El Cardenalito

At the church were I normally attend Mass there is this cardinal that has been trying for weeks to enter the sanctuary through a window. Adjacent to the window is the altar and the Crucifix that hangs above it. You can see it hover and strike against the glass during the Holy Mass. I couldn't help but think of the following song

El Cardinalito

Chorus - Estando en la cruz nuestro Redentor

a sacarle espinas llegó un pajarito 

manchó su plumaje con sangre de Cristo 

y por eso es rojo 

y por eso es rojo el cardenalito 

Si el Niño está triste se contentará

y si el Niño llora se consolará. 

La Virgen lo arrulla con su dulce manto, 

y un cardenalito le brinda su canto

y un cardenalito le brinda su canto

Chorus - 

El cardenalito cruzó el ancho mar 

cruzando fronteras llegó hasta Belén 

y le dijo al Niño que aquí en Puerto Rico 

toditos los niños lo adoran también 

toditos los niños lo adoran también 

Chorus - 

Cantaba en su jaula triste un cardenal

cuando un preso canta es por no llorar

Llegó un muchachito, la puertas abrió

y a la libertad contento voló.

y a la libertad contento voló.

Synopsis of song:
The Chorus describes that while on the cross, a cardinal came to remove thorns from our Redeemer. When removing the thorns it stained it's plumage with Christ's blood, and this is why it's red. First  verse is about how the Christ child will be comforted by the Holy Virgin and the cardinal's song. Second verse is about how the the cardinal crossed the ocean and frontiers to reach Bethlehem and tell the Christ Child how the children of Puerto Rico adore Him as well. Third verse is about a cardinal is in a cage singing but singly only to keep from crying. Then a boy releases it from the cage to fly away happily to it's freedom.

This is the New World take of the story of the European Goldfinch, which is seen in many sacred paintings, whose facial plumage was stained by Christ's blood while it removed the thorns.




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