (disambiguation).

"Cielito lindo" is a popular Ranchera song from Mexico, written in 1882 by Quirino Mendoza y Cortés (c. 1859–1957). It is roughly translated as "Lovely Sweet One". Although the word "cielo" means sky or heaven, it is also a term of endearment comparable to sweetheart or honey. "Cielito" can thus be translated as "sweetie"; "lindo" means cute, lovely or pretty. Sometimes the song is known by words from the refrain, "Canta y no llores".

Commonly played by mariachi bands, it has been recorded by many artists in the original Spanish or in English and other languages using the melody of the song. In recent decades it has come to be widely known as a theme song for Mexicans, particularly at international events, like the FIFA World Cup.

Lyrics

Lyrics vary widely from performer to performer and every singer is free to add some new verse to his or her own interpretation. Some of the most traditional lyrics are the following:

Spanish	Literal English translation	Metaphoric English translation
De la Sierra Morena, Cielito lindo, vienen bajando, Un par de ojitos negros, Cielito lindo, de contrabando. Estribillo: Ay, ay, ay, ay, Canta y no llores, Porque cantando se alegran, Cielito lindo, los corazones. Pájaro que abandona, Cielito lindo, su primer nido, Si lo encuentra ocupado, Cielito lindo, bien merecido. (Estribillo) Ese lunar que tienes, Cielito lindo, junto a la boca, No se lo des a nadie, Cielito lindo, que a mí me toca. (Estribillo) Si tu boquita morena, Fuera de azúcar, fuera de azúcar, Yo me lo pasaría, Cielito lindo, chupa que chupa. (Estribillo) De tu casa a la mía, Cielito lindo, no hay más que un paso, Antes que venga tu madre, Cielito lindo, dame un abrazo. (Estribillo) Una flecha en el aire, Cielito lindo, lanzó Cupido, y como fue jugando, Cielito lindo, yo fui el herido. (Estribillo)	From the Sierra Morena, Pretty darling, they come down, a pair of black eyes, Pretty little heaven, which are contraband. Refrain: Ay, ay, ay, ay, sing and don't cry, because singing gladdens, Pretty little heaven, the hearts. Bird that abandons, pretty darling, his first nest, if he finds it occupied, Pretty little heaven, is well deserved. (Refrain) That mole you have pretty darling, next to your mouth, don't give it to anyone, Pretty little heaven, for it belongs to me. (Refrain) If your little mouth, dark one, were made of sugar, were made of sugar I would spend my time, Pretty little heaven, sucking(x2) (Refrain) From your house to mine pretty darling, there is no more than a step. Before your mother comes, Pretty little heaven, give me a hug. (Refrain) An arrow in the air pretty sweetheart, Cupid launched playing he shot it towards me, Pretty little heaven, and I've been wounded. (Refrain)	Through dark tresses, heavenly one, a pair of deep brown eyes, lower as they approach, a stolen glance. Refrain: Ay, ay, ay, ay, sing and don't cry, heavenly one, for singing gladdens hearts. A bird that abandons his first nest, heavenly one, then finds it occupied by another, deserves to lose it. (Refrain) That beauty mark you have next to your mouth, heavenly one, don't share with anyone but me who appreciates it. (Refrain) If your little mouth, my dark girl, were made of sugar, I would spend my time enjoying its sweetness. (Refrain) From your house to mine there is no more than a step. Before your mother comes, heavenly one, give me a hug. (Refrain) Cupid shot off an arrow, heavenly one, And though he was playing, I was wounded. (Refrain)

In the article "¡Hasta que me cayó el veinte!"[1] Mr. Ortega Morán discusses the origins of the first verse of this song. His research discovered that in the early 17th century, armed bandits took refuge in the Sierra Morena mountains of Spain and that people feared for their lives when they had to travel through the region. The words of the first verse of "Cielito Lindo" were found in a song from that era, hinting at that fear. But with time the meaning of the verse changed as people began romanticizing it. "Your face is the Sierra Morena. Your eyes are thieves who live there." The verse had other melodies put to it and variations on the lyrics. Mr. Quirino Mendoza, the composer, adapted the verse to his own melody and gave us the song we know today.

Versions

The song has been subject to many versions:

• Voodoo Glow Skulls, a ska punk band from California, do a cover on their album Exitos Al Cabron (1999).
• Pedro Infante sang it in the 1947 Mexican film Los tres García. He also had the lead role in the film
• In 1963, Trini Lopez released a very famous Spanish version of the song, on his album Trini Lopez at PJ's
• Other Spanish versions include: Irma Vila y su Mariachi, Los Lobos, and Placido Domingo alongside Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras. In 2006 it was recorded by Ana Gabriel.
• There are instrumental versions as well most notably by Mantovani

Other languages

• "You, Me, and Us": The melody of Cielito Lindo was used as the basis for a popular English-language song, "You, Me, and Us". The song was published in 1956, with lyrics by John Jerome. It became a hit for Alma Cogan in the United Kingdom in 1957.
• "Heavenly Night": The melody of the song was also adapted by Sebastian Yradier and Neil Wilson to create another English-language song, "Heavenly Night," recorded by Bing Crosby and many others.
• "We Like 2 Party": The song "We Like 2 Party" by the Belgian band Swoop uses the melody with changed English lyrics
• The chorus of this song has been adopted by Glasgow Celtic supporters to celebrate their star player Emilio Izaguirre as follows: Emilio, Emilio Izaguirre, where ever he goes he fears no foe cause he's Emilio.
• "Richard Allen George...No, It's Just Cheez": The song "Richard Allen George...No, It's Just Cheez" by Less Than Jake ends with a sing-along about mustaches, to the melody of "Cielito Lindo."
• Iranian singer Mohsen Namjoo included it in his third album Oy. His version features Golshifteh Farahani as co-singer. Within the song, he included some poems by Shamloo and Molana.

Cielito lindo huasteco

"Cielito Lindo" should not be confused with another popular and traditional song called "Cielito lindo huasteco" also known as "Cielito lindo" from La Huasteca in Mexico. This song distinctly different from the common version above has been played by many Conjunto huastecos, as it is considered one of the most popular Son Huasteco or Huapango songs.

Sometimes mariachi bands perform both versions of the "Cielito Lindo" and "Cielito lindo huasteco" which are completely different, thus creating some confusion about both.

Contemporary References

The song is referred to in Sophie Treadwell's play 'Machinal'; as a negro with a handorgan is heard playing the song

See also

• "México Lindo y Querido", another traditional Mexican song

External links

• Melodic translation to English by David Bangs: text & music for sing along.
• Mariachi Vargas performs Cielito lindo and Cielito lindo huasteco
• Conjunto Huasteco Los Camperos de Valles performs Cielito lindo huasteco