Lyr. Add: DE LAS TORRES DE PUEBLA
(French Occupation, 1860s)

Dónde están esas torres de Puebla?
Dónde están esos templos dorados?
Dónde están esos vasos sagrados?
Con la guerra todo se acabó.

Entre escombros gemían los heridos
que lucharon con tanto valor,
y las madres decían a sus hijos:
-Vamos pues a morir con honor!-

Estribillo:
Pa' los fuertes de Loreto
comenzaron a tirar
esas tropas de franceses
que gritaban sin cesar;
a los nuestros les decían:
Qu'és de las piezas de pan?
-!Aguárdenlas, que ai les van!
!Pom...!

Dónde estás Zaragoza valiente?
Dónde está tu lucido escuadrón?
A luchar por la Patria ha marchado
a luchar y a morir con honor.

Estribillo-

Si mi suerte es morir en campaña,
defendiendo mi patria y mi honor,
mexicanos, adornen mi tumba
con la enseña de mi pabellón,

Estribillo-

Entre soldado del norte es muy pobre,
su vestido una tosca mezclilla;
su divisa una blusa amarilla,
pero nunca su patria vendió.

Estribillo-

Add: TOWERS OF PUEBLA
Translation by Frances Toor

Where are those towers of Puebla?
Where are those golden temples?
Where are those sacred chalices?
With the war all is gone.

The wounded sigh amidst the ruins,
Who fought with such valor
And the mothers said to their sons,
Let us then die with honor!

Refrain-
Toward the Forts of Loreto
They began to shoot
Those troops of Frenchmen
Who yelled without stopping
And they said to our soldiers:
What about those pieces of bread?
Keep them, there they go, pom...!

Where are you, brave Zaragoza?
Where is your brilliant squadron?
It has marched off to fight for the Fatherland,
To fight and to die with honor.

Refrain (Second and third verses)

If my fare is to die in battle
Defending my Fatherland and honor,
Mexicans, decorate my grave
With the colors of my flag.

Refrain (Second and third verses)

The soldier from the North is very poor
His suit is of rough drill,
His badge sa yellow blouse
But he has never sold out his Fatherland.

Repeat all the first part.

With musical score, from "Romance y Corrido," Vicente T. Mendoza, in Frances Toor, 1945, "A Treasury of Mexican Folkways," pp. 415-416.

Hardline conservatives in exile, defeated by Benito Juárez, convinced Maximilian (Hapsburg) that he would be accepted by the Mexicans as emperor. They were able to install him as Emperor in 1864, after the French General Forey had driven Mexican forces out of Mexico City, with his Empress, Carlota (Marie Charlotte Amèlie of Belgium). He was deposed and executed by order of Juárez in 1867. Carlota went insane, but lived on until 1927.