| Cuatrocientos kilómetros tiene
| four hundred kilometers has
|
| la ciudad donde vive Zenaida,
| the city where Zenaida lives,
|
| voy a ver si la puedo encontrar,
| I'm going to see if I can find it,
|
| voy a ver si me da su palabra.
| I'm going to see if she gives me her word on it.
|
| Porque traigo intenciones de hablarle
| Because I bring intentions to speak to you
|
| y en mis brazos la quiero tener,
| and in my arms I want to have her,
|
| voy a ver si madrugo mañana
| I'm going to see if I get up early tomorrow
|
| y me voy antes de amanecer.
| and I leave before dawn.
|
| Por ahí dicen que ya viene el tren
| Over there they say that the train is coming
|
| y sin duda lo estoy esperando,
| and I'm certainly waiting for it,
|
| ya parece que voy en el tren,
| It already seems that I am going on the train,
|
| ya parece que voy caminando.
| It already seems that I am walking.
|
| Al momento que la ví venir,
| The moment I saw her coming,
|
| al momento yo la saludé,
| at the moment I greeted her,
|
| cariñosa me dice la niña:
| affectionately the girl tells me:
|
| «oiga joven de dónde es usted».
| "Hey young man, where are you from?"
|
| Yo he venido de tierras lejanas,
| I have come from distant lands,
|
| he llegado en un tren pasajero
| I have arrived on a passenger train
|
| pa' que me haga un favor que le pido
| so that you do me a favor that I ask of you
|
| y acompañe a este pobre soltero.
| and accompany this poor bachelor.
|
| Oiga joven si fuera soltero,
| Hey young man if he were single,
|
| y si usted me quisiera también,
| and if you wanted me too,
|
| nos hiríamos los dos a pasearnos
| we would both hurt ourselves to walk
|
| si me diera el transporte pa’l tren.
| if he gave me transportation to the train.
|
| Cinco meses pasé sin mirarla,
| I spent five months without looking at her,
|
| trabajé con afán con esmero;
| I worked diligently with care;
|
| esperando volver a encontrarla
| hoping to find her again
|
| y ofrecerle todo mi dinero.
| and offer him all my money.
|
| Yo no quiero, me dice Zenaida,
| I don't want to, Zenaida tells me,
|
| el dinero que usted me propone;
| the money that you propose to me;
|
| se lo dije por cierto en un tiempo,
| I told you by the way at one time,
|
| se lo dije por ver si era hombre.
| I told him to see if he was a man.
|
| Ya me vuelvo en el tren pasajero,
| I'm going back on the passenger train,
|
| que permiso sus padres me han dado;
| what permission his parents have given me;
|
| para nada sirvió mi dinero
| my money was useless
|
| y a Zenaida la llevo a mi lado. | and I take Zenaida by my side. |