| Hay retazos de rencores
| There are bits of grudges
|
| que se han escondido
| that have been hidden
|
| en caminos de ortigas
| on paths of nettles
|
| donde hicimos buenas migas,
| where we made good friends,
|
| hubo adioses como yunques
| there were goodbyes like anvils
|
| y en tu risa sonaron panderetas
| and in your laughter tambourines sounded
|
| que secaron mis macetas,
| that dried my pots,
|
| con las lagrimitas que tú no querías
| with the little tears that you didn't want
|
| me he puesto el cariño al baño María
| I have put my love in the bain-marie
|
| y ahora ya no hay quien me pare,
| and now there is no one to stop me,
|
| y en las noches claras baila mi figura
| and on clear nights my figure dances
|
| subido a un tablao de cubos de basura
| uploaded to a tablao of garbage cans
|
| entre las luces de los bares,
| between the lights of the bars,
|
| ha de ser la mala estrella
| must be the bad star
|
| la que pegue coces si me ve de lejos,
| the one that kicks if she sees me from afar,
|
| la que arranque mi pellejo,
| the one that tears off my skin,
|
| o tal vez la letanía de campanas
| or maybe the litany of bells
|
| que toquen a muerto
| knock to death
|
| cuando me mire al espejo,
| when I look in the mirror,
|
| pero todavía tengo el poderío
| but i still have the might
|
| de ponerle lindes a este mar bravío
| to put boundaries on this wild sea
|
| y a esta luna que se mengua,
| and to this moon that is waning,
|
| de lavar heridas con solo un lamido,
| to wash wounds with just a lick,
|
| de matar quimeras sin hacer ni un ruido,
| of killing chimeras without making a sound,
|
| de perderte por la lengua,
| of losing you by the language,
|
| me estoy quedando solo,
| I'm staying alone
|
| no hay abrazos en mis brazos,
| there are no hugs in my arms,
|
| te los vas llevando todos,
| you are taking them all,
|
| me estoy quedando solo,
| I'm staying alone
|
| mas yo sigo rebañando,
| but I keep herding,
|
| de tu amor aún quedan trozos,
| of your love there are still pieces,
|
| se hicieron para mí, para mí,
| they were made for me, for me,
|
| jergones de secano
| dryland pallets
|
| que guardan mi trajín,
| that keep my bustle,
|
| que guardan dudas como pianos,
| that keep doubts like pianos,
|
| se hicieron para ti, para ti,
| they were made for you, for you,
|
| las brumas que se esfuman,
| the mists that vanish,
|
| y hechuras de violín
| and violin makings
|
| que son más grandes que mis dudas.
| that are bigger than my doubts.
|
| VENAS CON HUMO Y PALABRAS
| VEINS WITH SMOKE AND WORDS
|
| La vamos a tener si no puedo dar trotes,
| We're going to have it if I can't jog,
|
| si quieres meter alpiste en mis barrotes,
| if you want to put birdseed in my bars,
|
| y no hay dios ni fe que me discuta,
| and there is no god or faith to argue with me,
|
| que me vuelvo muy hijoputa si me da…
| that I become a son of a bitch if he gives me...
