Mexican tradition: Pidiendo Posada, the words to the song

articles Cultural Customs Living, Working, Retiring

Dale Hoyt Palfrey

When reenacting Mary and Joseph’s quest for shelter in Bethlehem, participants in the traditional Posada processions stop to sing a litany at several designated homes. The verses alternate one by one between those seeking lodging outside and those responding from behind the door.

The lyrics are as follows:

EspañolEnglish
Outside SingersInside ResponseOutside SingersInside Response
En el nombre del cielo
os pido posada
pues no puede andar
mi esposa amada.
Aquí no es mesón,
sigan adelante
Yo no debo abrir,
no sea algún tunante.
In the name of Heaven
I beg you for lodging,
for she cannot walk
my beloved wife.
This is not an inn
so keep going
I cannot open
you may be a rogue.
No seas inhumano,
tennos caridad,
que el Dios de los cielos
te lo premiará.
Ya se pueden ir
y no molestar
porque si me enfado
os voy a apalear.
Don’t be inhuman;
Have mercy on us.
The God of the heavens
will reward you for it.
You can go on now
and don’t bother us,
because if I become annoyed
I’ll give you a trashing.
Venimos rendidos
desde Nazaret,
yo soy carpintero
de nombre José.
No me importa el nombre,
déjenme dormir,
pues que yo les digo
que nos hemos de abrir.
We are worn out
coming from Nazareth.
I am a carpenter,
Joseph by name.
I don’t care about your name:
Let me sleep,
because I already told you
we shall not open up.
Posada te pide,
amado casero,
por sólo una noche
la Reina del Cielo.
Pues si es una reina
quien lo solicita,
¿cómo es que de noche
anda tan solita?
I’m asking you for lodging
dear man of the house
Just for one night
for the Queen of Heaven.
Well, if it’s a queen
who solicits it,
why is it at night
that she travels so alone?
Mi esposa es María,
es Reina del Cielo
y madre va a ser
del Divino Verbo.
¿Eres ú José?
¿Tu esposa es María?
Entren, peregrinos,
no los conocía.
My wife is Mary
She’s the Queen of Heaven
and she’s going to be the mother
of the Divine Word.
Are you Joseph?
Your wife is Mary?
Enter, pilgrims;
I did not recognize you.
Dios pague, señores,
vuestra caridad,
y que os colme el cielo
de felicidad.
¡Dichosa la casa
que alberga este día
a la Viren pura.
la hermosa María!
May God pay, gentle folks,
your charity,
and thus heaven heap
happiness upon you.
Blessed is the house
that shelters this day
the pure Virgin,
the beautiful Mary.
Upon opening the doors at the final stop, the tune changes, the pilgrims enter, and all sing these final verses in unison:
Entren, Santos Peregrinos,
reciban este rincón,
que aunque es pobre la morada,
os la doy de corazón.
 Enter, holy pilgrims,
receive this corner,
for though this dwelling is poor,
I offer it with all my heart.
 
Oh, peregrina agraciada, oh, bellísima María. Yo te ofrezco el alma mía para que tengáis posada. Oh, graced pilgrim,
oh, most beautiful Mary.
I offer you my soul
so you may have lodging.
 
Humildes peregrinos
Jesús, María y José,
el alma doy por ellos,
mi corazón también.
 Humble pilgrims,
Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
I give my soul for them
And my heart as well.
 
Cantemos con alegría
todos al considerar
que Jesús, José y María
nos vinieron a honrar.
 Let us sing with joy,
all bearing in mind
that Jesus, Joseph and Mary
honor us by having come.
 


Link to printable Score

Escena de peregrinos en busca de posada, clay and polychrome figurine, author unknown, Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, 2002 © Anthony Wright, 2012
Escena de peregrinos en busca de posada, clay and polychrome figurine, author unknown, Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, 2002 © Anthony Wright, 2012
Published or Updated on: December 1, 1998 by Dale Hoyt Palfrey © 1998
Share This:
Tagged

2 thoughts on “Mexican tradition: Pidiendo Posada, the words to the song

  1. I am looking for another version of The Posadas, that my family sang/used. My Great Grandfather was the one who wrote it down from memory, so I can understand how some lyrics could be different, but not as different as they seem. It starts off…” Posada os piden unos peregrinos que vivien cansados de andar los caminos.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *