Fieldwork Archive
Arróz con leche (Milk Pudding)
Performed by Gabriel Löfvall.
Recorded November 17, 2025 in Woodbury, Connecticut.
Learned as a youth in Argentina.
This Hispanic children's song is said to have originated in France in the 14th century.
It is featured in children's circle games that teach gender and class roles.
The first verse in this variant would be sung by boys in the circle and the second by a girl who picks a boy she likes from the circle.
Arroz con leche, or rice pudding, is a popular dessert in Hispanic countries. This reference is speculated to be an outgrowth of the ancient tradition of throwing rice at weddings as a blessing for fertility and prosperity.
Arroz con leche,
me quiero casar
con una señorita
de San Nicolás
que sepa tejer,
que sepa bordar,
que sepa abrir la puerta
para ir a jugar.
Yo soy la viudita
del barrio del rey.
Me quiero casar
y no sé con quién.
Con esta sí;
con esta no;
con esta señorita/o
me caso yo.
me quiero casar
con una señorita
de San Nicolás
que sepa tejer,
que sepa bordar,
que sepa abrir la puerta
para ir a jugar.
Yo soy la viudita
del barrio del rey.
Me quiero casar
y no sé con quién.
Con esta sí;
con esta no;
con esta señorita/o
me caso yo.
Rice pudding,
I want to get married
to a young lady
from St. Nicholas
who knows how to knit,
who knows how to embroider,
who knows how to open the door
to go out and play.
I am the little widow
from the king's neighborhood.
I want to get married
and I don't know with whom.
With this one yes;
with this one no;
with this young lady/man
I will marry.
I want to get married
to a young lady
from St. Nicholas
who knows how to knit,
who knows how to embroider,
who knows how to open the door
to go out and play.
I am the little widow
from the king's neighborhood.
I want to get married
and I don't know with whom.
With this one yes;
with this one no;
with this young lady/man
I will marry.
