Pedro Vargas (April 29, 1906 - October 30, 1989) was one of the most famous… Read Full Bio ↴Pedro Vargas (April 29, 1906 - October 30, 1989) was one of the most famous singers of 20th-century in Mexico.

A native of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Vargas was a classically-trained tenor who originally sang opera but gained fame with his renditions of popular songs. He made many musical guest appearances in films from 1936 onward, but also had more substantial acting roles in a few pictures, achieving over 70 screen credits in total.

In 1942, Vargas performed at the White House for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, one of many honors he received during his long career. He also performed in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Vargas died in Mexico City, Mexico at age 83.

La Flor De La Canela
Pedro Vargas 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

"La Flor de la Canela" is a song originally written in Spanish by Chabuca Granda and made popular by Pedro Vargas. The song is a narrative of the beauty and charm of Lima, Peru, specifically in the context of a woman who represents the essence and spirit of the city. In the opening verse, the singer, who is assumed to be a Limeno or a Limean, invites the listener to listen to his tale of the glory that he remembers from the old bridge, the river, and the alameda. The Limeno takes the listener back in time to when Lima still had a certain charm and still was a beautiful city.

The song's main focus is on the character of "La Flor de la Canela" or "the Cinnamon Flower," who is a woman with jasmine flowers in her hair and roses on her cheeks. The singer describes her as walking gracefully down the street while emanating a fragrant scent that lingered in the air. The woman's beauty is also noticed by her hips, which stirs the street, and her laughter which gathers the breeze from the river that she releases over the alameda.

The song depicts a vibrant city where the people are living happily. "La Flor de la Canela" is the personification of its people, living life to the fullest, and enjoying every moment. The song has been considered one of the most beautiful testimonials of Lima, its inhabitants, and its culture.

Line by Line Meaning

Déjame que te cuente limeño,
Let me tell you, person 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 the memory

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

Ahora que aún perfuma el recuerdo,
Now that the 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 boulevard...

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,
Graceful, the flower of cinnamon walked,

Derramaba lisura y a su paso dejaba
She spilled delight and in her wake,

Aromas de mistura que en el pecho llevaba...
A mix of aromas that she carried in her chest...

Del puente a la alameda menudo pie la lleva
From the bridge to the boulevard, her small feet carried her

Por la vereda que se estremece al ritmo de su cadera
On the sidewalk that shook 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 threw it into the wind, from the bridge to the boulevard...

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

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

A ver si así despiertas del sueño,
To see if you wake up from your dream,

Del sueño que entretiene, moreno, tu sentimiento...
From the dream that entertains, dark-skinned one, your feelings...

Aspira de la lisura que da la flor de la canela,
Inhale the pleasure given by the flower of cinnamon,

Adornada con jazmines matizando su hermosura;
Adorned with jasmine, enhancing her beauty;

Alfombra de nuevo el puente y engalana la alameda
The bridge is carpeted once more and the boulevard is decorated

Que el río acompasará su paso por la vereda...
So that the river will keep pace with her steps on the sidewalk...