Text & Translation
Cancion del Cucu
Spanish source:
Victoria Kamhi de Rodrigo
Días son de cantar,
Pronto el duro cierzo
Corre por el pinar.
Díme si otros bosques
Un día yo veré,
Si la lejana tierra
Muy pronto hallaré.
Dí si por estos mundos
Vagando siempre iré,
O si mi vida errante
Muy pronto acabaré.
Pájaro, buen pajarillo,
Díme si es verdad:
¡Ella dice que siempre,
Siempre me seguirá!
Song of the cuckoo
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
'Tis time to sing,
soon the harsh North Wind
will run through the pines.
Tell me if one day
I shall see other woods,
if very soon I shall find
the distant land.
Tell me if I'll always
wander through the world,
or it very soon I'll cease
my wandering life.
Bird, sweet little bird,
tell me if it's true:
she says that always
akways she'll follow me!
Translations by Jacqueline Cockburn and Richard Stokes published in the The Spanish Song Companion (Gollancz, 1992)
Cancion del Cucu
Spanish source:
Victoria Kamhi de Rodrigo
Song of the cuckoo
English source:
Richard Stokes
Cuclillo, cuclillo canta,
Cuckoo, sing, my little cuckoo.
Días son de cantar,
'Tis time to sing,
Pronto el duro cierzo
soon the harsh North Wind
Corre por el pinar.
will run through the pines.
Díme si otros bosques
Tell me if one day
Un día yo veré,
I shall see other woods,
Si la lejana tierra
if very soon I shall find
Muy pronto hallaré.
the distant land.
Dí si por estos mundos
Tell me if I'll always
Vagando siempre iré,
wander through the world,
O si mi vida errante
or it very soon I'll cease
Muy pronto acabaré.
my wandering life.
Pájaro, buen pajarillo,
Bird, sweet little bird,
Díme si es verdad:
tell me if it's true:
¡Ella dice que siempre,
she says that always
Siempre me seguirá!
akways she'll follow me!
Composer
Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre
Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquis of the Gardens of Aranjuez, was a Spanish composer and a virtuoso pianist.