Songs for Children

Translations © by Jennifer Capaldo

Song Cycle by Xavier Montsalvatge (1912 - 2002)

View original-language texts alone: Canciones para niños

1. Paisaje
 (Sung text)
Language: Spanish (Español) 
La tarde equivocada
se vistió de frío.

Detrás de los cristales,
turbios, todos los niños,
ven convertirse en pájaros
un árbol amarillo.

La tarde está tendida
a lo largo del río.
Y un rubor de manzana
tiembla en los tejadillos.

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by Federico García Lorca (1898 - 1936)
1. Landscape
Language: English 
The afternoon mistakenly
got dressed in cold.

Behind the misted windows,
all the children
see a yellow tree
turn into birds.

The afternoon is stretched
along the river.
And a red flush of apple
trembles on the rooftops.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Spanish (Español) to English copyright © 2012 by Jennifer Capaldo, (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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This text was added to the website: 2012-08-27
Line count: 10
Word count: 38

Translation © by Jennifer Capaldo
2. El lagarto está llorando
 (Sung text)
Language: Spanish (Español) 
El lagarto está llorando.
La lagarta está llorando.

El lagarto y la lagarta
con delantaritos blancos.

Han perdido sin querer
su anillo de desposados.

¡Ay, su anillito de plomo,
ay, su anillito plomado!

Un cielo grande y sin gente
monta en su globo a los pájaros.

El sol, capitán redondo,
lleva un chaleco de raso.

¡Miradlos qué viejos son!
¡Qué viejos son los lagartos!

¡Ay cómo lloran y lloran.
¡ay! ¡ay!, cómo están llorando!

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by Federico García Lorca (1898 - 1936)
2. Mr. Lizard is crying
Language: English 
Mr. Lizard is crying.
Mrs. Lizard is crying.

Mr. and Mrs. Lizard
with little white aprons.

They have accidentally lost
her wedding ring.

Oh, the little ring of lead,
oh dear, their little leaden ring!

A large, unpopulated sky
Takes the birds up in its balloon.

The sun, that round Captain,
wears a jacket of satin.

See how old they are!
How old the lizards are!

Oh dear, how they cry and cry,
oh dear, oh dear, how they are crying!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Spanish (Español) to English copyright © 2012 by Jennifer Capaldo, (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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This text was added to the website: 2012-08-27
Line count: 16
Word count: 81

Translation © by Jennifer Capaldo
3. Caracola  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: Spanish (Español) 
Me han traído una caracola.

Dentro le canta
un mar de mapa.
Mi corazón
se llena de agua
con pececillos
de sombra y plata.

Me han traído una caracola.

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by Federico García Lorca (1898 - 1936)
3. Conch
Language: English 
They've brought me a conch.

Inside it sings
an ocean's atlas.
My heart
fills with water
and little fish
of shade and silver.

They've brought me a conch.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Spanish (Español) to English copyright © 2012 by Jennifer Capaldo, (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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This text was added to the website: 2012-08-27
Line count: 8
Word count: 28

Translation © by Jennifer Capaldo
4. Canción tonta  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: Spanish (Español) 
Mamá,
yo quiero ser de plata.
Hijo, 
tendrás mucho frío.
Mamá. 
Yo quiero ser de agua.
Hijo, 
tendrás mucho frío.
Mamá. 
Bórdarme en tu almohada.
¡Eso sí! 
¡Ahora mismo!

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by Federico García Lorca (1898 - 1936)
4. Silly song
Language: English 
Mamma,
I want to be made of silver.
Son,
you'll be very cold.
Mamma,
I want to be made of water.
Son,
you'll be very cold.
Mamma.
Embroider1 me in your pillow.
Of course!
Right away!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Spanish (Español) to English copyright © 2012 by Jennifer Capaldo, (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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View original text (without footnotes)
1 To embroider his name – a special form of attention.


This text was added to the website: 2012-08-27
Line count: 12
Word count: 36

Translation © by Jennifer Capaldo
5. Canción China en Europa
 (Sung text)
Language: Spanish (Español) 
La señorita
del abanico,
va por el puente
del fresco río.

Los caballeros
con sus levitas,
miran el puente
sin barandillas.

La señorita
del abanico
y los volantes,
busca marido.

Los caballeros
están casados,
con altas rubias
de idioma blanco.

Los grillos cantan
por el Oeste.

(La señorita.
va por lo verde.)

Los grillos cantan
bajo las flores.

(Los caballeros,
van por el Norte.)

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by Federico García Lorca (1898 - 1936)
5. Chinese song in Europe
Language: English 
The señorita
with the fan
is crossing the bridge
of the cool stream.

The gentlemen
with their coats
are watching the bridge
with no handrails.

The señorita
with the fan
and flounced skirt
is seeking a husband.

The gentlemen are all married
to tall blonde women
who speak the language
of the Western man.

The crickets are singing
in the West.

(The señorita walks
through the grass.)

The crickets are singing
beneath the flowers.

(The caballeros
are off to the North.)

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Spanish (Español) to English copyright © 2012 by Jennifer Capaldo, (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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This text was added to the website: 2012-08-27
Line count: 24
Word count: 81

Translation © by Jennifer Capaldo
6. Cancioncilla sevillana
 (Sung text)
Language: Spanish (Español) 
Amanecía
en el naranjel.
Abejitas de oro
buscaban la miel.

¿Dónde estará
la miel?

Está en la flor azul,
Isabel.
En la flor,
del romero aquel.

(Sillita de oro
para el moro.
Silla de oropel
para su mujer.)

Amanecía
en el naranjel.

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by Federico García Lorca (1898 - 1936)
6. Sevillian ditty
Language: English 
Day was breaking
in the orange-grove.
Little golden bees
were searching for honey.

Where will 
the honey be?

It will be in the blue flower,
Isabel.
In that rosemary flower.


(Little seat of gold
for the Moor.
A seat of tinsel
for his wife.)

Day was dawning
in the orange-grove.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Spanish (Español) to English copyright © 2012 by Jennifer Capaldo, (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.
    Contact: 

Based on:

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This text was added to the website: 2012-08-27
Line count: 15
Word count: 50

Translation © by Jennifer Capaldo