The Moon Lullaby

At a family dinner, I asked my mom if she could tell me any folklore. She told me the following:

(I will be denoted C for collector, and my mom will be M):

M: “Luna, Luna,

Dame pan,

Para el chuchito,

Capitán,

Si no me das,

Anda al volcán.”

which translates to:

“Moon, Moon,

Give me bread,

For the puppy,

Captain,

If you do not give me,

Walk [in] to the volcano.”

C: “When would you sing it to us?”

M: “Just like when we were watching the night sky, especially the moon or I would sing it to you and your sister when I was trying to put you guys to sleep.”

Collector Analysis:

My mom learnt this song from a television soap opera she used to watch as a child. She recalls that her favorite actress in the entire world sang this song in the show. She remembered and would sing it to my sister and I when we were younger. So, the song itself is a way for my mom to remember her childhood. My mom and I would go camping a lot and watch the moon, which is when she would sing it. However, I do remember her singing it as a lullaby. I really enjoyed hearing my mom sing this again. I’m sure it was as nostalgic for me as it was for my mom. This song was just a huge part of my summers and my childhood overall.