USED-TO-BE PLANT CACTUS YELLOW BIRD PERCH-ON-cactus FLY-AWAY, PLAY SKY. NOW GONE. ||: USED-TO-BE RED BIRD FEATHER-FAN SING HAPPY. NOW GONE. :||

HILL HAVE FOREST, BUT TREE STILL LEAVES-DROOP. ||: YELLOW BIRD STUCK NEST. REALLY-WANT SEE FOREST HEALTHY AGAIN. :||

SWEETHEART, YOU-ctr SMALL, BEAUTIFUL. TEND YOURS, ME LOVE. YOU-ctr IDEA~LIKE ROSE NEAR MEXICO OCEAN. YOU-ctr SING LIKE BIRD. YOU-ctr IDEA~LIKE ROSE NEAR MEXICO OCEAN.

FAR-AWAY-rt MIDDLE OCEAN, WHALE SING MIGHTY. ||: HIS-rt VOICE POWERFUL LIKE GOD HIMSELF LONG-AGO CAUSE FLOOD flood-DESCEND DRY. :||

MY FATHER SMALL EAGLE. MY PURPOSE PECK++. ||: EVERY PLACE ME PECK++, ME SING LIKE TRUMPET. :||

EVERY ONE MUST BYE++, BUT NONE MUST DO LIKE ME. HAPPEN SING MEAN BYE++. EVERY ONE MUST BYE++, BUT NONE MUST DO LIKE ME.

||: FOUR MULTIPLY FIVE EQUAL TWENTY. THREE MULTIPLY SEVEN EQUAL TWENTY ONE. THAT MY STRANGE SONG. :||

Notes: CACTUS - Pose like a cactus (2h)[B], POs away, FOs up, NDH lower than DH. When signing BIRD (the next word) keep the NDH in place for:

PERCH-ON-cactus - The NDH is still in place from CACTUS but the hand now nods down so that it brovies a flat surface for the bird to land on and the DH [V:], PO down, does just that.

FLY-AWAY - (2h)[B] cross at wrists and hands flap like wings while showing the path of the flight.

SKY - using the FT of the upturned palm, point > sky and sweep the hand > DS. For a QuickTime movie of this sign, see ASL browser - sky.

The signs between "||:" and ":||" are to be repeated. Most verses have some repetition to buy time during the "A la tirana na na/ A la tirana na no", which is supposed to mimic the chirping of birds.

FEATHER-FAN - Sweep [4], PO > NDS, FO up, at top of head to show a cardinal's crest.

LEAVES-DROOP - (2h)[5] are held out limply and descend as if drooping branches.

NEST - [bO] is held at nose like a beak and then pecks at [C], PO > DS, FO away.

YOU - Underlined words are honorific indices ("indexes"), using the FT of the upturned palm to indicate who is being honored.

MEXICO - You can use one of the many ASL variants for "Mexico", but I prefer the indigenous one (Mexico's own sign): [V], PO > NDS, touches index finger to temple, then twists at wrist so that FO is away and pointing down slightly. For a QuickTime movie of this sign, see NEEDS Outreach: Mexico.

IDEA~LIKE - a blending where IDEA has a [Y] instead of an [I] in anticipation of LIKE which is signed smoothly right afterwards.

WHALE - NDH [B] horizontal arm represents the surface of an ocean. The movement of the DH [Y] shows a whale's tail diving in and out of the water > DS.

MIGHTY - (2h)[S], POs > back of signer, FOs up, are held at NDS and fists descend, then repeat at DS.

CAUSE - (2h)[S] are held at the chest as if holding a rope and move forward while opening to (2h)[5]. For a QuickTime movie of this sign, see ASL browser - cause.

flood-DESCEND - (2h)[5], POs down, FOs away, descend.

EAGLE - [bC] is held at nose like a beak.

PECK++ - [bO] pecks at palm.

TRUMPET - Mime playing a valved trumpet.

BYE++ - GOOD + [B] nods fingers at knuckles while moving NDS > DS.

Lyrics:

Volaron las amarillas calandrias de los nopales
Ya no cantaran alegres los p�jaros cadernales
A la tirana na na
A la tirana na no
Ya no cantaran alegres los p�jaros cadernales

Árboles de la ladera porque no han reverdecido
Por eso calandrias cantan o las apachurra el nido
A la tirana na na
A la tirana na no
Por eso calandrias cantan o las apachurra el nido

Eres chiquita y bonita y así como eres te quiero
Pareces una rosita de las costas de Guerrero
A la tirana na na
A la tirana na no
Pareces una rosita de las costas de Guerrero

En la mediana del mar suspiraba un ballena
Y en los suspiros deciá el que la seca la llena
A la tirana na na
A la tirana na no
Y en los suspiros deciá el que la seca la llena

Mi padre fue gavilán y yo nací pico pico
Soy como el tarantantan donde quiero meto el pico
A la tirana na na
A la tirana na no

Todos dan su despedida pero como esta ninguna
A la tirana na na
A la tirana na no
Todos dan su despedida pero como esta ninguna

Cuatro por cinco son veinte
Tres por siete son veinte-uno
Cuatro por cinco son veinte
Tres por siete son veinte-uno
Cuatro por cinco son veinte
Tres por siete son veinte-uno
A la tirana na na
A la tirana na no

ENGLISH TRANSLATION (Thanks to Dan Parvaz!)

The yellow larks fly from their cactuses
No longer will the cardinals sing happily
their "tirana-na-na"
and "tirana-na-no"
No longer will the cardinals sing happily

The trees on the hillside, since they haven't revived
For this the larks sing, or the nest hold them down
their "tirana-na-na"
and "tirana-na-no"
For this the larks sing, or the nest hold them down

You are little and beautiful, and the way you are, I love you
You look like a little rose from the shores of Guerrero
with your "tirana-na-na"
and "tirana-na-no"
Like a little rose from the shores of Guerrero

In the middle of the sea a whale sighed
And in those sighs he who dried up the flood spoke
with his "tirana-na-na"
and "tirana-na-no"
And in those sighs he who dried up the flood spoke

My father was a sparrowhawk and I was born to peck and peck
Where I place my beak, I'm like a trumpeter
with my "tirana-na-na"
and "tirana-na-no"

Everyone has their farewells, but none is like this
Like a "tirana-na-na"
and a "tirana-na-no"
Everyone has their farewells, but none is like this

Four times five is twenty,
three times seven is twenty-one
Four times five is twenty,
three times seven is twenty-one
Four times five is twenty,
three times seven is twenty-one
With a "tirana-na-na"
and a "tirana-na-no"