Filed under: Sensory Indulgence
(picture by him.)
I’ve been listening to the recording done by the JC choir of this lovely lullaby titled Duerme Negrito.
Some background info:
In this lullaby composed by Atahualpa Yupanqui, one of the most popular Latin American composers of the 1960’s and early 1970’s, the little black child is given impossible promises and warned of dire consequences, while the sad plight of the sick, hard-working mother is depicted in word and song. According to a translator Carlos Lopez, Negrito literally means, “little black one,” or, in modern usage, simply “darling” or “dear little one.” But other words in the text leave no doubt about the setting of this “black” lullaby.
The references to the brutal practice of cutting a person’s foot off to prevent escape and to the sick mother working hard in the fields and not getting paid can only be understood in terms of the dehumanizing conditions slaves endured for centuries in many parts of the New World.
Enjoy this recording by Mercedes Sosa. It’s simply.. beautiful. And Sosa has a beautiful motherly smile! It’s just such a pleasure to watch her sing. Very soothing and comfortable. This video was taken some time ago in Switzerland (and I have no idea what she was saying in the last 1 minute of the video…) because she is currently much fatter and haggard now. But well, she’s ageing quite beautifully to me 🙂 Shall learn this song and sing to my baby next time 😀
Duerme, duerme, negrito
Que tu mama está en el campo, negrito
Duerme, duerme, mobila
Que tu mama está en el campo, mobilaTe va a traer codornices para ti
Te va a traer rica fruta para ti
Te va a traer carne de cerdo para ti
Te va a traer muchas cosas para tiY si el negro no se duerme
Viene el diablo blanco y ¡zas!
Le come la patita chicapuma
Chicapuma, apuma chicapumDuerme, duerme, negrito
Que tu mama ‘ta en el campo, negritoTrabajando
Trabajando duramente
Trabajando sí
Trabajando y va de luto
Trabajando sí
Trabajando y no le pagan
Trabajando sí
Trabajando y va tosiendo
Trabajando sí
Pa(ra e)l negrito chiquitito
Pa’l negrito sí
Trabajando sí
Trabajando síDuerme, duerme, negrito
Que tu mama ‘ta en el campo, negrito
Negrito…(Rough English translation)
Sleep, sleep little black one
Your mama’s in the fields, little black one
Sleep, sleep little one
Your mama’s in the fields, little oneShe’s going to bring quail for you
She’s going to bring fresh fruit for you
She’s going to bring pork for you
She’s going to bring many things for youAnd if the little black one doesn’t go to sleep,
The white devil will come and – zap! – he’ll eat your little foot!Sleep, sleep little black one
Your mama’s in the fields, little oneShe’s working hard
Working, yes
Working, yes, and they don’t pay her
Working, yes, and she’s coughing
Working, yes, for her sweet little black one
Working, yes…Sleep, sleep little black one
Your mama’s in the fields, little black one
Little black one…
1 Comment so far
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bittersweet solitude of a fireflower 
Thanks but why does the translation just skip the line: “Trabajando, y va de luto”-? ” Working and in mourning”
Comment by Peter March 27, 2012 @ 10:19 am