|
| prefiero tener vacío el comedero,
| I prefer to have the trough empty,
|
| ya le tiraré bocaos al mundo entero,
| I'll throw snacks at the whole world,
|
| luego miraré donde lo escupo,
| then I'll look where I spit it out,
|
| se revuelve y yo me ocupo de mirar…
| he stirs and I take care of looking…
|
| si no hay pa comer me subiré al manzano,
| if there is nothing to eat I will climb the apple tree,
|
| para verlas venir en un carromato
| to see them come in a wagon
|
| de cosas por hacer, de ciegos dando palos,
| of things to do, of blind people beating up,
|
| que la vida es muy puta y yo me he vuelto muy malo,
| that life is very whore and I have become very bad,
|
| y si encarta soledad, pues soledad pal saco,
| and if she encarta loneliness, then loneliness pal sack,
|
| lo mismo me dará dar como ser dado,
| the same will give me to give as to be given,
|
| que no pienso dejar ná de ná pa los gusanos,
| I don't plan to leave anything for the worms,
|
| la luna me maúlla pa que yo menee el rabo,
| the moon meows at me so that I wag my tail,
|
| a la altura del perejil se han quedado todos mis sueños,
| at the height of the parsley all my dreams have remained,
|
| me hago un vestido con tó lo que he perdido
| I make myself a dress with everything I've lost
|
| y ya tiene sentido sonreir,
| and it already makes sense to smile,
|
| lleva volantes pa mentir, para ondularme como el trigo,
| wear ruffles to lie, to undulate like wheat,
|
| y así decir, que desde que te has ido
| and so to speak, since you've been gone
|
| la bailo igual contigo que sin ti,
| I dance it the same with you as without you,
|
| si intentas comprender mis noches de desvelo
| if you try to understand my sleepless nights
|
| me quieres comprar con puñaos de caramelos,
| you want to buy me with fistfuls of candy,
|
| manojos de perder, con jugo de los charcos,
| bundles of wasting, with juice from the puddles,
|
| machaca el almirez, me tienes en tus manos,
| crush the pestle, you have me in your hands,
|
| y ojalá te vaya bien, y pa pasar el rato
| and I hope it goes well for you, and to pass the time
|
| tú siembra para ti, y más cuando me callo,
| you sow for you, and more when I keep quiet,
|
| me callo lo que hay, lo que hay es lo que toca
| I keep silent what is there, what is there is what touches
|
| y pa tocar el corazón es mejor no abrir la boca,
| and to touch the heart it is better not to open your mouth,
|
| a la altura del perejil se han quedado todos mis sueños,
| at the height of the parsley all my dreams have remained,
|
| me hago un vestido con tó lo que he perdido
| I make myself a dress with everything I've lost
|
| y ya tiene sentido sonreir,
| and it already makes sense to smile,
|
| lleva volantes pa mentir, para ondularme como el trigo,
| wear ruffles to lie, to undulate like wheat,
|
| y así decir, que desde que te has ido
| and so to speak, since you've been gone
|
| aún nadie me ha vencido,
| no one has beaten me yet
|
| hoy quiero poner mi reino de despojos en estos lugares,
| today I want to put my kingdom of spoils in these places,
|
| donde la primera vez pusimos al alba a hacer malabares,
| where the first time we put the dawn to juggle,
|
| y no he de volver a ver el sudor empañando portales,
| and I will not see sweat fogging portals again,
|
| me sale tan mal cuando miro hacia atrás…
| I get so bad when I look back...
|
| me abriré las venas, me saldrán palabras,
| I will open my veins, words will come out,
|
| guárdate el cencerro, pónselo a otra cabra,
| keep the cowbell, put it on another goat,
|
| que a mí no me cabe, que llevo colgando
| that does not fit me, that I have been hanging
|
| demasiadas llaves, todos los quebrantos,
| too many keys, all the breaks,
|
| a la altura del perejil se han quedado todos mis sueños,
| at the height of the parsley all my dreams have remained,
|
| me hago un vestido con tó lo que he perdido
| I make myself a dress with everything I've lost
|
| y ya tiene sentido sonreir,
| and it already makes sense to smile,
|
| lleva volantes pa mentir, para ondularme como el trigo,
| wear ruffles to lie, to undulate like wheat,
|
| y así decir, que desde que te has ido…
| and so to say, since you've been gone...
