Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan arranged a set of beautiful songs that date back from the Mexico Revolucion in Popurri Revolucionario. The songs included in the popurri are El Dorado de Villa, Corrido Villista, El Adios del Soldado, La Valentina, La Adelita and Viva Mexico. These are songs that have been played by musicians for 100 years….songs that I grew up playing as a child more than 30 years ago. It’s so interesting to see young people performing these same songs our grandparents knew but this is the beauty of mariachi music — it’s mutli-generational.
Thanks to Mariachi Vargas for this beautiful arrangement of Popurri Revolucionario and to Nyria Melchor from Dallas who translated the song from Spanish to English. See Spanish lyrics below with English translations.
Popurri Revolucionario
Los Dorados de Villa
Recuerdo que fui soldado,
soldado de Pancho Villa.
Traia buena carabina,
tambien mi buena fajilla.
Cuando entraba en combate
iba toda la cuadrilla.
Yo traia mi buen caballo,
era Dorado de Villa.
Mexicano y buen soldado,
en eso no hay que dudar,
y defendere la patria
hasta llegar a triunfar.
Corrido Villista
Yo soy soldado de Pancho Villa
de sus Dorados, soy el mas fiel.
Nada me importa perder la vida,
si es cosa de hombres, morir por el.
De aquella gran Division del Norte,
solo unos cuantos quedamos ya.
Subiendo cerros, cruzando montes,
buscando siempre con quien pelear.
Ya llego, ya esta aqui,
Pancho Villa con su gente,
con sus Dorados valientes
que por el han de morir.
(repeat refrain)
Firmes…peloton!
El Adios del Soldado
Adios, adios
lucero de mis noches,
dijo un soldado
al pie de una ventana.
Me voy, me voy
no llores angel mio,
que volvere manana.
Ya se asoma estrella de la aurora
ya se divisa en el oriente el alma
y murmura, no llores angel mio
que volvere manana.
La Valentina
Una pasion me domina
que fue la que me hizo venir
Valentina, Valentina
yo te quisiera decir,
dicen que por tus amores
un mal me va a persequir
no le hace que sean del diablo
yo tambien me se morir.
Si porque tomo tequila
manana tomo jerez
si porque me ven borracho
manana mismo me ven.
Valentina, Valentina
rendido estoy a tus pies,
si me han de matar manana
que me maten de una vez.
La Adelita
En lo alto de una abrupta serrania
acampado se encontraba un regimiento
una moza que valiente lo seguia
locamente enamorada del sargento.
Popular entre la tropa era Adelita,
la mujer que el sargento idolatraba
que ademas de ser valiente era bonita
que hasta el mismo coronel la respetaba.
Y se oia que decia aquel que tanto la queria…
Si Adelita se fuera con otro
la seguiria por tierra y por mar,
si por mar en un buque de guerra
si por tierra en un tren militar.
Si adelita quisiera ser mi novia,
y si Adelita fuera mi mujer,
le compraria un vestido de seda
para llevarla a bailar al cuartel.
Viva Mexico
Viva Mexico Viva America
O suelo bendito de Dios
Viva Mexico, Viva America,
mi sangre por ti dare yo.
(repeat refrain)
Los Dorados de Villa
I remember being a soldier,
a soldier with Pancho Villa.
Carried a good carbine
and wore a nice sash.
When I went to battle
I was with comrades-in-arms.
I had a good horse,
for I was one of Villa’s Dorados.
I am Mexican and a good soldier
never a doubt about that,
I will defend my country
until triumph comes.
Corrido Villista
I am a soldier of Pancho Villa,
of his Dorados, I am the most loyal.
Don’t care if I lay down my life,
it’s an honor to die for him.
Of that great northern division,
only a few of us remain.
Climbing hills and crossing mountains,
always looking for a good fight.
He’s arrived, he is here.
Pancho Villa with his people,
with his brave Dorados,
who will lay down their lives for him.
El Adios del Soldado
“Goodbye, farewell,
bright evening star of mine,”
says a soldier at the foot of a window.
“I’m off, I go…don’t cry angel of mine
for I shall return tomorrow.”
Appearing slowly,
the morning star and rising dawn.
From the east, a soul is seen
and heard murmurring,
“Don’t cry angel of mine,
I shall return tomorrow.”
La Valentina
I’m overtaken by a passion,
the same one that brought me here.
Valentina, Valentina,
I would like you to know.
They say that your love
is a curse that won’t let me be.
Doesn’t matter if it’s cursed,
I, too, know how to die.
If I drink tequila today,
tomorrow I will drink sherry.
If you see me drunk today,
tomorrow you will see me fine.
Valentina, Valentina,
I surrender myself to you.
If I am to die tomorrow
let them kill me now at once.
La Adelita
In the heights of a steep range
a regiment was encamped,
bravely followed by a beautiful young woman,
madly in love with the sergeant.
She was popular amongst the troops
and idolized by the sergeant.
Besides being brave, she was pretty
and the colonel himself respected her.
And it was heard, that he who loved
her so, said
“If Adelita were to leave me for another
I would follow her over land and sea,
over sea by warship,
over land in a military train.”
“If Adelita were my girlfriend
If Adelita were my wife,
I’d buy her a silken dress
and take her dancing in the quarters.”
Viva Mexico
Viva Mexico Viva America
This land, blessed by God
Viva Mexico, Viva America,
for you I would lay down my life.
(repeat refrain)
