El Cumpleaños

About the Song

Las Mañanitas is Mexico's most beloved celebratory song, sung at birthdays, saint's days, and dawn serenades across the entire country. Its origins are rooted in the Spanish alba tradition — songs greeting the dawn — blended with indigenous Mexican musical sensibility over centuries. The reference to King David connects it to a much older European sacred singing tradition, lending the song a quietly reverent quality beneath its festive surface. Mariachi ensembles have long made it the centerpiece of gallo serenades — performances delivered at the break of dawn outside a loved one's window — one of Mexico's most cherished romantic and familial customs. It is sung at quinceañeras, Mother's Day celebrations, and intimate family gatherings with equal conviction. No birthday in Mexico begins without it. To hear Las Mañanitas drifting through a dark street before sunrise is to understand something essential about Mexican tenderness.

Meaning of the Song

Las Mañanitas arrives before you are even awake. That is precisely the point. Someone loved you enough to be standing outside your window at dawn, flowers in hand, nightingales on cue, ready to pull two stars down from the sky just to say hello and goodbye in the same breath. It is extravagant and it is sincere, which is the mariachi way. The morning itself becomes a gift — the birds, the fading moon, the jasmine, the four doves sent to every city to announce that today, you were born. King David sang it. The nightingales sang it at your baptism. And now, here, in the blue hour before full light, the people who love you are singing it again. Las Mañanitas does not ask if you are ready. It simply insists that the day has come, and that you are worth waking for.

Watch the Song

Lyrics / Letra

Estas son las mañanitas
Que cantaba el rey David
Hoy por ser día de tu santo
Te las cantamos aquí

Despierta, mi bien, despierta
Mira que ya amaneció
Ya los pajarillos cantan
La luna ya se metió

Qué linda está la mañana
En que vengo a saludarte
Venimos todos con gusto
Y placer a felicitarte

El día en que tú naciste
Nacieron todas las flores
En la pila del bautizo
Cantaron los Ruiseñores

Ya viene amaneciendo
Ya la luz del día nos dio
Levántate de mañana
Mira que ya amaneció

De las estrellas del cielo
Tengo que bajarte dos
Una es para saludarte
Otra para decirte adiós

Volaron cuatro palomas
Por toditas las ciudades
Hoy por ser día de tu santo
Te deseamos felicidades

Con jazmines y flores
Hoy te vengo a saludar
Hoy por ser día de tu santo
Te venimos a cantar

English Translation

These are the mañanitas
That King David used to sing
Today being your saint's day
We sing them here for you
Wake up, my dear, wake up
Look, the dawn has already come
The little birds are already singing
The moon has already setHow beautiful is this morning
In which I come to greet you
We all come with joy
And pleasure to congratulate youThe day that you were born
All the flowers were born too
At the baptismal font
The nightingales sangThe dawn is already breaking
The light of day has come to us
Rise up this morning
Look, the dawn has already comeFrom the stars in the sky
I must bring you down two
One is to greet you
The other to say goodbyeFour doves flew
Through every city
Today being your saint's day
We wish you all happinessWith jasmine and flowers
I come today to greet you
Today being your saint's day
We come to sing to you

Meet Mariachi Los Muertos™

Mariachi Los Muertos™ transforms classic mariachi songs into a collection of vivid characters. Each character in the Mariachi Los Muertos™ group has been developed to embody the spirit of traditional Mexican mariachi songs.

Inspired by the titles and themes of beloved songs, these characters bring to life the rich cultural tapestry of Mexico in a colorful and imaginative way.

Meet Cumpleaños

El Cumpleaños – Cumpleaños – mariachi lyrics character

Birthplace: Tijuana, Baja California, México
Band Position: Charango
Favorite Food: Pastel Tres Leches
Horoscope: Libra

Meet "Cumpleaños," the cheerful charango player from Tijuana, Baja California, México! As a true Libra, he’s all about balance, harmony, and making sure every day feels like a celebration. His favorite treat? Pastel Tres Leches, because what better way to celebrate life than with a slice of rich, creamy goodness?

"Cumpleaños" brings that festive "mañanitas" spirit to every performance. He’s the one who makes sure there’s always a reason to party, whether it’s your birthday or not. With his charango in hand, he strums out melodies that feel like a gift wrapped in musical joy, making every occasion feel extra special.

On stage, "Cumpleaños" is the life of the fiesta, his charango tunes as bright and lively as the first rays of the morning sun. Off stage, he’s the guy who shows up with a cake for no reason at all—because in his world, every day is a birthday, and everyone deserves to feel celebrated. He’s got a knack for making everyone feel like the guest of honor, even in the afterlife.

With his infectious joy and love for all things celebratory, "Cumpleaños" ensures that Mariachi Los Muertos is always ready to party. Just don’t be surprised if he starts singing "Las Mañanitas" in the middle of a jam session—after all, every moment is a chance to wish someone a happy birthday and share a slice of pastel tres leches!