Que Llueva, Que Llueva
Spanish Nursery Rhyme
Original Lyrics
Que llueva, que llueva,La Virgen de la cueva,Los pajaritos cantan,Las nubes se levantan,Que sí, que no,Que caiga un chaparrónCon azúcar y turrón.
English Translation
Let it rain, let it rain,Virgin of the cave,The little birds are singing,The clouds are rising,Yes, no,Let a downpour fallWith sugar and nougat.
History and Meaning
“Que Llueva, Que Llueva” asks for rain, then imagines a downpour that comes with sweets. The words shown here are from Villacidayo, Spain. In the local children's repertoire collected by José Luis Puerto, it is a rhyme children recite when it rains.
What are the weather words?
Llueva comes from llover, to rain. Say it roughly as YEH-vah in accents that pronounce ll like English y. Nubes are clouds and a chaparrón is a sudden heavy shower. Turrón is a traditional sweet, often translated as nougat. The sugar and turrón ending belongs to this version; the last lines can change with the region.
How can children act it out?
Flutter your fingers for the little birds, raise both hands for the clouds, then drum your fingertips on your knees for the downpour. Start with a few quiet drops and build up to a shower. Afterwards, look out of the window and see whether you can spot clouds or hear real rain.
Lyrics from nurseryrhymes.info