Cielito Lindo

Although the word cielo means "sky" or "heaven", it is also a term of endearment comparable to "sweetheart" or "honey".

Cielito, the diminutive, can be translated as "sweetie"; lindo means "cute", "lovely" or "pretty".

Commonly played by mariachi bands, it has been recorded by many artists in the original Spanish as well as in English and other languages, including by Tito Guizar, Pedro Infante, Vicente Fernandez, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Eartha Kitt, The Wiggles, Menudo and Ana Gabriel.

The song's lyrical scheme corresponds to the Castilian classical stanza known as the seguidilla, i.e. seven lines of alternating heptasyllabic and pentasyllabic verses.

(Estribillo) Una flecha en el aire, Cielito lindo, lanzó Cupido.

Si la tiró jugando, Cielito lindo, a mí me ha herido.

His research discovered that in the early 17th century, armed bandits would take refuge in the Sierra Morena mountains of Spain and that people feared for their lives when they had to travel through the region.

The words of the first verse of "Cielito Lindo" were found in a song from that era, hinting at that fear.

Quirino Mendoza, the composer, adapted the verse to his own melody and gave us the song we know today.