Towards Bethlehem Goes a Donkey
Composed by Michael D. Mendoza
Voicing: SATB
Instrumentation: a cappella
Catalog number: AMP 0136
Price: $1.50

Hacia Belén va un borrico
(Towards Bethlehem Goes a Donkey)

Hacia Belén va un Yo me remendaba, yo me remendé cargado de chocolate Lleva su chocolatera Yo me remendaba, yo me remendé yo me eche un remiendo yo me lo quité su molinillo y su anafre María ven acá, ven acá corriendo que el chocolatillo se lo están comiendo	Towards Bethlehem goes a donkey I remember, I remember* Laden with chocolate. It carries its chocolate pot, I remember, I remember I remember, yet I forget,* Its chocolate mill and its stove. Mary come here, come running Because they are eating up the chocolate.
En el portal de Belén Yo me remendaba, yo me remendé gitanillos han entrado; Yo me remendaba, yo me remendé y al Niño que está en la cuna Yo me remendaba, yo me remendé yo me eche un remiendo yo me lo quite los pañales le han quitado. María ven acá, ven acá corriendo que los pañalillos los están cogiendo María ven acá, ven acá volando que los pañalillos los están llevando	At the gate of Bethlehem I remember, I remember, Gypsies have entered; I remember, I remember And from the child who is in the cradle I remember, I remember I remember, I remember, They have taken the swaddling clothes. Mary come here, come running They are seizing the swaddling clothes, Mary come here, come flying They are carrying off the swaddling clothes.
Con un sombrero de paja al portal llega un gallego; Yo me remendaba, yo me remendé Mientras adoraba al Ni˜o el buey se comió el sombrero María , María , ven acá corriendo María , Marưí , ven acá volando consuelo al gallego que está aqu&iacte; llorando.	With a hat of straw A Galician arrives at the gate; I remember, I remember While he worshipped the Child The ox ate his hat. Mary, Mary come running Mary, Mary, come here flying And comfort the Galician . Who is crying here.

*The translation of these lines is poetic, not exact.
Hacia Belén va un borrico is a Spanish villancico known throughout Spain and the Americas.

Pronunciation Guide
a like a in English father, e.g., hacia, va, remendaba, anafre.
e when stressed, like a in English pay, e.g., Belén, gallego.
when unstressed, like e in English bet, e.g., corriendo.
i like i in English machine or ee in feet, e.g., mientras, aquí.
o like o in English obey, e.g., Niño, volando.
u like u in English Mrule , e.g., un, su, Consuelo.
y like ee in English feet, e.g., y, yo, buey.

b like the English b in boot, but slightly softer at the beginning of a word, or when
preceded by m or n e.g., borrico, buey, sombrero; between two vowels or followed
by l, or r, almost an English v but with both lips nearly closed, e.g., remendaba,
adoraba.

ch like ch in the English church, e.g., chocolate, eche.

d generally like d in English dog, but softer e.g., corriendo, or like th in this, between
vowels, e.g., quitado. e.g. like the g in English gain, before a, o, u, ue, ui, or consonant
e.g., gallego; strongly aspirated like in English h, in hat, before e or I , e.g., gitanillos.

h silent e.g., Hacia.

ll The ll consonant in Spanish sounds like the y in English yet, e.g., gallego, gitanillos
(in Spanish America, the American Southwest).

q like the English cat used only in the combinations ue and ui in which the u is silent
e.g., que, aquí.

r at the beginning of a word -- strongly trilled e.g., rojas.
a single tap of the tongue in the rest of the words &$45;- e.g, flores, lloren, flores.

rr strongly trilled, e.g., borrico, corriendo.
v in many parts of Spain and the Americas like the Spanish b, e.g., va, ven.


The acute accent denotes word stress only e.g., acá, aquí.

Michael D. Mendoza

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