"Xicochi" is a 17th-century

motet In Western classical music, a motet is mainly a vocal musical composition, of highly diverse form and style, from high medieval music to the present. The motet was one of the pre-eminent polyphonic forms of Renaissance music. According to Margar ...

, written by

Gaspar Fernandes Gaspar Fernandes (sometimes written ''Gaspar Fernández'', the Spanish version of his name) (1566–1629) was a Portuguese-Mexican composer and organist active in the cathedrals of Santiago de Guatemala (present-day Antigua Guatemala) and Puebla de ...

while he was organist of

Puebla Cathedral The Basilica Cathedral of Puebla, as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is known according to its Marian invocation, is the episcopal see of the Archdiocese of Puebla de los Ángeles (Mexico). It is one of the most importan ...

. It serves as an example of the influence of indigenous

Nahua The Nahuas () are a group of the indigenous people of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. They comprise the largest indigenous group in Mexico and second largest in El Salvador. The Mexica (Aztecs) were of Nahua ethnicity, a ...

culture, dominant in

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...

at the time, on colonial Spanish music. In 2000,

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

recorded the song for '' A Merry Little Christmas''.

Lyrics

Nahuatl original

''Xicochi, xicochi,
Xicochi, xicochi
Xicochi conetzintle
Xicochi conetzintle
Ca omizhuihuixoco in angelosme
Ca omizhuihuixoco in angelosme
Ca omizhuihuixoco in angelosme
In angelosme in angelosme

Alleluya alleluya''

English translation

Sleep, sleep
Sleep, sleep
Sleep, precious baby
Sleep, precious baby
Indeed, the angels have come here to rock you to sleep
Indeed, the angels have come here to rock you to sleep
Indeed, the angels have come here to rock you to sleep Alleluia, alleluia

Sources

*Watkins, Timothy D. "Finding Nahua Influence in Spanish Colonial Music." Rhodes College. Hassell Hall. 24 September 2008. Mexican songs 17th-century songs Motets {{Guatemala-stub