Hijo De La Luna
Montserrat Caballe Lyrics


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Tonto el que no entienda
Cuenta una leyenda
Que una hembra gitana
Conjuró a la luna hasta el amanecer
Llorando pedía
Al llegar el día
Desposar un calé
Tendrás a tu hombre piel morena
Desde el cielo habló la luna llena
Pero a cambio quiero
El hijo primero
Que le engendres a él
Que quien su hijo inmola
Para no estar sola
Poco le iba a querer

Luna quieres ser madre
Y no encuentras querer
Que te haga mujer
Dime luna de plata
Qué pretendes hacer
Con un niño de piel
Hijo de la Luna

De padre canela nació un niño
Blanco como el lomo de un armiño
Con los ojos grises
En vez de aceituna
Niño albino de luna
Maldita su estampa
Este hijo es de un payo
Y yo no me lo cayo

Luna quieres ser madre
Y no encuentras querer
Que te haga mujer
Dime luna de plata
Qué pretendes hacer
Con un niño de piel
Hijo de la Luna

Gitano al creerse deshonrado
Se fue a su mujer cuchillo en mano
De quién es el hijo?
Me has engaño fijo
Y de muerte la hirió
Luego se hizo al monte
Con el niño en brazos
Y allí le abandonó

Luna quieres ser madre
Y no encuentras querer
Que te haga mujer
Dime luna de plata
Qué pretendes hacer
Con un niño de piel
Hijo de la Luna

Y en las noches que haya luna llena
Será porque el niño esté de buenas
Y si el niño llora
Menguará la luna
Para hacerle una cuna
Y si el niño llora




Menguará la luna
Para hacerle una cuna

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Hijo de la luna" by Montserrat Caballe tell the story of a gypsy woman who desires to marry a "calé", a man with brown skin, and asks the moon for help. In exchange for granting her wish, the moon requests her first-born child. The woman agrees, but when her son is born with albinism, her husband becomes suspicious and confronts her. The husband kills the woman, and in his anger and confusion, he abandons the child under the moon's protection. The song concludes by saying that on nights of a full moon, the child is happy and the moonlight takes care of him.


The song explores themes of love, sacrifice, and betrayal. The woman's love for her husband drives her to make a pact with the moon, sacrificing her first-born son to secure her husband's affection. However, the husband's lack of understanding and trust leads to his betrayal of his wife, culminating in her death. Despite this, the moon's love for the child is unconditional, as it promises to care for him and reduce its brightness when he cries.


The song is based on a Spanish legend about a gypsy woman who entreats the moon to help her conceive a son, although the original story does not involve albinism. "Hijo de la luna" has been covered by several artists and was even used in the soundtrack of a popular video game, "Assassin's Creed". Interestingly, Enigma, the German electronic music project, sampled the chorus of "Hijo de la luna" in their song "Return to Innocence".


Line by Line Meaning

Tonto el que no entienda
It's foolish not to understand.


Cuenta una leyenda
A legend is told.


Que una hembra gitana
That a gypsy female.


Conjuró a la luna hasta el amanecer
Conjured the moon until dawn.


Llorando pedía
She was crying and begging.


Al llegar el día
When the day arrived.


Desposar un calé
To marry a gypsy man.


Tendrás a tu hombre piel morena
You will have your man with brown skin.


Desde el cielo habló la luna llena
From the sky spoke the full moon.


Pero a cambio quiero
But in exchange I want.


El hijo primero
The first-born child.


Que le engendres a él
That you conceive with him.


Que quien su hijo inmola
Because whoever sacrifices their child.


Para no estar sola
So as not to be alone.


Poco le iba a querer
Will love them less.


Luna quieres ser madre
Moon wants to be a mother.


Y no encuentras querer
And can't find love.


Que te haga mujer
To make you a woman.


Dime luna de plata
Tell me, silver moon.


Qué pretendes hacer
What do you intend to do?


Con un niño de piel
With a child of fair skin.


Hijo de la Luna
Son of the Moon.


De padre canela nació un niño
A child was born with a cinnamon father.


Blanco como el lomo de un armiño
White as the back of an ermine.


Con los ojos grises
With gray eyes.


En vez de aceituna
Instead of olive.


Niño albino de luna
Moon's albino child.


Maldita su estampa
Cursed his image.


Este hijo es de un payo
This child is of a non-gypsy.


Y yo no me lo cayo
And I won't keep quiet.


Gitano al creerse deshonrado
Gypsy, feeling dishonored.


Se fue a su mujer cuchillo en mano
He went to his wife with a knife in hand.


De quién es el hijo?
Whose child is this?


Me has engaño fijo
You have surely deceived me.


Y de muerte la hirió
And mortally wounded her.


Luego se hizo al monte
Then he went to the hills.


Con el niño en brazos
With the child in his arms.


Y allí le abandonó
And there he abandoned him.


Y en las noches que haya luna llena
And on the nights with a full moon.


Será porque el niño esté de buenas
It will be because the child is in good spirits.


Y si el niño llora
And if the child cries.


Menguará la luna
The moon will wane.


Para hacerle una cuna
To create a cradle for him.


Y si el niño llora
And if the child cries.


Menguará la luna
The moon will wane.


Para hacerle una cuna
To create a cradle for him.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jose Maria Cano Andres

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@aliced.2335

Amo a esta mujer! 💖🌹
A veces no tengo palabras ella para describirla porque ella increíble, fascinante, llena de encanto y de buen corazón. Como un Angel.
Cada vez que la escucho y la veo ella, me hace sonreír y feliz, pero de alguna manera me duele el Corazón al mismo tiempo, porque ella se ha ido. 💔
Descansa en paz Reina de Corazones.
En mi Corazón tienes un lugar para siempre.💖

I love this Woman! 💖🌹
Sometimes I do not have words to describe her, because She was so Amazing, Fascinating, full of Charm and good Heart. Like an Angel.
Everytime I listen to her and see her, she makes me smile and happy, but somehow my Heart hurts at the same time, because she is gone.💔
Rest in Peace, Queen of Hearts.
In my Heart you have a place forever.💖



All comments from YouTube:

@Jonas-np9io

The fact that she can sing such a quiet and tender song with a small voice, when her actual voice is HUGE, shows of her fantastic technique. For me she was the greatest in opera world, bigger than all the great ones. May she rest in peace forever

@lilwhale4913

Ehm? Pavarotti?

@olgaorleanskaia1162

100% agree, she was THE GREATEST in opera world, no one to get close to her divine talent. Not even Maria Callos, though many consider Monserrat the second after her. Monserrat was, is and always will be number ONE.

@e.conboy4286

@@lilwhale4913 Pav.missed too many notes. His flamboyance preceded his retirement.

@lazarosmantratzis6382

@@olgaorleanskaia1162 There will never be another voice like Maria Kallas'.
Sure Monserrat was great but don't look at the modern songs she sang.
Kallas' performances are preferred by the critics and audience of all the world.

@rociokarinanaranjoruiz

@@olgaorleanskaia1162... Sí... Yo también opino que esa Callas está demasiado sobrevalorada

2 More Replies...

@MrBardao

Este tema de Mecano es una maravilla en todos los sentidos, pero, oírlo cantar por Montserrat Caballé ya es una pasada. Los bellos de punta!!!

@Diana-ul5uy

Her voice is like diamonds, sparkling in so many ways, so gently and mysterious

@michelleosorio1800

3 de los cielos , qué

@k.k.v

как она деликатно сдерживает свой голос, чтобы не оглушить зал...прекрасное исполнение прекрасной Кабалье!

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