Los Panchos was formed by the Mexican musicians Alfredo "El Güero" Gil, Jos… Read Full Bio ↴Los Panchos was formed by the Mexican musicians Alfredo "El Güero" Gil, José de Jesús "Chucho", and the Boricua Hernando Avilés in 1944 in New York City. Their romantic boleros have caught the ears of an international audience. Latin America still regards them as one of the best trios ever.

La Flor De La Canela
Los Panchos Lyrics

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Déjame que te cuente limeño,
Déjame que te diga la gloria
Del ensueño que evoca la memoria
Del viejo puente, del río y la alameda.
Déjame que te cuente limeño,
Ahora que aún perfuma el recuerdo,
Ahora que aún se mece en un sueño,
El viejo puente, el río y la alameda.

Jazmines en el pelo y rosas en la cara,
Airosa caminaba la flor de la canela,
Derramaba lisura y a su paso dejaba
Aromas de mistura que en el pecho llevaba.
Del puente a la alameda menudo pie la lleva
Por la vereda que se estremece al ritmo de su cadera.
Recogía la risa de la brisa del río
Y al viento la lanzaba del puente a la alameda.
Déjame que te cuente limeño,
Ay, deja que te diga, moreno, mi pensamiento,
A ver si así despiertas del sueño,
Del sueño que entretiene, moreno, tu sentimiento.
Aspira de la lisura que da la flor de la canela,
Adornada con jazmines matizando su hermosura
Alfombra de nuevo el puente y engalana la alameda
Que el río acompasará su paso por la vereda.
Y recuerda que...
Jazmines en el pelo y rosas en la cara,
Airosa caminaba la flor de la canela,
Derramaba lisura y a su paso dejaba
Aromas de mistura que en el pecho llevaba.
Del puente a la alameda menudo pie la lleva
Por la vereda que se estremece al ritmo de su cadera.

Recogía la risa de la brisa del río
Y al viento la lanzaba del puente a la alameda.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Flor de Azalea by Los Panchos describe the beauty and nostalgia of Lima, the capital city of Peru, through the reminiscence of a woman known as the "flor de canela" (cinnamon flower). The singer begs a Limeño, a native of Lima, to listen to the story of the glory of the old bridge, the river, and the alameda, a typical promenade of South American parks. The singer's purpose is to evoke the fond memory of the past and remind the Limeño of the beauty of his city.

The "flor de canela" is described as an elegant woman with jasmine in her hair and roses on her face, who walks gracefully and leaves a trail of mixed aromas behind her. The singer emphasizes her lightness and hip movements, which make the sidewalk shake. The woman collects the laughter of the breeze from the river and throws it to the wind from the bridge to the alameda.

As the song goes on, the singer hopes to awaken the feelings of the Limeño by telling him to inhale the fragrance that the cinnamon flower gives, complemented by the jasmine that adorns her beauty. The flowers symbolize the beauty and the sweet aroma that permeate the streets of Lima. The singer reminds the audience that the cinnamon flower's walk from the bridge to the alameda is light and rhythmic, causing the path to shake as she dances. Finally, the singer reiterates the cinnamon flower's habit of collecting the river's breeze, making it into laughter, and throwing it to the wind, a poetic image of the freshness and vitality of Lima.

Line by Line Meaning

Déjame que te cuente limeño,
Let me tell you, my friend from Lima,

Déjame que te diga la gloria
Let me tell you about the glory

Del ensueño que evoca la memoria
Of the dream that evokes memory

Del viejo puente, del río y la alameda.
Of the old bridge, the river, and the avenue.

Déjame que te cuente limeño,
Let me tell you, my friend from Lima,

Ahora que aún perfuma el recuerdo,
Now that memory is still fragrant

Ahora que aún se mece en un sueño,
Now that it still sways in a dream,

El viejo puente, el río y la alameda.
The old bridge, the river, and the avenue.

Jazmines en el pelo y rosas en la cara,
Jasmine in her hair and roses on her face,

Airosa caminaba la flor de la canela,
The cinnamon flower walked gracefully,

Derramaba lisura y a su paso dejaba
She spilled smoothness and left in her wake

Aromas de mistura que en el pecho llevaba.
Aroma of blended perfume which she took in her chest.

Del puente a la alameda menudo pie la lleva
From the bridge to the avenue she had a light step

Por la vereda que se estremece al ritmo de su cadera.
On the sidewalk that trembles to the rhythm of her hips.

Recogía la risa de la brisa del río
She collected the laughter of the river breeze

Y al viento la lanzaba del puente a la alameda.
And she threw it to the wind from the bridge to the avenue.

Déjame que te cuente limeño,
Let me tell you, my friend from Lima,

Ay, deja que te diga, moreno, mi pensamiento,
Oh, let me tell you, my dark-skinned friend, my thoughts,

A ver si así despiertas del sueño,
Let's see if you awake from the dream,

Del sueño que entretiene, moreno, tu sentimiento.
The dream that keeps you entertained, my dark-skinned friend.

Aspira de la lisura que da la flor de la canela,
Aspire the smoothness given by the cinnamon flower,

Adornada con jazmines matizando su hermosura
Adorned with jasmine embellishing her beauty

Alfombra de nuevo el puente y engalana la alameda
The bridge is carpeted again and dresses up the avenue

Que el río acompasará su paso por la vereda.
The river will keep pace with her walk on the sidewalk.

Y recuerda que...
And remember that...