Manuel Ponce wrote Estrellita in 1912. He was a scholar of Mexican popular and folk music and his study of it heavily influenced his own compositions. This is a love song in the dramatic style popular in 20th century Mexico.
Estrellita
Estrellita del lejano cielo,
que miras mi dolor,
que sabes mi sufrir.
Baja y dime
si me quiere un poco,
porque yo no puedo sin su amor vivir.
¡Tu eres estrella mi faro de amor!
Tu sabes que pronto he de morir.
Baja y dime
si me quiere un poco,
porque yo no puedo sin su amor vivir.
Estrellita
Little star of the distant sky,
you see my pain,
you know my anguish.
Come down and tell me
if he loves me a little,
because I cannot live without his love.
You are my star, my beacon of love!
You know that soon I shall die.
Come down and tell me
if he loves me a little,
because I cannot live without his love.
Venera Gimadieva sings “Estrellita” by Manuel Ponce.
Jascha Heifetz – one of the great masters of the violin – had a tradition of performing a piece from the region or country in which he was giving a concert. When he was scheduled to perform in Mexico City in 1923, he realized he didn’t have anything written by a Mexican composer. That is, until on the day of the performance, he heard the beloved “Estrellita” performed by a singer in a café. Heifetz then and there composed an arrangement of the song for violin and piano (on his napkin!), performed it that evening, and it became one of his favorite encores.
Jascha Heifetz performing his arrangement of Estrellita.