The Drunken Fish Song

[bloodyrosemccoy]

In consideration of 1000milesaway , here’s my inexpert translation of the famous villancico (Christmas carol).  I think the verses are nice, but the chorus … go figure.

 

Los Peces en el Río

 

La Virgen está lavando*                                 The Virgin is doing laundry

y tendiendo en el romero,                               and hanging it on the rosemary,

los pajarillos cantando,                                   the little birds are singing,

y el romero floreciendo.                                 and the rosemary is blooming.

 

(Chorus)

Pero mira como beben                                   But look how they drink

los peces en el río,                                         the fish in the river,

pero mira como beben                                   but look how they drink

por ver al Dios nacido.                                   upon seeing the newborn God.

Beben y beben y vuelven a beber,                  They drink and drink and drink again

los peces en el río                                           the fish in the river

por ver a Dios nacer.                                      to see that God is born.

 

La Virgen se está peinando                             The Virgin is combing her hair

entre cortina y cortina,                                    between curtains,

sus cabellos son de oro,                                  her hair is of gold,

el peine de plata fina.                                      and the comb of fine silver.

 

Pero mira como beben                                  But look how they drink …

los peces en el río,                                        the fish in the river,

pero mira como beben                                  but look how they drink

por ver al Dios nacido.                                  upon seeing the newborn God.

Beben y beben y vuelven a beber,                 They drink and drink and drink again,

los peces en el río                                         the fish in the river

por ver a Dios nacer.                                    to see that God is born.

 

You can listen to the tune here: http://usuarios.lycos.es/anarecetacocina/villancicos_los_peces_en_el_rio.htm

 

However, I believe that the best rendition is on my Feliz Navidad CD by somebody named Pandora.  Barring that, Mannheim Steamroller does a pretty cool version of it on their Christmas in the Aire album.

 

And that has been your cultural lesson of the day.

 

 

*One of the versions I have has these lines as “La Virgen lava pañales / y los tiende en el romero,” which translates roughly into “The Virgin washes diapers / and she hangs them on the rosemary.”  For some reason I really, really like that version.  Something about the idea that you know, he might be the Son of God or whatever they think he is, but dammit, he still needs diapers.

Comments

[narnian-dreamer.livejournal.com]

That is the weirdest carol I've ever heard read. And I'm a "Dominique the Donkey" fan.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Dare I ask?

I do like the alternative ones, like Weird Al's "Christmas at Ground Zero." But as with many of these types, they're obviously trying to sound daft. This is not.