The merits of these songs are not, however, confined to a judicious selection of words to suit the air. There is often a quaint local humour conveyed in the doggerel verses; the charm being greatly enhanced by the introduction of creole slang and mispronounced Spanish. Fragments of these effusions occasionally degenerate into street sayings, which are in everybody's mouth till the next carnival. One of the most popular during a certain year was 'Tocólo mejor que tu!' which means Tocólo is a better fellow than you. Other equally choice refrains—though not to be rendered into corresponding English—are 'Amarillo! suenemelo pinton,'and 'Calabazon, tu estás pinton.'
The following ditty, attached to a favourite Cuban danza, called 'La Chupadera,' meets with many admirers. In the original it begins:—
¡Ay! si lo sé, que yo estoy diciendo,
Que la chupadera á real está vendiendose,
Cuando chupamos, cuando llueve, todo mojamos, &c.
which emphatically affirms that at a certain period of the (carnival) day one may become comfortably tipsy for the small sum of five-pence, and it further demonstrates how rain and rum can alike moisten the human body.
Here is some wholesome advice for procrastinating people:—
¡Ay! Policarpio; toma la sopa,
Mientras que está caliente;
Tomela, chino, que te se enfría!
in which Policarpio is recommended to drink his soup while it is hot, and not to wait until the nourishment is cold and unpalatable.
¡Arrempuja! que por el hoyo se engarta la aguja.
is equally sententious. Forward! for remember that the needle can only be threaded through its eye.
The following brief song speaks in praise of the neighbours at Santo Domingo:—