La Paloma

Introduction

"La Paloma" is a popular Spanish song that has been produced and reinterpreted in diverse cultures, settings, arrangements, and recordings over the last 140 years. The song was composed and written by the Spanish composer from the Basque region Sebastián Iradier (later Yradier) in the 1850s. In 1859 it was registered at the copyright office in Madrid as a "Cancion Americana con acompañamiento de Piano". Iradier was to die in obscurity within few years, never to learn how popular his song would become.

"La Paloma" belongs to a genre of songs called "Habaneras," a musical style developed in 19th-century Spain that is still today very much present in the form of folk songs and formal compositions, particularly in the Northern Basque Region and East Coast (Catalonia and Valencia) regions of the country^{[citation needed]}. Like all "Habaneras," its characteristic and distinct rhythm reflects the fusion of the local Cuban songs that the Spanish sailors of the time brought back with them from their travels to the island, with the rhythm structure of the flamenco “tanguillo gaditano” (original from Cádiz, Andalusia). Very quickly "La Paloma" became popular outside of Spain, particularly in Mexico, and soon spread around the world. In many places, including Afghanistan, Hawaii, the Philippines, Germany, Romania, Zanzibar, and Goa it gained the status of a quasi-folk song. Over the years the popularity of "La Paloma" has surged and receded periodically, but never subsided. It may be considered one of the first universal popular hits and has appealed to artists of diverse musical backgrounds. There are more than one thousand versions of this song, and that together with "Yesterday" by the Beatles, is one of the most-recorded songs in the history of music. It is certainly the most-recorded Spanish song.

The motif

The motif of "La Paloma" (the dove) can be traced back to an episode that occurred in 492 BC, before Darius' invasion of Greece, a time when the white dove had not yet been seen in Europe. The Persian fleet under Mardonius was caught in a storm off the shore of Mount Athos and wrecked, when the Greeks observed white doves escaping from the sinking Persian ships. This inspired the notion that such birds bring home a final message of love from a sailor who is lost at sea. This theme that a final link of love overcomes death and separation is reflected in "La Paloma". While the lyrics may not always be true to the original, the soul of the song seems to survive all attempts to recast it in whatever new form and shape there may be and is able to express the tension between separation with loneliness, even death, and love.

History

The Song became the favorite of Princess Charlotte of Belgium, Empress of Mexico, reason why the followers of president Juarez and the liberal party, made a parody. In the Portuguese novel The Crime of Father Amaro, written in 1871 by the considered greatest Portuguese writer, Eça de Queiroz, it is referred to as "[l]a Chiquita, an old Mexican song."

German and French versions appeared in the 1860s. In 1899, a performance of the melody by the French Garde Républicaine was one of the first recordings that were made.^{[citation needed]}

New lyrics (not translations) are available in many languages. They typically involve generic images of white doves and true loves. They lack the specificity of the original Spanish, in which a Cuban sailor laments parting from his "Guachinanga chinita" (his adorable Mexican sweetheart), and asks her to cherish his spirit if it returns to her window as a dove. Then he fantasizes that if he does return safely, they will marry and have seven, or even fifteen, children.

In English, a version titled "No More" with lyrics by Don Robertson and Hal Blair was recorded by both Dean Martin and Elvis Presley. Harry James recorded a version in 1941 on Columbia 36146.

La Paloma has been interpreted by musicians of diverse backgrounds including opera, pop, jazz, rock, military bands, and folk music.most notably pop and country music singer Marty Robbins' version is the most popular rendition.

The song entered the Guinness Book of World Records being sung by the largest choir, 88,600 people, in Hamburg on May 9, 2004.

Movies

La Paloma is played in these movies:

• "La Paloma" Screen Songs cartoon, 1930
• The Private Life of Don Juan, 1934
• La Paloma, Ein Lied der Kameradschaft, 1934 (also listed as La Paloma, 1938)
• Juarez, 1939
• Große Freiheit Nr. 7, 1944, Hans Albers singing a German version
• Stray Dog, 1949
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1956
• La Paloma, Germany 1958,
• Freddy, die Gitarre und das Meer, 1959
• Freddy und der Millionär
• Adua e le compagne, 1960
• Blue Hawaii, 1961, Elvis Presley singing "No More".
• The Godfather Part II, 1974. The band are playing "La Paloma" in the opening scene of the New Year party in Havana.
• Bröderna Lejonhjärta, 1977. Karl's mom is heard singing the Swedish version of "La Paloma".
• The Tin Drum (film), 1979
• Das Boot, 1981
• Mortelle Randonnée, 1983. In the film the Hans Albers version is heard.
• Schtonk!, 1992, with these lyrics: "Hermann Hermann Willié, Mit 'nem Akzent auf dem E, Du bist die grösste Supernase, Die ich am Bord hier seh'."
• The House of the Spirits, 1993
• Bruckners Entscheidung, 1995
• Sonnenallee, 1999
• A Moment to Remember, 2004
• Soul Kitchen, 2009
• Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story, 2011
• In the musical film Down Argentine Way, Charlotte Greenwood sings an upbeat, fast song called "Sing To Your Senorita". The melody is loosely based on that of "La Paloma".

Noted too that in the John Huston film version of Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon the name of the boat that delivers the black bird to San Francisco, the boat that later catches fire, is La Paloma.

The song "La Paloma" is the subject of the 2008 documentary La Paloma. Sehnsucht. Weltweit.

Lyrics

译词：赵金平

当我离开可爱的故乡哈瓦那  
你想不到我是多么悲伤
天上飘着明亮的金色的彩霞
亲爱的姑娘靠在我身旁
亲爱的我愿随你一同去远航  
像一只鸽子

在海上自由地飞翔
跟你的帆船在海上乘风破浪  
你爱着我呀
像一只小鸽子一样

亲爱的小鸽子啊  
请你来到我身旁
我们飞过蓝色的海洋
走向遥远的地方

当我回到可爱的故乡哈瓦那
是你唱着歌儿等候我在岸旁
亲爱的我愿随你一同去远航  
像一只鸽子在海上自由地飞翔
跟你的帆船在海上乘风破浪  
你爱着我呀像一只小鸽子一样
亲爱的小鸽子啊  
请你来到我身旁

Cuando salí de la habana, valgame dios
Nadie me ha visto salir sino fui yo
Y una linda guachinanga como una flor
Se vino detrás de mi, que si seor
Si a tu ventana llega una paloma

Tratala con cario que es mi persona
Cuentale tus amores bien de mi vida
Corónala de flores que es cosa mía
Ay chinita que si, ay que dame tu amor
Ay que vente conmigo chinita
A donde vivo yo

Y una linda guachinanga como una flor
Se vino detrás de mi, que si seor
Si a tu ventana llega una paloma
Tratala con cario que es mi persona
Cuntale tus amores bien de mi vida
Corónala de flores que es cosa mía