Duerme Negrito
This song is originally from the border area of Colombia and Venezuela.
Duerme Negrito
Sleep, Sleep, Little Black Child
Canción de cuna
Lullaby
(Spanish)
(English)
Duerme, duerme negrito,
Que tu mamá está en el campo,
Negrito.
Duerme, duerme negrito,
Que tu mamá está en el campo,
Negrito.
Te 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 ti.
Y si el negro no se duerme,
Viene el diablo blanco
Y ¡zas! le come la patita,
Yakapumba yakapumba,
Apumba yakapumba,
Yakapumba yakapumba.
Duerme, duerme negrito,
Que tu mamá está en el campo,
Negrito.
Trabajando,
Trabajando duramente,
Trabajando, sí,
Trabajando y no le pagan,
Trabajando, sí,
Trabajando y va tosiendo,
Trabajando, sí,
Trabajando y va de luto,
Trabajando, sí,
Pal negrito chiquitito,
Trabajando, sí,
Pal negrito chiquitito,
Trabajando, sí,
No le pagan, sí,
Duramente, sí,
Va tosiendo, sí,
Va de luto, sí.
Duerme, duerme negrito,
Que tu mamá está en el campo,
Negrito.
Duerme, duerme negrito,
Que tu mamá está en el campo,
Negrito.
Sleep, sleep, little black child,
Your mommy's in the field,
Little black child.
Sleep, sleep, little black child,
Your mommy's in the field,
Little black child.
She's going to bring quail for you,
She's going to bring many things for you,
She's going to bring pork for you,
She's going to bring many things for you.
And if the little black one doesn't go to sleep,
The white devil will come
And zap! It'll eat his little leg!
Yakapumba yakapumba,
Apumba yakapumba,
Yakapumba yakapumba.
Sleep, sleep little black child,
Your mommy's in the fields,
Little black child.
She's working,
Working hard,
Working yes,
Working and they don't pay her,
Working yes,
Working and she's coughing,
Working yes,
Working and she wears mourning clothes,
Working yes,
For her tiny black child
Working yes,
For her tiny black child
Working yes,
They don't pay her, yes,
Hard yes,
She's coughing yes,
She wears mourning clothes, yes.
Sleep, sleep little black child,
Your mommy's in the fields,
Little black child.
Sleep, sleep little black child,
Your mommy's in the fields,
Little black child.
Comments
This song is often attributed to Atahualpa Yupanqui, but he says in this video (in Spanish) that it's traditional. It's also been sung by Victor Jara, Mercedes Soza, and the band, Quilapayún. Some lines are sung in a different order.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Nicolas Teissier du Cros for sharing this song. Thanks also to Monique Palomares for translating this song into English with Lisa.
¡Muchas gracias!
