Alicia va en el coche
The translation is singable
Alicia va en el coche
Alice Travels in the Coach
Canción infantil
Children's Song
(Spanish)
(English)
Alicia va en el coche, carolín.
Alicia va en el coche, carolín.
A ver a su papá
Carolín cacao leo, lao,
A ver a su papá
Carolín cacao leo, lao.
¡Qué lindo pelo lleva! carolín.
¡ Qué lindo pelo lleva! carolín.
¿Quién se lo peinará?
Carolín cacao leo, lao,
¿Quién se lo peinará?
Carolín cacao leo, lao.
Se lo peina su tía, carolín.
Se lo peina su tía, carolín.
Con peine de cristal,
Carolín cacao leo, lao
Con peine de cristal
Carolín cacao leo, lao.
Alice travels in the coach, carolin.
Alice travels in a coach, carolin.
She's going to see her dad
Carolin cacao leo, lao,
She's going to see her dad
Carolin cacao leo, lao.
What nice lovely hair she has! carolin.
What nice lovely hair she has! carolin.
Who will comb it for her?
Carolin cacao leo, lao,
Who will comb it for her?
Carolin cacao leo, lao.
Her aunt will comb it for her, carolin.*
Her aunt will comb it for her, carolin.
With a nice crystal comb,
Carolin cacao leo, lao
With a nice crystal comb
Carolin cacao leo, lao.
Notes
* The literal translation to this line is "Her aunt combs it for her". "Nice" was also added to match the tune.
This song has many variations. Sometimes the differences are in the title such as, "Qué hermoso pelo tiene!" (What Lovely Hair You Have) and "En coche/A Atocha va una niña" (By Coach/To Atocha a Girl Is Going), or in the meaningless words (carabí, carabín, carolín…) or the lyrics. Here is a longer version:
Alicia va en el coche, carolín (bis),
A ver a su papá, carolín cacao leo, lao. (bis)
¡Qué lindo pelo lleva! carolín (bis),
¿Quién se lo peinará? carolín cacao leo, lao. (bis)
Lo peinará su tía, carolín (bis),
Con peine de cristal, carolín cacao leo, lao (bis)
Alicia cayó enferma, carolín (bis)
Quizá se sanará, carolín cacao leo lao. (bis)
Alicia ya está muerta, carolín. (bis)
La llevan a enterrar, carolín cacao leo lao. (bis)
Alicia va en el coche, carolín (bis)
Con techo de cristal, carolín cacao leo lao (bis)
Con varios oficiales, carolín, (bis)
y un cura sacristán, carolín cacao leo lao. (bis)
Encima de la tumba, carolín, (bis)
un pajarillo va, carolín cacao leo lao. (bis)
Cantando el pío, pío, carolín (bis)
y el pío, pío, pa, carolín cacao leo lao (bis)
English translation
Alice travels in a coach, carolin (bis),
She's going to see her dad, carolin cacao leo, lao. (bis)
What nice lovely hair she has! carolin (bis),
Who will comb it for her? carolin cacao leo, lao. (bis)
Her aunt will comb it for her, carolin (bis),
With a nice crystal comb, carolin cacao leo, lao (bis)
Alice has caught an illness, carolin (bis)
Maybe she'll get better soon, carolin cacao leo lao. (bis)
Alice passed away last night, carolin. (bis)
She's brought to the graveyard, carolin cacao leo lao. (bis)
Alice is carried in a coach, carolin (bis)
In a crystal roofed one, carolin cacao leo lao (bis)
Some officers go with her, carolin, (bis)
So does a sexton priest, carolin cacao leo lao. (bis)
In the sky above her grave, carolin, (bis)
A bird is flying by, carolin cacao leo lao. (bis)
Singing its tweet tweet tweet tweet, carolin (bis)
Singing its tweet so nice, carolin cacao leo lao (bis)
This translation is also singable.
You'll also notice how the lyrics to the girl's burial are more or less the same as those to Mambrú 's funerals in Mambrú se fue a la guerra.
Comments
You can listen to Mazapán's rendition of this song on YouTube
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the group Mazapán for contributing this song and to Monique Palomares for translating it (edited by Lisa).
¡Muchas gracias!
