(pronounced *day cuh-lor'-ess*) is a greeting from the Spanish song of the same name.

What does "De Colores" mean?
In Spanish, it simply means "the colors". It's also the name of a song traditionally sung on Cursillo, Emmaus and Chrysalis weekends that praises the beauty of the diversity and simplicity of God's creation. "De Colores" has also come to be used as a greeting among cursillistas (those who have attended a Cursillo weekend) but mostly just in the United States.

Included here are several versions floating the Internet about the origin of the song:


A group of Cursillistas (Cursillo weekend participants) in Spain riding home on a bus, singing and rejoicing, when the weather turned very bad. A frightening storm with lightning and thunder had them huddling together in the bus on the side of the road. The storm was so bad it even brought a halt to their singing.

When the storm cleared, the clouds parted and the sun peeked out. As tensions lessened, one Cursillista looked out the bus window at a farm yard near where they were parked. He saw a rooster,
resplendent in color in the sparkling aftermath of the storm.
Singing and shouting 'De Colores!' the cursillistas began to rejoice again, writing a 70-verse song praising God and rejoicing in the shining colors of a little rooster.

Hence, the greeting, D e C o l o r e s , wishes you that joy.

Here are the verses we sing each weekend:

All in color; all in color the fields love to dress in all during the springtime.
All in color, all in color the birds have their clothing that comes every season.
All in color; all in color the rainbow is vested across the blue sky.

*Refrain:  All in color and so must all love be of every bright color to make my heart cry. (repeat)

Sings the rooster; sings the rooster with his quiri, quiri, quiri, quiri, quiri;
And the cluck hen; and the cluck hen with her cara, cara, cara, cara, cara;
And the babe chicks; and the babe chicks with their pio, pio, pio, pio, pi. *

All in color; all in color we witness the sun up on clear and bright mornings.
All in color; all in color the sun gives it treasure God's light to His children.
All in color, all in color the diamond will sparkle when brought to the light. *

Canta el gallo, canta el gallo con el quiri, quiri, quiri, quiri, quiri.
La gallina, la gallina con el cara, cara, cara, cara, cara.
Los polluellos, los polluellos con el pio, pio, pio, pio, pi.
Y por eso los grandes amores, de muchos colores me gustan a mi.
Y por eso los grandes amores, de muchos colores me gustan a mi.

    'Ole!


Here's a version from   http://www.sweetvidalia.com/cgtd/song.htm:

De Colores is a children's folk song, giving thanks for the joy of colors in God's creation. It became associated with Cursillo in the early days of the movement, when a busload of pilgrims in Spain broke down, and the pilgrims had to walk about 20 miles along the mountain roads. The pilgrims sang De Colores over and over as they walked, and made about 70 new verses for the song. Since then it has become one of the traditional songs of Cursillo.

Besides the original Spanish version, there are now several English versions.

De Colores, De Colores, the fields love to dress in all during the springtime.
De Colores, De Colores, the birds have their clothing that comes every season.
De Colores, De Colores, the rainbow is vested across the blue sky.

De Colores and so must all love be of every bright color to make my heart cry. (repeat)

Sing the rooster, sing the rooster, with his kiri kiri kiri kiri kiri.
And the cluck-hen, and the cluck-hen with her cara, cara, cara, cara, cara.
And the babe-chicks, and the babe-chicks with their pio, pio, pio, pio, pi.

De Colores and so must all love be of every bright color to make my heart cry.(repeat)




Another version says:

A corrido is a narrative song, or ballad, whose characters, events and themes are representative of the cultural history of local communities. As folk art form, a corrido is situated somewhere between an oral history and a cultural myth.

De Colores came to the Americas from central Spain in the sixteenth century and is now sung all over the Spanish-speaking world on special occasions and celebrations. It is also the anthem of the United Farm Workers of America, a union founded by César E. Chávez, most of whose members are Spanish-speaking. People hold hands and sway while singing this beautiful song.

De colores, de colores 
se visten los campos en la primavera.
De colores, de colores
son los pajarillos que vienen de fuera.
De colores de colores
es el arco iris que vemos lucir.
Y por eso los grandes amores
de muchos colores me gustan a mi.
Y por eso los grades amores
de muchos colores me gustan a mi.

Canta el gallo, canta el gallo
con el kiri, kiri, kiri, kiri, kiri.
La gallina, la gallina
con el kara, kara, kara, kara, kara.
Los polluelos, los polluelos
con el pio, pio, pio, pio, pi.
Y por eso los grandes amores
de muchos colores me gustan a mi.
Y por eso los grandes amores
de muchos colores me gustan a mi.

De colores, de colores
brillantes y finos se viste a auroa.
De colores, de colores
son los mil reflejos que el sol altresora.
De colores, de colores
se viste el diamante que vemos lucir.
Y por eso los grandes amores
de muchos colores me gustan a mi.
Y por eso los grandes amores
de muchos colores me gustan a mi. 		 Of colors, colors
the fields in the spring get dressed.
Of colors, colors 
they are the pajarillos that come from outside.
Of colors, colors
it is the rainbow that we see shine.
And for that reason the great loves
of many colors, they (the colors) please me.
And for that reason the great loves
of many colors, they (the colors) please me.

The rooster sings, sings the rooster
with kiri, kiri, kiri, kiri, kiri.
The hen, the hen
with kara, kara, kara, kara, kara.
The chicks, the chicks
with pio, pio, pio, pio, pi.
And for that reason the great loves
of many colors, they (the colors) please me.
And for that reason the great loves
of many colors, they (the colors) please me.

Of colors, colors
in colors brilliant and fine is clothed the dawn.
Of colors, colors
They are the thousand reflections that the altresora sun.
Of colors, colors
the diamond gets dressed that we see shine.
And for that reason the great loves
of many colors, they (the colors) please me.
And for that reason the great loves
of many colors, they (the colors) please me.