by Sebastián Yradier (1809 - 1865)
Translation © by Garrett Medlock

La paloma
Language: Spanish (Español) 
Our translations:  ENG
Cuando salí de la Habana
¡Valgame Dios!
Nadie me ha visto salir
Si no fuí yo.
Y una linda Guachinanga
S'allá voy yo,
Que se vino tras de mi,
Que sí señor.
Refrain
 Si a tu ventana llega
 Una Paloma,
 Tratala con cariño
 Que es mi persona.
 Cuentala tus amores,
 Bien de mi vida,
 Coronala de flores
 Que es cosa mia.
 Ay! chinita que sí!
 Ay! que dame tu amor!
 Ay! que ven te conmigo,
 Chinita, adonde vivo yo!

El dia nos casemos
¡Valgame Dios!
En la semana que hay ir
Me hace reir
Desde la Yglesia juntitos,
Que sí señor,
Nos hiremos à dormir,
Allá voy yo.
(Refrain)

Cuando el curita nos seche
La bendicion
En la Yglesia Catedral
Allá voy yo
Yo te daré la manita
Con mucho amor
Y el cura dos hisopazos
Que sí señor
(Refrain)

Cuando haya pasado tiempo
¡Valgame Dios!
De que estemos casaditos
Pues sí señor,
Lo menos tendremos siete
Y que furor!
O quince guachinanguitos
Allá voy yo
(Refrain)

Notes provided by Garrett Medlock
Stanza 1, line 6, word 1 is "Allá" in some scores (instead of "S'allá")
Some score sources append the following to end of the refrain: 

no te enseñau
el cuadrilatero tan decantau
que los austriacos han regalau 
al amo mio muy dibujau 
y el papelitico certificau 
de que la guerra ha terminau 
con tres obleas me lo han pegau 
y repegau pegau

Some score sources change stanza 2 line 1 to "El dia que nos casemos"


Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (Garrett Medlock) , "The dove", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) [singable] (Joseph Dieudonné Tagliafico) , "La colombe" [an adaptation]
  • GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) [an adaptation]


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , John Glenn Paton [Guest Editor] , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 48
Word count: 167

The dove
Language: English  after the Spanish (Español) 
When I left Havana,
[so help me] God!,
No one saw me leave
[except myself].
And a beautiful [girl from Guachinango],
There I am going,
Came after me,
Yes sir.
Refrain
  If to your window comes
  A dove,
  Treat it with affection
  [For] it is [me].
  Tell it your loves,
  Good of my life,
  Crown it with flowers
  [For] it is [mine].
  Ah! child yes!
  Ah! give me your love!
  Ah! come with me,
  Child, to where I live!

The day that we marry,
[so help me] God!,
In the week that [is coming], 
it makes me laugh.
From the church together,
Yes sir,
We [will] go to sleep,
There I am going.
(Refrain)

When the priest gives us
the blessing
In the Cathedral Church,
There I am going
I will give you [my] little hand
With much love
And the priest two sprinklings [of holy water],
Yes sir.
(Refrain)

When time has passed,
[so help me] God!,
That we [have been] married,
Then, yes sir,
we will have at least seven [children]
And what frenzy!
Or fifteen little ones from Guachinango,
There I am going.
(Refrain)

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Spanish (Español) to English copyright © 2019 by Garrett Medlock, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:

 

This text was added to the website: 2019-03-25
Line count: 48
Word count: 193