|
| no me pienso quedar, ni un momento ni un rato,
| I don't plan to stay, not for a moment or a while,
|
| para planear quién pagará los platos
| to plan who will pay for the dishes
|
| de mi desespere, mi sofoco,
| of my despair, my suffocation,
|
| sé de quién se ha vuelto loco de esperar,
| I know who's gone crazy from waiting,
|
| la vamos a tener…
| we are going to have it…
|
| COMO EL VIENTO DE PONIENTE
| LIKE THE WEST WIND
|
| De niño no me gustaban los libros ni las sotanas
| As a child I did not like books or cassocks
|
| ni salir en procesión,
| nor go out in procession,
|
| era tan desobediente como el viento de poniente,
| was as disobedient as the west wind,
|
| revoltoso y juguetón,
| rambunctious and playful,
|
| en vez de mirar pal cielo
| instead of looking at the sky
|
| me puse a medir el suelo que me tocaba de andar,
| I started to measure the ground that I had to walk on,
|
| y nunca seguí al rebaño,
| And I never followed the herd
|
| porque ni el pastor ni el amo eran gente de fiar,
| because neither the shepherd nor the master were trustworthy people,
|
| como aquel que calla, otorga,
| like the one who is silent, grants,
|
| y aunque la ignorancia es sorda,
| and though ignorance is deaf,
|
| pude levantar la voz,
| I was able to raise my voice
|
| más fuerte que los ladríos de los perros consentíos
| louder than the barking of dogs pamper yourself
|
| y que la voz del pastor,
| and that the voice of the shepherd,
|
| empecé haciendo carreras
| I started racing
|
| por atajos y veredas muy estrechas para mí,
| through shortcuts and paths too narrow for me,
|
| y decían mis vecinos
| and my neighbors said
|
| que llevaba mal camino apartado del redil, | that led astray away from the fold, |
| siempre fui esa oveja negra
| I was always that black sheep
|
| que supo esquivar las piedras que le tiraban a dar,
| that she knew how to dodge the stones that were thrown at her,
|
| y entre más pasan los años
| and the more the years go by
|
| más me aparto del rebaño porque no sé adonde va.
| the more I separate myself from the herd because I don't know where it goes.
|
| PAN DURO
| STALE BREAD
|
| Arrugas que son surcos con retoños tiernos,
| Wrinkles that are furrows with tender shoots,
|
| livianas como son los fardos de cargar los sueños
| light as are the bundles of carrying dreams
|
| que tragan ruedas de molino y se les ven todos los huesos,
| that swallow mill wheels and all their bones can be seen,
|
| que saben que sus años tienen más de cuatro inviernos,
| who know that their years have more than four winters,
|
| silencio por el techo, por los platos llenos,
| silence through the ceiling, through the full plates,
|
| silencio bañado en sudores de los jornaleros,
| silence bathed in the sweat of the day laborers,
|
| el sol lo han hecho sus jirones,
| the sun has been made by its shreds,
|
| que saben lo que vale un beso,
| who know what a kiss is worth,
|
| que no quieren llevar los nombres de sus carceleros,
| who do not want to bear the names of their jailers,
|
| ¿qué saben las tripas de puños cerrados?,
| What do the guts of clenched fists know?
|
| saben que las riegan los amargos tragos,
| They know that they are watered by bitter drinks,
|
| saben todo y más de tenerse en pie,
| they know everything and more about standing up,
|
| de la soledad,
| of loneliness,
|
| saben porqué está siempre duro el pan,
| you know why the bread is always hard,
|
| monedas de tan sucias tan desdibujadas,
| coins so dirty so blurred,
|
| odioso tintineo en manos encalladas,
| odious tinkling in stranded hands,
|
| y son las patas de sus mulas
| and they are the legs of their mules
|
| si el látigo se llama hambre
| if the whip is called hunger
|
| las dueñas de caminos que no son de nadie,
| the owners of roads that belong to no one,
|
| cerrojos al antojo de la poca hondura,
| locks at the whim of the little depth,
|
| abiertos para dar paso a las herraduras
| open to make way for horseshoes
|
| que dejan huellas que los guían para volver a desquitarse,
| that leave traces that guide them to get even again,
|
| para no tener que rasgarse más las vestiduras. | so as not to have to tear their clothes any more. |