Mi Burrito Sabanero – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Juana, Canticuentos

Lyrics & Translation

[Spanish]

[English]

Con mi burrito sabanero voy camino de belén

With my little mountain donkey - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

con mi burrito sabanero voy camino de belén

With my mountain donkey - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

el lucerito mañanero ilumina mi sendero

The morning star shines bright - lighting up my path

el lucerito mañanero ilumina mi sendero

The morning star shines bright - lighting up my path

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

con mi cuatrico voy cantando mi burrito va trotando

With my little cart singing - my donkey is trotting along

con mi cuatrico voy cantando mi burrito va trotando

With my little cart singing - my donkey is trotting along

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

tuki tuki tuki tuki, tuki tuki tuki ta

Tuki tuki tuki tuki, tuki tuki tuki ta

apúrate mi burrito que ya vamos a llegar

Hurry up, my little donkey, we’re almost there

tuki tuki tuki tuki, tuki tuki tuki tu

Tuki tuki tuki tuki, tuki tuki tuki tu

apúrate mi burrito vamos a ver a jesús

Hurry up, my little donkey, let’s see Jesus

con mi burrito sabanero voy camino de belén

With my mountain donkey - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

con mi burrito sabanero voy camino de belén

With my mountain donkey - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

el lucerito mañanero ilumina mi sendero

The morning star shines bright - lighting up my path

el lucerito mañanero ilumina mi sendero

The morning star shines bright - lighting up my path

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

con mi cuatrico voy cantando mi burrito va trotando

With my little cart singing - my donkey is trotting along

con mi cuatrico voy cantando mi burrito va trotando

With my little cart singing - my donkey is trotting along

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

tuki tuki tuki tuki, tuki tuki tuki ta

Tuki tuki tuki tuki, tuki tuki tuki ta

apúrate mi burrito que ya vamos a llegar

Hurry up, my little donkey, we’re almost there

tuki tuki tuki tuki, tuki tuki tuki tu

Tuki tuki tuki tuki, tuki tuki tuki tu

apúrate mi burrito vamos a ver a jesús

Hurry up, my little donkey, let’s see Jesus

con mi burrito sabanero voy camino de belén

With my mountain donkey - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

con mi burrito sabanero voy camino de belén

With my mountain donkey - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

si me ven si me ven voy camino de belén

If they see me, if they see me - I’m on my way to Bethlehem

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
burrito /buˈrito/ A1	noun - small donkey
camino /kaˈmino/ A2	noun - road, path
belén /beˈlen/ A1	noun - Bethlehem
sabanero /sabaˈnero/ B1	adjective - from the savanna
lucerito /luθeˈɾito/ B2	noun - little star, bright star
mañanero /maɲaˈnero/ B1	adjective - morning (referring to the morning)
ilumina /iluˈmina/ B2	verb - illuminates
sendero /senˈdeɾo/ B1	noun - path, trail
cuatrico /kwaˈtɾiko/ B2	noun - small cuatro (Venezuelan instrument)
cantando /kanˈtando/ A2	verb - singing
trotando /tɾoˈtando/ B1	verb - trotting
apúrate /aˈpuɾate/ A2	verb - hurry up
llegar /ʎeˈɣar/ A2	verb - to arrive
ver /beɾ/ A1	verb - to see
jesús /xeˈsus/ A1	noun - Jesus

Key Grammar Structures

• Con mi burrito sabanero

  ➔ Preposition "con" + possessive adjective "mi" + noun phrase.

  ➔ "Con" means "with". "Mi" means "my". This phrase translates to "With my savanna donkey."

• voy camino de Belén

  ➔ Present tense of "ir" (voy) + noun "camino" + preposition "de" + proper noun (Belén).

  ➔ "Voy" means "I am going". "Camino de" means "on the way to". The whole phrase translates to "I am going on the way to Bethlehem."

• Si me ven si me ven

  ➔ Conditional clause using "si" + reflexive pronoun "me" + verb "ver" (to see) in the present tense.

  ➔ "Si me ven" translates to "If they see me". The repetition emphasizes the phrase. It's a common expression in songs.

• el lucerito mañanero ilumina mi sendero

  ➔ Definite article "el" + noun phrase "lucerito mañanero" (diminutive form) + verb "iluminar" (to illuminate) in the present tense, 3rd person singular + possessive adjective "mi" + noun "sendero".

  ➔ "El lucerito mañanero" means "the little morning star". "Ilumina mi sendero" means "it illuminates my path".

• con mi cuatrico voy cantando

  ➔ Preposition "con" + possessive adjective "mi" + noun "cuatrico" (diminutive of "cuatro", a type of Venezuelan guitar) + present continuous: present of verb "ir" + gerundio (cantando).

  ➔ "Con mi cuatrico" means "with my little cuatro". "Voy cantando" means "I am going singing" or "I am singing as I go".

• mi burrito va trotando

  ➔ Possessive adjective "mi" + noun "burrito" + present continuous construction similar to previous line: present of verb "ir" (va) + gerundio (trotando).

  ➔ "Mi burrito" means "my little donkey". "Va trotando" means "is going trotting" or "is trotting along".

• apúrate mi burrito que ya vamos a llegar

  ➔ Imperative mood "apúrate" (hurry up) + possessive adjective "mi" + noun "burrito" + conjunction "que" + present tense of "ir" (vamos) + preposition "a" + infinitive "llegar" (to arrive).

  ➔ "Apúrate" means "hurry up". "Que ya vamos a llegar" means "because we are about to arrive". This utilizes a future periphrasis: ir + a + infinitive.