Monjita en el monasterio
Monjita en el monasterio
Young Nun in a Convent
Canción de corro
Circle Game
(Spanish)
(English)
Yo me quería casar,
Yo me quería casar
Con un mocito barbero,
Con un mocito barbero
Y mis padres me querían,
Y mis padres me querían
Monjita de un monasterio,
Monjita de un monasterio.
Una tarde de verano,
Una tarde de verano
Me sacaron de paseo,
Me sacaron de paseo
Y al revolver una esquina,
Y al revolver una esquina
Había un convento abierto,
Había un convento abierto.
Salieron todas las monjas,
Salieron todas las monjas
Todas vestidas de negro,
Todas vestidas de negro
Me cogieron de la mano,
Me cogieron de la mano
Y me metieron adentro,
Y me metieron adentro.
Me sentaron en una silla,
Me sentaron en una silla
Y me cortaron el pelo,
Y me cortaron el pelo
Y empezaron a quitar,
Y empezaron a quitar
Los adornos de mi cuerpo,
Los adornos de mi cuerpo
Pulseritas de mis manos,
Pulseritas de mis manos
Anillitos de mis dedos,
Anillitos de mis dedos
Pendientes de mis orejas,
Pendientes de mis orejas
Gargantillas de mi cuello,
Gargantillas de mi cuello
Mantilla de tafetán,
Mantilla de tafetán
Y un jubón de terciopelo,
Y un jubón de terciopelo.
Lo que más sentía yo,
Lo que más sentía yo
Era mi mata de pelo,
Era mi mata de pelo
Vinieron mis padres,
Vinieron mis padres
Con mucha alegría,
Con mucha alegría
Me echaron el manto,
Me echaron el manto
De Santa María,
De Santa María
Se fueron mis padres,
Se fueron mis padres
Con mucha tristeza,
Con mucha tristeza
Me echaron el manto,
Me echaron el manto
De Santa Teresa,
De Santa Teresa
Vinieron las monjas,
Vinieron las monjas
Con mucho fervor,
Con mucho fervor
Me echaron el manto,
Me echaron el manto
De la Concepción,
De la Concepción.
Si voy a la torre,
Si voy a la torre
Toco la campana,
Toco la campana
Dice la abadesa,
Dice la abadesa
Que soy holgazana,
Que soy holgazana.
Si voy a la huerta,
Si voy a la huerta
Corto perejil,
Corto perejil
Dice la abadesa,
Dice la abadesa
Que eso no es así,
Que eso no es así.
Entre los árboles,
Entre los árboles
Y entre las flores,
Y entre las flores
Hay muchos nidos,
Hay muchos nidos
Con ruiseñores,
Con ruiseñores.
I wanted to get married,
I wanted to get married
To a young barber,
To a young barber,
But my parents wanted me,
But my parents wanted me
To be a young nun in a convent,
To be a young nun in a convent.
One Summer evening,
One Summer evening,
They took me out for a walk,
They took me out for a walk
And coming around a corner,
And coming around a corner,
There was a convent open,
There was a convent open.
All the nuns came out,
All the nuns came out,
All dressed in black,
All dressed in black,
They took my hand,
They took my hand
And they drew me in,
And they drew me in.
They sat me on a chair,
They sat me on a chair
And they cut my hair,
And they cut my hair,
And they started to remove,
And they started to remove
The adornments from my body,
The adornments from my body,
Bracelets from my wrists,
Bracelets from my wrists
Rings from my fingers,
Rings from my fingers
Earrings from my ears,
Earrings from my ears,
Chokers from my neck,
Chokers from my neck,
A taffeta shawl,
A taffeta shawl,
And a velvet doublet,
And a velvet doublet.
What I regretted most,
What I regretted most
Was my head of hair
Was my head of hair.
My parents came,
My parents came
Very joyfully,
Very joyfully
They put on me the cape,
They put on me the cape
of Saint Mary,
of Saint Mary.
My parents left,
My parents left
In great sadness,
In great sadness,
They put on me the cape,
They put on me the cape
of Saint Theresa,
of Saint Theresa.
The nuns came,
The nuns came
Fervently
Fervently
They put on me the cape,
They put on me the cape
of the Conception,
of the Conception.
If I go to the tower,
If I go to the tower
I ring the bell,
I ring the bell,
The abbess says,
The abbess says
I'm lazy,
I'm lazy.
If I go to the vegetable garden,
If I go to the vegetable garden
I pick parsley,
I pick parsley,
The abbess says,
The abbess says
It's not done like this,
It's not done like this.
Among the trees,
Among the trees
And among the flowers,
And among the flowers,
There are many nests,
There are many nests
With nightingales in them,
With nightingales in them.
Notes
This song dates back to the 1500 - 1600's in Andalusia, Spain. There are several versions of this song in the Spanish speaking world with different titles such as, "Romance de la niña que no quiere ser monja" (Romance of the Girl Who Doesn't Want To Be a Nun), "Las monjitas" (The Little Nuns), "Yo me quería casar" (I Wanted To Get Married), "Monja por fuerza" (Nun by Force).
The version of this song from Cuba is called "Monja por fuerza".
Thanks!
Sheet Music
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Translation by Monique Palomares and Lisa Yannucci.
Image by Mama Lisa with AI.
¡Muchas gracias!