Las Mañanitas – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Thalia

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the joy of the beloved traditional birthday song, “Las Mañanitas,” through Thalia's contemporary and cheerful version. This song offers a wonderful opportunity to learn a cornerstone of Mexican culture and some beautiful Spanish phrases associated with celebration and affection. Its clear and heartfelt lyrics make it an accessible and fun way to begin exploring the Spanish language.

[English]

These are the morning songs

That King David used to sing

Today, because it's your birthday

We sing them to you

Wake up, my dear, wake up

Look, the dawn has arrived

The little birds are singing

The moon has already set

How beautiful the morning is

When I come to greet you

We all come with joy

And pleasure to congratulate you

On the day you were born

All the flowers were born

And in the baptismal font

The nightingales sang

The dawn is coming

The light of day has come to us

Get up in the morning

Look, the dawn has arrived

Congratulations

Congratulations

...

[Spanish]

Estas son las mañanitas

Que cantaba el rey David

Hoy por ser tu cumpleaños

Te las cantamos a ti

Despierta, mi bien, despierta

Mira que ya amaneció

Ya los pajarillos cantan

La luna ya se metió

Qué linda está la manãna

En que vengo a saludarte

Venimos todos con gusto

Y placer a felicitarte

El día en que tú naciste

Nacieron todas las flores

Y en la pila del bautismo

Cantaron los ruiseñores

Ya viene amaneciendo

Ya la luz del día nos dio

Levántate de mañana

Mira que ya amaneció

Felicidades

Felicidades

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
mañanitas /maɲaˈnitas/ A2	noun - little mornings; a traditional Mexican birthday song
rey /rei/ A1	noun - king
cumpleaños /kumpleˈaɲos/ A2	noun - birthday
despierta /desˈpjerta/ A2	verb - wake up
bien /bjen/ A1	adjective - well noun - good
amaneció /amaneˈsjo/ B1	verb - dawned
pajarillos /paxaˈɾiʎos/ A2	noun - little birds
cantan /ˈkantan/ A1	verb - sing
luna /ˈluna/ A1	noun - moon
linda /ˈlinda/ A2	adjective - pretty, beautiful
mañana /maˈɲana/ A1	noun - morning
gusto /ˈɡusto/ A2	noun - pleasure, liking
placer /plaˈθer/ B1	noun - pleasure
flores /ˈfloɾes/ A1	noun - flowers
bautismo /bauˈtizmo/ B2	noun - baptism
ruiseñores /rwi.seˈɲo.ɾes/ B2	noun - nightingales
luz /lus/ A1	noun - light
felicidades /fe.li.θiˈða.des/ A2	noun - congratulations

Key Grammar Structures

• Que cantaba el rey David

  ➔ Imperfect tense used to describe habitual actions in the past

  ➔ The phrase "Que cantaba" uses the imperfect tense "cantaba" to indicate an ongoing or habitual action in the past

• Hoy por ser tu cumpleaños

  ➔ Use of "por ser" to express reason or cause

  ➔ The phrase "por ser" introduces the reason for the celebration: "because it is your birthday"

• Ya los pajarillos cantan

  ➔ Use of present tense to describe current or habitual actions

  ➔ The sentence "Ya los pajarillos cantan" uses the present tense "cantan" to indicate that the birds are singing now or habitually do so

• Mira que ya amaneció

  ➔ Use of the preposition "que" with the subjunctive mood to express exclamation or command

  ➔ The phrase "Mira que ya amaneció" uses "que" to introduce an exclamation urging someone to look because dawn has arrived

• Levántate de mañana

  ➔ Imperative form of verb "levantarse" used as a direct command

  ➔ The phrase "Levántate de mañana" is in the imperative mood, giving a direct instruction or encouragement to wake up early