"Luna de Xelajú" is a popular Guatemalan waltz composed by Paco Pérez in 1944.
The title translates as "moon of Xelajú". "Xelajú" (pronounced sheh-lah-HOO) is the Kʼicheʼ Maya name for the Guatemalan city Quetzaltenango, popularly called "Xelajú", or "Xela".
The song was written to Eugenia Cohen, with whom the author was in a relationship but who eventually left him, because her parents disapproved.
Despite the specific context in which the song was written, it is sometimes referred to as Guatemala's second national anthem.[1]
The song has been performed by several musical acts, including Guatemalan singer and Grammy Award-winner Gaby Moreno. In 2023, she recorded a collaboration with actor Oscar Isaac, which was released as a single and included on her album X Mí (Vol. 1).
The following are the song's lyrics, although it is frequently performed instrumentally:
Luna gardenia de plataQue mi serenata te vuelves canciónTú que me viste cantandoMe ves hoy llorando mi desilusiónCalles bañadas de lunaQue fueron la cuna de mi juventudVengo a cantarle a mi amadaMi luna plateada de mi XelajúVengo a cantarle a mi amadaMi luna plateada de mi Xelajú
Luna de XelajúQue supiste alumbrarEn mis noches de penaPor una morena de dulce mirarLuna de Xelajú me diste inspiraciónLa canción que hoy te cantoRegada con llanto de mi corazón
En mi vida no habráMás cariño que túPor que no eres ingrataMi luna de plataLuna de XelajúLuna que me alumbróEn mis noches de amorHoy consuelas la penaPor una morenaQue me abandonó
"Luna de Xelajú" became a favorite among Macintosh users in the mid-1990s, with the release of a novelty application called "Jared, the Butcher of Song", written and published by Freeverse Software.[2] In the app, an 8-bit rendering of a smiley face attempts to sing the song, with light guitar accompaniment.[3]