Since my last open thread, about my transmogrified version of an Alejo Duran Colombian vallenato song, "Evangelina," I did a bunch more ('cause I'm currently a bit heartbroken and was bored and found more lyrics in Spanish online that I could check for accuracy against available Alejo performances).
I used some serendipities of translation/transliteration/etymology to make them very different, though a few of them are pretty direct translations, if you excuse my poor Spanish.
Join me below the fold for my versions, and please post up any poems you'd like!
(continued below the fold)
Hurt and Pain, After Alejo Duran's "Pena y Dolor"
If you're my bad one I look for
it to return to you,
the evil you did me
will turn to good.
Now you live with yourself sadly,
paying for all the pain.
The lies you told me
so many times pave your way.
They worked when you told them
but profit you nothing.
It looks to me like
they'll follow you to the end.
You get the bad luck
and mine gets better.
--
The Indian of Sinu, After Alejo Duran's "El Indio Sinuano"
I'm pure Indian of Sinu,
I'm flat-nosed, indigenous and short.
This land is my land
and this sky is my sky.
This land is my land
and this sky is my sky.
A Spaniard came to my house one day
and took my father's gold
and the grave of my grandfather
as they explored our burial grounds,
and the grave of my grandfather
as they explored our burial grounds.
And my land they took off my hands,
kept me naked with my brothers,
safe from the winds,
confined to the swamp.
Safe from the winds,
imprisoned in the swamp.
And my name destroyed forever,
with their names they rebaptized my people.
The Chima are Rodriguez,
The Arache are Sanchez.
The Chima are Rodriguez,
The Arache are Sanchez.
Many things the whites claim as their own
are the product of my people, my grandparents,
like our Colombian bread, the hicotea turtle,
the iguana egg and the sombrero vueltiao,
like our Colombian bread, the hicotea turtle,
the iguana egg and the sombrero vueltiao.
And my history they told backwards,
leaving me little say,
and the uniqueness of my race
they used to ridicule me.
Native, Indian, big hair,
a big eater of the basest cuts,
knowledgeable about crawfish,
half-African,
with flattened nose,
with our high cheekbones,
short stature
and twisted ankles.
Listen white people, I'm telling you, yes sir,
that my people will return to shine like the sun
and paint their cheeks with colors
and bring you fear and trembling.
This land is my land
and this sky is my sky.
This land is my land
and this sky is my sky.
--
The Tiger of Punta Brava, After Alejo Duran's "El Tigre de Punta Brava"
The tiger of Punta Brava
stalks the delicate beauty of the town.
They are prepared
before the tiger arrives.
You shouldn't walk the road to Punta Brava.
Punta Brava is no place to settle down.
Because when the tiger starts to snore
it snores until you think you're safe.
The famous tiger of Punta Brava,
known for its roar,
is bold with its delicious prey
and runs at all who pass.
You shouldn't walk the road to Punta Brava.
Punta Brava is no place to settle down.
Because when the tiger starts to roar
it bellows until no one has escaped.
--
The Woodpecker, After Alejo Duran's "El Pajaro Carpintero"
What is this little bird that sings to me in the mountains?
What is this little bird that sings to the dawn?
To hear it, my friends, heals my soul...
to hear it, my friends, is pleasure enough!
Let it sing!
Let it be happy!
Let it break
the silence of the mountains!
Listen carefully to how it speaks...
listen carefully to how it sings....
How it wants to die
when it sees its ghost!
Let it sing!
Let it be happy!
Let it break
the silence of the mountains!
The woodpecker...
a melancholy little fellow!
The carpenter bird...
a sad little bird!
How mysterious
pecking wood!
Let it sing!
Let it be happy!
Let it break
the silence of the mountains!
--
Love Sick, After Alejo Duran's "Mal de Amor"
He who suffers for love
has a tough life.
He who is hurt by love
doesn't live easy.
A heart like that
forever bleeds from its wound.
He who is hurt by love,
forever seeps blood.
He who suffers for love
always bleeds from his wound.
For a heart like that
each beat is grievous.
And I know that for an evil love
time should be the cure.
And I know that for love's ills
the prescription will be to wait.
But a heart like that
just aches and lies.
--
The Heights, After Alejo Duran's "Altos del Rosario"
The boys will cry
when they see me off.
I'm leaving for the heights
of a richer town.
The old soldier said,
"You remind me of your father,
what a party we'll have
if Alex sticks around,
and if Alex sticks around
what a party we'll have."
The poor sad children,
how they cried
when the party was over.
And the party was over
and how they cried.
The women will cry
as soon as I leave,
"Give us more next time!"
and they won't be consoled.
"You make us happy
so give us more next time!"
--
Love for Sale, After Alejo Duran's "Amor Comprado"
I can't bring myself to visit you
because you say, you say
you can't think of a poor man
it's so sad, so sad.
But it's sadder for you
to give yourself for interest
because the buyer can't give love
nor can the bought return nothing.
Since you say you sell your love
I'll buy it soon, I'll buy it soon.
I don't have with which to buy today
but tomorrow suddenly I may.
But you'll have to know
when you don't find anyone to love you
that it's sadder for the bought
to give themselves this way.
If I had to buy your love
I bought it, I bought it.
When we were at our best
I forgot it, I forgot it.
Since I had to buy your love
I did, I did.
When we were at the heights
it didn't matter, it didn't matter.
That should be enough to convince you
bought love is never real.
That love which is unconcerned with money,
yes, only this love is honestly love.
--
Early Days, After Alejo Duran's "Los Primeros Dias"
The day I die,
the day I die
some hard feelings will take my side.
Through this world I go having lovers
for their attentions, which have dominated me,
and their loud laments will be listened to,
and their bitter regrets will be heard.
All will be filled with feeling, yes,
with feeling, ah!
with delicious feeling,
with feeling, yes....
There will be two in particular, from the early days,
on the day I die they'll be finished mourning.
After a couple of weeks
nobody remembers anything about the dead,
and their loud laments will be listened to,
and their bitter regrets will be heard
with feeling.
All will be filled with feeling,
with feeling,
with delicious feeling.
The day,
the day I die
may have some hard feelings.
Through this world I go having lovers,
it's a case where you can't win
and bitter regrets will be heard
with feeling.
All will be filled with feeling, yes,
with feeling, ah!
What delicious feeling!
--
Alex
Choose Our President 2012