Lyr Add: A la puerta del cielo

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A la puerta del cielo
From: Monique
Date: 11 Jul 20 - 02:04 AM

Ah, Grishka, you're right! I didn't think of this kind of worms because the Spanish part of me calls them "gusanos" and for the French part of me "lombrices" are "lombrics" = earthworms and I was picturing God giving them earthworms to eat. Many countryside children challenge some others -usually younger or weaker kids- to eat an earthworm.

So the last line should be just:

"And to the ones who're naughty, He gives them worms."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A la puerta del cielo
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 10 Jul 20 - 06:43 PM

It is not so long ago that many children in Europe had intestinal worms = lombrices intestinales, particularly those who had been naughty enough to eat fruits that were not properly washed. In other parts of the world the pest is still very common; Wiki tells us that one billion people are infected.

To the listeners of bad music He sends earworms, another cruel pest.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A la puerta del cielo
From: cnd
Date: 10 Jul 20 - 05:27 PM

There are a few recordings on the mamalisa page as well, which makes the sound even more enjoyable to hear it.

That page also adds that the song is a 16th Century Christmas carol and lullaby.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: A la puerta del cielo
From: Monique
Date: 10 Jul 20 - 03:34 PM

"earthworms"

Subject: Lyr Add: A la puerta del cielo
From: Monique
Date: 10 Jul 20 - 03:33 PM

A la puerta del cielo is in the DT but I found another verse in Cantos populares españoles (T.1) by Francisco Rodríguez Marín. So here are the 3 verses with the accents:

A LA PUERTA DEL CIELO

1. A la puerta del cielo venden zapatos
Para los angelitos que andan descalzos.

Estribillo: Duérmete, niño, duérmete, niño
Duérmete, niño, arrú, arrú.

2. A los niños que duermen Dios los bendice,
A las madres que velan Dios las asiste.

3. A tôs los niños güenos Dios los bendice
Y a los que son malos les da lombrices.

Translation (non singable!):

1. At the gate of Heaven they sell shoes
For the little angels who go barefoot.

Chorus: Sleep baby, sleep baby,
Sleep baby, lullaby, lullaby.

2. God blesses the babies who sleep,
God helps the mothers who watch [over them]

3. God blesses all the good babies,
To the ones who're naughty He gives earthworms.

Notes:
-The babies are also called "angelitos".
-Arrú, arrurú, arró, arroró are the words that mothers chant to their babies to lull them to sleep. The verb is "arrullar".
-"tôs" is short for "todos" as the "d" between vowels is dropped and the two o's are merged.
-"güenos" is "buenos" -you don't want a linguistics class, do you?

I like the eartworms thing! We have it on Mama Lisa's Word on Mexico page and Spain page but Lisa hasn't posted the 3rd verse yet. (Self advertizing!)