The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #5841 Message #2340346
Posted By: GUEST,Q as guest
14-May-08 - 11:37 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: La Cucaracha
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: La Cucaracha
This very old song from Spain has accumulated myriad verses since it came to the New World.
Hadn't heard the two verses from New Mexico since I left Santa Fé many years ago. The Las Vegas, of course, is Las Vegas, New Mexico, not that other place.
Porque - because por qué - why? (interrogatively) porqué - cause, reason (motive) A troublesome word if accents and spacings are ignored. Por qué was always colloquially rendered as 'For why?' in northern New Mexico when English was being spoken.
amar - to love, to like, to fancy amor- love, fancy, affection para amar, toditos lados- not para amor as commonly written. Joe has it correctly.
Other verses from New Mexico (and also used elsewhere?), possibly from versions pre-Villa- from a manuscript by Charles F. Lummis.
Una cucaracha pinta le dijo a una colorada, Vamonos para mi tierra a pasar la temporada.
Todas las muchachas tienen en los ojos dos estrellas pero las mejicanitas de seguro son mas bellas.