Al pasar el trébole
The story of this song takes place on St John's Night, on June 24th when people jump over a bonfire. One of the beliefs related to it is that you'll get a boyfriend or a girlfriend if you succeed in jumping over it.
Al pasar el trébole
Going over the Open-fire Trivet
Canción infantil
St. John's Day Song
(Spanish)
(English)
A lo alto y a lo bajo
Y a lo ligero
A lo alto y a lo bajo
Y a lo ligero
Al uso de mi tierra
Al uso de mi tierra
Al uso de mi tierra
Toco el pandero
Toco el pandero
Toco el pandero.
Al pasar el trébole, el trébole, el trébole,
Al pasar el trébole
La noche de San Juan.
Al pasar el trébole, el trébole, el trébole,
Al pasar el trébole
Los mis amores van.
Qué quieres que te traiga
Si voy a Madrid.
Qué quieres que te traiga
Si voy a Madrid.
No quiero que me traigas
No quiero que me traigas
No quiero que me traigas
Que me lleves sí
Que me lleves sí
Que me lleves sí
Al pasar el trébole, el trébole, el trébole,
Al pasar el trébole
La noche de San Juan.
Al pasar el trébole, el trébole, el trébole,
Al pasar el trébole
Los mis amores van.
High up and low down
And lightly,
High up and low down
And lightly,
In the custom of my homeland
In the custom of my homeland
In the custom of my homeland
I play the tambourine*
I play the tambourine
I play the tambourine.
Going over the open-fire trivet, the trivet, the trivet**,
Going over the trivet
On St John's night.
Going over the trivet, the trivet, the trivet,
Going over the trivet
My loves go.
What do you want me to bring you
If I go to Madrid?
What do you want me to bring you
If I go to Madrid?
I don't want you to bring me
I don't want you to bring me
I don't want you to bring me
I want you to take me
I want you to take me
I want you to take me.
Going over the open-fire trivet, the trivet, the trivet,
Going over the trivet
On St John's night.
Going over the trivet, the trivet, the trivet,
Going over the trivet
My loves go.
Notes
*Pandero is a large tambourine
**Re. the line, "Al pasar el trébole":
-Some versions have this line as "a coger el trébole" meaning "to pick the clover". ("Trébole" is "trébol".) If you picked a clover on St. John's Day, it was considered to be a good luck charm in Spain.
-Some versions have the line as "al pasar el trébole".
-Some versions have the line as "al saltar el trébede". "Trébede" is a trivet that you put over a fire for cooking (see photo above). So this line would mean to jump over the trivet.
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Marie-Claire Grousset for contributing this song. Translated by Monique Palomares and Lisa Yannucci.
¡Muchas gracias!