Las Mañanitas

On Thursday we started the annual celebrations for Día del Niño a tad bit early…aka at 4:45. Every year it is a tradition for all of the tios, tias, and volunteers to wake up SUPER early to sing “Las Mañanitas” (a traditional birthday song) to the kids. The thought process behind it is that not every child gets to have everyone sing to them on their birthday – normally their sections will sing to them, but not EVERYONE – so the idea is that once a year, all of the kids get to celebrate this tradition. Las Mañanitas is an adorable little song to sing to children on their birthdays to wake them up – I’ve printed the lyrics and translation below :).

Español:
Estas son las mañanitas
que cantaba el Rey David
y hoy por ser dia de tu santo
te las cantamos a ti.

Despierta (el nombre de la persona) despierta
mira que ya amaneció
ya los pajaritos cantan
la luna ya se metió.

Que linda está la mañana en que vengo a saludarte
venimos todos con gusto y placer a felicitarte.
El día en que tú naciste, nacieron todas las flores
y en la Pila del Bautismo, cantaron los ruiseñores.

Ya viene amaneciendo
ya la luz del día nos dio
levantate de mañana
mira que ya amaneció.

English:
These are the “Little” mornings
That are sung by King David
And today is the day of your saint
And we will sing to you

Wake up, Wake up
See that the sun has already risen
Already the birds are singing
And the moon has gone away

How cute is this morning that has come to greet you
We all come with pleasure to congratulate you
The day that you were born, all the flowers were born too
And in the waters of your baptism all the nightingales sang

The sunrise is already here
Already the light of day has been given to us
Wake up this morning
And see the sun that has already risen.