Background:
The informant is my best friend from middle school. He has a twin sister and is older by a couple minutes. He currently works for the California Gas Company and on the side does voice overs for D.J. drops.
Informant:
Every year on my birthday my grandma wakes my ass up early in the morning to sing me Las Mañanitas which is the Spanish version of Happy Birthday. Basically, she’s my alarm clock on my birthday. She’s been doing it for 20 years without fail. I love my grandma, but that shit drives me crazy. She wakes me up at 6AM to sing to me.
Lyrics:
Estas son las mañanitas
que cantaba el rey David.
Hoy por ser dia de tu santo
te las cantamos a ti.
que cantaba el rey David.
Hoy por ser dia de tu santo
te las cantamos a ti.
Despierta, mi bien, despierta;
mira que ya amaneció.
Ya los pajaritos cantan;
la luna ya se metió
mira que ya amaneció.
Ya los pajaritos cantan;
la luna ya se metió
Que linda está la manãna
en que vengo a saludarte;
venimos todos con gusto
y plazer a felicitarte.
en que vengo a saludarte;
venimos todos con gusto
y plazer a felicitarte.
El dia en que tu naciste
Nacieron todas las flores
En la fila del bautizmo
cantaron los Ruiseñores
Nacieron todas las flores
En la fila del bautizmo
cantaron los Ruiseñores
Ya viene amaneciendo
Ya la luz del dia nos dio
Levántate de mañana
mira que ya amaneció
Ya la luz del dia nos dio
Levántate de mañana
mira que ya amaneció
Si yo pudiera bajarte
las estrellas y un lucero
para poder demostrarte
lo mucho que yo te quiero
las estrellas y un lucero
para poder demostrarte
lo mucho que yo te quiero
Con jazmines y flores
Este dia quiero acordar
Hoy por ser dia de tu santo
Te venimos a cantar
Este dia quiero acordar
Hoy por ser dia de tu santo
Te venimos a cantar
Translation:
These are the mañanitas
King David sang.
Today to be your holy day
you sing them to you.
Wake up, my love, awake;
look already dawned.
And the birds sing;
the moon and got
The morning is bordering
when I come to say hello;
we all come willingly
and plazer to congratulate you.
The day you were born
They born all the flowers
In the row of baptism
nightingales
It is already dawning
And the daylight gave us
Get up tomorrow
look already dawned
If I could get off
stars and a bright star
to prove
King David sang.
Today to be your holy day
you sing them to you.
Wake up, my love, awake;
look already dawned.
And the birds sing;
the moon and got
The morning is bordering
when I come to say hello;
we all come willingly
and plazer to congratulate you.
The day you were born
They born all the flowers
In the row of baptism
nightingales
It is already dawning
And the daylight gave us
Get up tomorrow
look already dawned
If I could get off
stars and a bright star
to prove
how much I love you
With jasmine and flowers
I agree this day
Today to be your holy day
We come to sing
With jasmine and flowers
I agree this day
Today to be your holy day
We come to sing
Analysis:
This version of the happy birthday song is a lot different from the American version. It has many religious ties which makes the song quite unique in its own light. It shows how much Mexican culture intertwines with Catholic religion.