Lyrics of La Zenaida - The Unknown

La Zenaida (original)

Cuatrocientos kilómetros tiene
la ciudad donde vive Zenaida,
voy a ver si la puedo encontrar,
voy a ver si me da su palabra.
Porque traigo intenciones de hablarle
y en mis brazos la quiero tener,
voy a ver si madrugo mañana
y me voy antes de amanecer.
Por ahí dicen que ya viene el tren
y sin duda lo estoy esperando,
ya parece que voy en el tren,
ya parece que voy caminando.
Al momento que la ví venir,
al momento yo la saludé,
cariñosa me dice la niña:
«oiga joven de dónde es usted».
Yo he venido de tierras lejanas,
he llegado en un tren pasajero
pa' que me haga un favor que le pido
y acompañe a este pobre soltero.
Oiga joven si fuera soltero,
y si usted me quisiera también,
nos hiríamos los dos a pasearnos
si me diera el transporte pa’l tren.
Cinco meses pasé sin mirarla,
trabajé con afán con esmero;
esperando volver a encontrarla
y ofrecerle todo mi dinero.
Yo no quiero, me dice Zenaida,
el dinero que usted me propone;
se lo dije por cierto en un tiempo,
se lo dije por ver si era hombre.
Ya me vuelvo en el tren pasajero,
que permiso sus padres me han dado;
para nada sirvió mi dinero
y a Zenaida la llevo a mi lado.

(translation)

four hundred kilometers has
the city where Zenaida lives,
I'm going to see if I can find it,
I'm going to see if she gives me her word on it.
Because I bring intentions to speak to you
and in my arms I want to have her,
I'm going to see if I get up early tomorrow
and I leave before dawn.
Over there they say that the train is coming
and I'm certainly waiting for it,
It already seems that I am going on the train,
It already seems that I am walking.
The moment I saw her coming,
at the moment I greeted her,
affectionately the girl tells me:
"Hey young man, where are you from?"
I have come from distant lands,
I have arrived on a passenger train
so that you do me a favor that I ask of you
and accompany this poor bachelor.
Hey young man if he were single,
and if you wanted me too,
we would both hurt ourselves to walk
if he gave me transportation to the train.
I spent five months without looking at her,
I worked diligently with care;
hoping to find her again
and offer him all my money.
I don't want to, Zenaida tells me,
the money that you propose to me;
I told you by the way at one time,
I told him to see if he was a man.
I'm going back on the passenger train,
what permission his parents have given me;
my money was useless
and I take Zenaida by my side.