Hijo de la Luna – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Mecano

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the captivating Spanish language through Mecano's "Hijo de la Luna." This iconic song, steeped in myth and emotion, offers a unique narrative that makes learning Spanish an engaging journey into storytelling and cultural symbolism.

[English]

The fool is the one who doesn't understand

A legend is told

That a Gypsy woman

Yelled at the moon until dawn

While crying, she begged

And at sunrise

To marry a local

...

"You’ll have your man, with dark skin"

Spoke the full moon from the sky

But in exchange, I want the firstborn child

That he fathered

Who kills his own son

So she won't be alone

And would love him little

...

Moon, do you want to be a mother

But can't find anyone to make you a woman

Tell me, silver moon

What are you trying to do?

With a child of skin?

Ah, ah-ah-ah; ah, ah-ah-ah

Child of the moon

...

Born to a cinnamon-skinned father, was a boy

White as a mink’s back

With gray eyes, not olive

A moonlit albino child

Cursed his appearance

This son belongs to a non-Gypsy

And I won't keep quiet

...

Moon, do you want to be a mother

But can't find anyone to make you a woman

Tell me, silver moon

What are you trying to do?

With a child of skin?

Ah, ah-ah-ah; ah, ah-ah-ah

Child of the moon

...

A Gypsy, feeling dishonored

Went to his wife, with a knife in hand

Who is the child's father? You've really deceived me

And he wounded her fatally

Then he fled into the mountains

Carrying the child in his arms

And abandoned him there

...

Moon, do you want to be a mother

But can't find anyone to make you a woman

Tell me, silver moon

What are you trying to do?

With a child of skin?

Ah, ah-ah-ah; ah, ah-ah-ah

Child of the moon

...

And on full moon nights

It’s because the child is happy

And if the child cries, the moon dims

To make him a cradle

And if the child cries, the moon dims

To make him a cradle

...

[Spanish]

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?

Ah, ah-ah-ah; ah, ah-ah-ah

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 callo

Luna, quieres ser madre

Y no encuentras querer que te haga mujer

Dime, luna de plata

¿Qué pretendes hacer?

¿Con un niño de piel?

Ah, ah-ah-ah; ah, ah-ah-ah

Hijo de la luna

Gitano al creerse deshonrado

Se fue a su mujer, cuchillo en mano

¿De quién es el hijo? Me has engaña'o 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?

Ah, ah-ah-ah; ah, ah-ah-ah

Hijo de la luna

Y 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

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
entienda /en.tjenˈda/ B1	verb - to understand
cuenta /ˈkwen.ta/ A2	verb - to count, to tell
hebra /ˈe.βɾa/ B2	noun - woman, female (archaic or poetic term)
conjuró /kɔn.xuˈɾo/ C1	verb - to conjure, to summon (literally or figuratively)
luna /ˈlu.na/ A2	noun - moon
pedía /peˈðí.a/ B1	verb - to ask for, to request
amancer /a.maˈneθaɾ/ C2	verb - to dawn, to break of day
llorando /ʝoˈɾan.do/ A2	verb - crying
pedía /peˈðí.a/ B1	verb - to ask for, to request
desposar /des.poˈsaɾ/ C2	verb - to marry off, to betroth
querer /keˈɾeɾ/ A2	verb - to want, to love
pretendes /pɾenˈden.des/ B2	verb - to pretend, to intend
hacer /aˈθeɾ/ A2	verb - to do, to make

Key Grammar Structures

• Tonto el que no entienda

  ➔ Subjunctive mood used in a noun clause.

  ➔ The phrase means 'Foolish is the one who does not understand.' Here, "entienda" is in the subjunctive mood.

• Que una hembra gitana conjuró a la luna hasta el amanecer

  ➔ Use of the past simple tense.

  ➔ This line translates to 'That a gypsy female conjured the moon until dawn.' The verb "conjuró" is in the past simple tense.

• Pero, a cambio, quiero el hijo primero

  ➔ Use of the conditional mood.

  ➔ This translates to 'But, in exchange, I want the first child.' The phrase indicates a condition.

• Que quien su hijo inmola para no estar sola

  ➔ Use of the subjunctive mood in a relative clause.

  ➔ This means 'That whoever sacrifices their child to not be alone.' The verb "inmola" is in the subjunctive mood.

• Y, si el niño llora, menguará la luna

  ➔ Use of the future tense.

  ➔ This translates to 'And if the child cries, the moon will wane.' The verb "menguará" is in the future tense.

• Maldita su estampa

  ➔ Use of the subjunctive mood in an exclamatory phrase.

  ➔ This means 'Cursed be his appearance.' The phrase expresses a strong emotion.

• Y allí le abandonó

  ➔ Use of the past simple tense.

  ➔ This translates to 'And there he abandoned him.' The verb "abandonó" is in the past simple tense.