[Julie Steiner]

I like your "don't be tearful" version a lot, Roger. But I think it would be more effective to hold the first syllable out more: "Sing, don't be tearful," rather than "Sing, sing, don't be tearful." But maybe I'm hearing the timing of the original "Canta y no llores" differently than you are. (In 3/4 time, I would give the "Can-" and the "Sing" three beats.)

Catherine, that's hilarious! I'd say nicely done, but "naughtily done" seems more apropos.

[Marion Shore]

I thought my lyrics were more country than Spanish, so I fooled around and came up with this. It's kind of a riff on "Cielito Lindo," I think a bit of "Good Night, Irene" might have crept in along with an echo of a Dylan song, and of course the Beatles' "little darlin". Feel like it needs a fiddle, so if there are any fiddlers out there who want to add a track, please do.

Audio:
MY LITTLE DARLIN'


My Little Darlin'

From the dark mountains,
my little darlin’,
while the moon’s on the rise,
like two bandits,
my little darlin’,
come two dark gypsy eyes.

Between our doors,
my little darlin’,
there’s just one step and no more.
Now that we’re alone,
my little darlin’,
what are we waiting for?

REFRAIN:

Oh, oh, oh, oh,
sing and don’t cry,
for if you sing,
my little darlin’,
your heart will be glad by and by.

That light in your eyes
my little darlin’,
is brighter than diamonds could be.
Don’t give it away
my little darlin’
you know it belongs to me.

The bird that leaves its nest,
my little darlin’,
and flies away somewhere,
might find when it comes back
my little darlin’,
another birds nesting there.

REFRAIN

[Martin Rocek]

These are all great! I can't wait to hear them!

[Birthe Myers]

Well, I couldn’t stop, and a rather banal honey bunny love song emerged. I am not sure it can be sung to the music, I am not tone deaf, but I still can’t get a grip on the Latin rhythm and the music’s slithering character. For whatever it is worth her it is. I have done my bit/ It was hard, it was very hard.
Thank you, Roger, for the advice, .



My Honey Bunny

Down from the sunless mountain
my honey bunny
we met in the road
and I saw your beautiful eyes,
my honey bunny.
I let go my load,
turned my eyes on you
and my heart brimmed over with love
my honey bunny
what else could I do?


I had to give in to loving
my honey bunny,
I was a lost man.
Come and see my hacienda
my honey bunny,
and tell me you can
love me body and soul
the way I love you, darling
my honey bunny
say you’re mine to hold.


Please do not cry my sweet heart,
my honey bunny,
please don’t get moody,
don’t cry dear, just sing, be happy
my honey bunny.
You are such a cutie
this is not a fling,
be my honey bunny wife
my honey bunny
no more tears dear, sing.


That little beauty spot, dear,
my honey bunny
by your mouth must stay,
it belongs to me alone
my honey bunny
no one else may say
a word about it but I.
We’ll make a nest like two birds,
my honey bunny
and we’ll sing, not cry.

[Marion Shore]

Birthe, I knew you could do it! You are a songwriter, after all. It's definitely your style, with its whimsy and playful humor. I find you can sing it to the original melody if you sing the last four lines of each stanza to the tune of the refrain. Some of your lines are a little long, so you have to squeeze some syllables together, which works well with the flow of the melody, or else you could shorten some lines a bit. Honey bunny! I love it!

Really interesting to see the different styles – Bob's classical and classy rendition, Julie's retro hybrid of two iconic songs, Catherine's playfully naughty romp. BTW, some of us got rid of the mole… Any thoughts on that?

[Catherine Chandler]

What Marion said! It's fun to read -- and try to sing! -- each version. As for the mole, it's in most of the original versions, so I would try to keep it in any translation. Beauty spot is a nice touch, but takes up more room, metrically speaking.

[Birthe Myers]

Thank you, Marion. I am so enormously pleased that it can actually be sung to the melody. That means Martin’s instructions really work. I was afraid it might have words stressed in the wrong places, which I can not hear until I know the melody and it just eludes me.
The mole: I didn’t like the mention of a mole, moles can be so icky. Moles are called ‘beauty spots" in Danish, It is not my invention. ‘Skønhedsplet’. I got it free.
And thank you, Catherine, I am very glad that you agree with Marion.