Title: Marcha de Osías
General Information about Item:
- Verbal lore
- Language: Spanish
- Country of Origin: Mexico
- Informant: RIcky Juan-Ramos
- Date Collected: 5/9/2020
Informant Data:
- Ricky Juan-Ramos was born February 1, 2001 in Salinas, California. He grew up in a Mexicna-Philipino-American family. Ricky’s father identifies predominantly as Philipino but is also of Japanese and Chinese descent, while his mother is Mexican of European descent. Both his parents speak Spanish but Ricky’s father also speaks Japanese. As a result, Ricky grew up speaking English, Japanese, and Spanish. Additionally, Ricky attended schools that were predominantly of Spanish-speaking and Asian populations and was exposed to various facets of Hispanic and Asian culture. Ricky is a current Dartmouth student in the class of 2023.
Contextual Data:
- Social Context: Ricky learned this nursery rhyme in elementary school from a Latin-American neighbor. Similar to other kinds of folklore that was collected, this rhyme was accompanied by clapping in a game that resembled pattycake and was played during recess. The children would then march to the rhythm and pretend to be bears. This nursery rhyme was primarily passed between children for fun.
- Cultural Context: This nursery rhyme originated in Argentina and is relatively unknown to other Spanish-speaking individuals from different countries.
Item:
Audio file:
Original Text:
Osías el osito en
Mameluco
Paseaba por la calle
Chacabuco
Mirando las tiendas
Con reojo
Sin alcancía pero
Con antojo
Por fin decidió ir a un
Bazarito
Todo esto pero sin dinerito
Y con el ganas se fue al mercado
Y encontró
un temporado
Y con un peso al día
Junto sus
Alegrías
Regresó al
Bazarito
Y compró
Un tamborino
Con su tamborino Osías
El osito
Fue el más feliz de todos en
Mameluco
Paseando por la calle
Chacabuco
Osías el osito en
mameluco
Marchaba por la calle
Chacabuco
Word-for-word translation:
Osías the Bear in
Mameluco
Walking along the street
Chacabuco
Looking the stores
With glance
Without piggy bank but
With craving
At last decided to go to a
Little bazaar
All this but without little money
And with the desire went to the market
And found
A temporary job
And with a peso a day
Together their
Joys
Returned to
The little bazaar
And bought
A tambourine
With his tambourine Osías
The bear
Was the most happy of all in
Mameluco
Walking along the street
Chacabuco
Osías the Bear in
Mameluco
Marching along the street
Chacabuco
Free translation:
Osías the Bear in
Mameluco
Was walking along the street named
Chacabuco
Looking at the stores
With a glance
Without piggy bank but
With a craving
At last he decided to go to a
Little bazaar
All this but without little money
And with desire went to the market
And found
A temporary job
And with a peso a day
Together their
Joys
He returned to
The little bazaar
And bought
A tambourine
With his tambourine Osías
The bear
Was the happiest in all
Mameluco
Walking along the street
Chacabuco
Osías the Bear in
Mameluco
Marching along the street
Chacabuco
Informant’s Comments:
- Ricky interpreted this rhyme as simply a silly song about bears receiving orders and playing and marching along to the beat. The nursery rhyme serves only as entertainment.
Collector’s Comments:
- Building upon Ricky’s interpretation, this rhyme could reflect the innocence of a child in Argentina. The sheer joy that the tambourine provided highlights the types of toys that were available to Argentine kids as well as the innocence and happiness.
Collector’s Name: Jasmine Li
Tags/Keywords:
- Language
- Nursery rhyme
- Entertainment
- Verbal lore