These riddles and translations were originally published at http://www.hipark.austin.isd.tenet.edu/latino/translation.html.
This list is meant to help teachers use the riddles on the backs of the Loteria cards while playing the game wiith their students. I believe to play the game correctly, the caller reads the riddle and the players must figure out the corresponding picture. The riddles are traditional sayings, puns and/or jokes based on the words. Many of the puns are lost with the translation into English. If anyone has explanations or corrections for our translations, they are welcomed.
A neat language arts assignment for older students might involve analyzing or writing new riddles for the cards.
Another interesting thing to discuss are the puns- La Pera- espera, desespera.....Have students find the puns in Spanish. Perhaps new puns could be written in English for various cards.
The translations are courtesy of Sylvia Muir and Merlina Rodriguez from Highland Park.
LA CORONA: El sombrero de los reyes
The Crown: The hat of kings
LA ESCALERA: Súbeme paso apasito. Ho quieras pegar brinquitos.
The Ladder: Climb me step by step. You don't want to hop up.
EL PARAGUAS:Para el sol y para el agua .
The Umbrella: For the sun and the rain.
EL ARBOL: El qué a buen árbol se arrima buena sombra le cobija.
The Tree: He that seeks the shelter of a good tree, good shade covers him.
LA LUNA: El farol de enamorados.
The Moon: The lantern of of lovers.
EL VIOLONCELLO: Creciendo se fue hasta el Cielo y como no fue violón. Tuvo que ser violoncello.
The Cello: Growing he went up to Heaven, and because he wasn't a violin, he had to be a cello.
EL SOL: La cobija de los pobres.
The Sun : The roof of the poor.
EL CATRIN: Don Ferruco en la almeda su bastón quería tirar.
The Dandy: Don Ferruco in the Alameda, he wanted to toss away his cane, polish his steps.
LA DAMA: La dama puliendo el paso, por todo la calle real.
The Lady: The lady, taking an elegant walk along the main street.
EL GALLO: El que le cantó a San Pedro no le volverá a cantar.
The Rooster: He that sang to St. Peter will not return to sing again.
EL VENADO: El venado no ve nada.
The Deer: The deer doesn't see anything.
LA CAMPANA: La campana y tú debajo.
The Bell: The bell and you underneath.
EL PAJARO: Tú me traes a puros brincos como pájaro en la rama.
The Bird: You've got me jumping to it like a bird on a branch.
EL NEGRITO: El que se comió el azúcar.
The Negro: He who ate the sugar.
EL DIABLITO: Pórtate bien cuatito si note lleva el coloradito.
The Little Devil: Behave yourself so that the little red one doesn't carry you off.
EL CAZO: El caso que te hago es poco.
The Melting Pan: The attention I pay you is little. (This is a play on the words cazo and caso)
EL BARRIL: Tanto bebió el albañil que quedó como barril.
The Barrel: The bricklayer drank so much that he ended up like a barrel.
LA ESTRELLA: La guía de los marineros.
The Star: The sailor's guide.
LA GARZA: Al otro lado del río, tengo me banco de arena, donde se sienta me chata pico de garza morena.
The Heron: On the other side of the river is the sandbar where sits my honey with a beak like a brown heron.
EL CAMARON: Camarón que se duerme se lo lleva al corriente.
The Shrimp: The shrimp that sleeps is carried by the current.
EL TAMBOR : No te arrugues cuero viejo que te quiero pa'tambor.
The Drum: Don't wrinkle old leather, because I want you for my drum.
LA ARAÑA: Atarántamela a palos no me la dejes llegar.
The Spider: Stun it with blows; just don't let her get to me.
EL PESCADO: El que por la boca muere.
The Fish: He who dies by the mouth.
EL SOLDADO: Uno, dos y tres, el soldado p'al cuartel.
The Soldier: One, two and three, the soldier goes to the barracks.
LA CALAVERA: Al pasar por el panteón, me encontré una calavera.
The Skull: While passing the graveyard, I found a skull.
EL COTORO: Cotora, daca la pata y empiézame a platicar.
The Parrot: Parrot, land here and chat with me.
EL CANTARITO: Tanto va el cantaro al agua.
The Pitcher: The pitcher goes often to the water.
EL MUNDO: Este mundo es una bola y nosotros un bolón.
The World: This world is a sphere and we a foundation.
LAS JARAS: Las jaras del indio Adán donde pegan dan.
The Arrows: The arrows of the Indian Adam where they are joined together.
LA SANDIA: La barriga que Juan tenía era empacho de sandía.
The Watermelon: John's belly was stuffed full of watermelon.
EL MELON : Me lo das o me lo quitas.
The Melon: I can take it or leave it.
LA BOTA: Una bota es igual l'otre.
The Boot: One boot is the same as the other.
LA BOTELLA: La hermienta del borracho.
The Bottle: The tool of the drunk.
EL CORAZ&Oaccute;N: No me extrañes corazón que regreso en el camión.
The Heart: Don't miss me, heart, because I will return in a truck.
LA BANDERA : Verde, blanco y colorado, la bandera del soldado.
The Flag: Green, white and red, the flag of the soldier.
LA MACETA: El que nace pa'maceta no sale del corredor.
The Flowerpot: He who is born to be a flowerpot will never leave the corridor.
LA PALMA: Palmera sube a la palma y bájame un coco real.
The Palm Tree: Keeper of the palms, climb the palm tree and bring me down a magnificent coconut.
EL GORRITO : Ponle su gorrito al nene no se nos vaya a resfriar.
The Little Bonnet: Put the baby's little cap on; let's don't cause him to catch cold.
LA MANO: La mano de un criminal.
The Hand: The hand of a criminal.
EL ARPA: L'arpa vieja de mi suegra ya no sirve pa'tocar.
The Harp: My mother-in-law's old harp is no longer of use to play.
EL APACHE: Ay chihuahua! Cuanto apache con pantalón y huarache?
The Apache (thug): OH my goodness! How many thugs there are with trousers and sandals?
EL BORRACHO: A qué borracho tan necio ya no lo puedo aguantar.
The Drunk: I cannot put up with the foolish drunk.
EL MUSICO: El músico trompa de hule, ya no me quiere tocar.
The Musician: The musician has oiled his horn; now he doesn't want to play for me.
LA ROSA: Rosa, Rosita, Rosaura.
The Rose: Rosa, Rosie, Rosaura.
EL VALIENTE: Por qué le corres cobarde trayendo tan buen puñal.
The Hero: Why are you running like a coward when you are carrying such a good dagger?
LA PERA: El que espera, desespera.
The Pear: He who waits despairs.
LA CHALUPA: Rema y rema va lupita, sentada en su chalupita.
The Sloop (little boat): Paddle and paddle goes Lupita, seated in her little boat.
EL PINO: Fresco, oloroso y en todo tiempo hermoso.
The Pine: Fresh, fragrant and at all times beautiful.
EL NOPAL: Al que todos van a ver cuando tiene que comer.
The Cactus: To which all go to see when they have to eat.
LA RANA: Al ver a la verde rana que brinco pegó tu hermana.
The Frog: See the green frog that jumped into your sister.
LA MUERTE: La muerte siriqui siaca.
Death: (We could not translate this.)
EL ALACRAN: El que con la cola pica.
The Scorpion: He that bites with his tail.
EL BANDOLON: Tocando su bandolón está el mariachi Simón.
The Mandolin: The mariachi Simon is playing his big mandolin.
LA SIRENA: Con los cantos de sirena no te vayas a marear.
The Mermaid: Don't get dizzy with the songs of the mermaid.
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