"Dos Oruguitas"
Dos Oruguitas: Abuela’s Story
The Dos Oruguitas(Two Little Caterpillars) scene in Disney’s hit movie Encantois arguably one of the most important scenes in the whole movie. At first glance, the song appears to be simply about Abuela Alma’s love story with her husband, Pedro.
However, Abuela’s dialogue with Mirabel in the middle of the song reveals that it is about so much more. The scene helped Mirabel finally understand the trauma that Abuela experienced. Her forced migration due to violence at her home and the subsequent loss of her young husband have clearly marked Abuela forever. While she may appear to be serious and calculating, Abuela had to raise three children alone in a new land—all this after her husband sacrificed his life to save his family and give them another chance—just like a caterpillar transitioning into a butterfly.
In this scene, Mirabel finally understands the family dynamic. It seems like it’s the first time Abuela has ever shared her full story with her family. This scene is the catalyst for the climax of the movie. We’ll stop here in case you haven’t seen the movie; we don’t want to give you any more spoilers!
Dos Oruguitas: Lyrics
Let’s check out some of the letra(lyrics) to Dos Oruguitas. Disney has also released an English version titled Two Oruguitas. However, in the interest of rhyming, the song’s English lyrics loosely fit the Spanish version. Here, we have directly translated the Spanish version into English so that you can fully understand what is said in the Spanish original.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Dos oruguitas enamoradas | Two little caterpillars in love |
| Pasan sus noches y madrugadas | Spend their nights and the wee hours |
| Llenas de hambre | Full of hunger |
As you might imagine with a song about caterpillars, Dos Oruguitas speaks of growth and development, and the song ends with the two caterpillars turning into dos mariposas(two butterflies).
We can’t write about Dos Oruguitas without mentioning how Abuela’s migration story is like that of so many people displaced by conflict throughout the world. Seeing Abuela’s experience on screen is a powerful moment, especially since we are led to believe that it’s the first time Abuela is sharing her story with family. Seeing what she was able to achieve as a result of her tenacity as a single mother, alone in a new place, is inspiring.
Mirabel’s comment that “You suffered so much. All alone. So it would never happen again. We were saved because of you. We were given a miracle because of you.” is a testament to Abuela’s love for her family and desire for a better life—the story of so many abuelas and abuelos who had to flee their homes.
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