Carlos Nuñez was born in Vigo (Galicia, Spain), and is considered as one of… Read Full Bio ↴Carlos Nuñez was born in Vigo (Galicia, Spain), and is considered as one of the best bagpipe players in the world.
He started playing the bagpipe at the age of eight, and now his virtuosity with the 'gaita' (bagpipe) has led him to be called 'the Jimi Hendrix of the pipes'. He had been playing and touring with The Chieftains for many years and because of that he became the honorary '7th Chieftain'.

A Orillas Del Rio Sil
Carlos Núñez Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A orillas del rio Sil
su pelo negro peinaba,
sin saber que entre los juncos
un joven la diquelaba.

El muchacho resbaló
y al agua vino a caer,
riose la gitanita

y él se rió también.

A la grupa de su corcel
la llevó a la gran llanura
y a su padre le pidió
casarse a la quinta luna.

Juntos el norte y el sur
en una fiesta campera,
andaluces y gallegos
en torno a la misma hoguera.

Al llegar la noche sonó la gaita,
violines gitanos, guitarras y palmas,
bajo las estrellas comenzo la danza
muñeira gallega y rumba gitana,
con el corazón ebrio de queimada,
viejas leyendas que vienen de Galia,
en el hontanal surgieron del agua
cuatro meigas guapas tirando del alba.

Cuando existe amor sincero
se diluyen las fronteras,
ni la raza ni la piel
le pueden poner barreras.

La boda se celebró
en noche de luna nueva,
andaluces y gallegos
en torno a la misma hoguera.

Al llegar la noche sonó la gaita,
violines gitanos, guitarras y palmas,
bajo las estrellas comenzo la danza
muñeira gallega y rumba gitana,
con el corazón ebrio de queimada,
viejas leyendas que vienen de Galia,

en el hontanal surgieron del agua
cuatro meigas guapas tirando del alba.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Carlos Núñez's song A Orillas Del Rio Sil, translated to "By the Banks of the Sil River," are a story of love that transcends borders and differences. The song is about a young gypsy girl who is brushing her black hair by the riverbank when she is startled by a young man hiding in the reeds nearby. They both laugh as the young man accidentally falls into the river. He takes the girl on his horse and asks her father for her hand in marriage. Despite being from different regions - the North and South of Spain - they come together in a celebration of love and unity. The wedding is a fusion of their two cultures, with Andalusians and Galicians dancing and playing music together. The song speaks to the power of love to bring people together and overcome barriers like race and skin color.

The lyrics of A Orillas Del Rio Sil are steeped in traditional Galician and Andalusian folk music. The song's melody is derived from the Galician muñeira dance, accompanied by the sounds of gaita (a type of bagpipe) and other traditional instruments. The lyrics themselves are also full of references to Galician and Andalusian culture. For example, "queimada" is a traditional Galician alcoholic drink, and "meigas" are witches from Galician folklore.

Line by Line Meaning

A orillas del rio Sil
On the banks of the Sil river

su pelo negro peinaba,
she was combing her black hair,

sin saber que entre los juncos
unaware that among the reeds

un joven la diquelaba.
a young man was watching her.

El muchacho resbaló
The boy slipped

y al agua vino a caer,
and fell into the water.

riose la gitanita
the gypsy girl laughed.

y él se rió también.
and he laughed too.

A la grupa de su corcel
On his horse's back

la llevó a la gran llanura
he took her to the vast plain

y a su padre le pidió
and asked her father

casarse a la quinta luna.
to marry on the fifth full moon.

Juntos el norte y el sur
Together, the north and the south

en una fiesta campera,
at a rural celebration

andaluces y gallegos
Andalusians and Galicians

en torno a la misma hoguera.
around the same bonfire.

Al llegar la noche sonó la gaita,
As night fell, the bagpipes played

violines gitanos, guitarras y palmas,
Gypsy violins, guitars and clapping hands

bajo las estrellas comenzo la danza
under the stars the dance began

muñeira gallega y rumba gitana,
Galician muñeira and Gypsy rumba,

con el corazón ebrio de queimada,
with the heart intoxicated by queimada,

viejas leyendas que vienen de Galia,
old legends from Galicia

en el hontanal surgieron del agua
emerged from the water in the meadow

cuatro meigas guapas tirando del alba.
four pretty witches pulling the dawn.

Cuando existe amor sincero
When there is sincere love

se diluyen las fronteras,
the borders dissolve

ni la raza ni la piel
neither race nor skin

le pueden poner barreras.
can put up barriers.

La boda se celebró
The wedding was celebrated

en noche de luna nueva,
on a new moon night,