Lyrics and translation Leo Mattioli - Angelitos Negros

Angelitos Negros

Pintor nacido en mi tierra
Con el pincel extranjero
Pintor que sigues el rumbo
De tantos pintores viejos

Aunque la virgen sea blanca
Píntale angelitos negros
Que también se van al cielo
Todos los negritos buenos

Pintor, si pintas con amor
¿Por qué desprecias su color?
Si sabes que en el cielo
Ahí también los quiere Dios

Siempre que pintas iglesias
Pintas angelitos bellos
Pero nunca te acordastes
De pintar un ángel negro

Un ángel negro
Un ángel negro

Little Black Angels

Painter born in my land,
With your foreign brush in hand,
You follow the same old way,
Like so many painters of yesterday.

Even if the Virgin Mary is white,
Paint her some little black angels tonight,
For they also go to heaven above,
All the good little dark-skinned souls, my love.

Painter, if you paint with love so true,
Why do you scorn their color, too?
For you know that in heaven's grace,
God loves them all, in that sacred place.

Whenever you paint churches, tall and grand,
You paint beautiful angels, hand in hand,
But you never remember, it seems to me,
To paint a little angel, black as can be.

A little black angel,
A little black angel.