¡Bomba te pido,
bomba te doy,
tu te quedas
y yo me voy!
I ask you for a bomba,
I give you a bomba,
You stay here,
And I go!
The Yucatecan bomba (bomb) is a playful rhyme (usually a quatrain or an eight-syllable roundelay) recited by the man in a dance couple as a compliment to his partner or in allusion to the good time they are having. The verse may be romantic or jocular, but never rude. Bombas are recited during breaks taken by the orchestra in the course of a vaqueria. Somebody shouts “Bomba!”, and the music stops, then a male dancer comes forward and recites his quatrain. Sometimes, his partner replies with another verse. This exchange may prolong and turn into a true, yet amicable, battle of wits between man and woman. When the verses finish, the audience exclaims “Bravo!” and the music continues.
<< A sample dialogue between dancing partners >>
