Pialando Miseria

Suffering Misery

Pialando Miseria

Early I saddled the little bayTemprano ensillé el rosillo
And placed on the counterY acomodé en la encimera
The key to the turnstileLa llave torniquetera
A short and simple loopUn lazo corto y sencillo
The yellow sheepdogEl ovejero amarillo
Observing my taskOservando mi quehacer
As if knowing the dutyComo sabiendo el deber
That for pleasure it provokesQue por gusto le proboca
With the halter in its mouthCon el cabresto en la boca
Inviting me to rideMe invitaba a recorrer

I went back to get the knifeVolví a buscar la cuchilla
The cigarettes and the hatLos cigarros y el sombrero
In passing, I released the night guardDe paso solté el nochero
Who neighed the herdQue relinchó la tropilla
A gray mistUna neblina tordilla
Entered to wet the gearEntró a mojarme el recao
And in the rising steamY en el vapor levantao
Old God, showed his tricksTata Dios, lucía sus mañas
Embroidering with cobwebsBordando de telarañas
The wires of the wire fenceLos hilos del alambrao

I opened the first gateAbrí la primer tranquera
Without getting off the horseSin bajarme del rosillo
And I started counting the steersY entré a contar los novillos
With rural knowledgeCon conocencia campera
I already noticed that in the first oneYa noté que en la primera
One was missingUno me andaba faltando
I counted them again lookingLos volví a contar mirando
With doubt in my browCon duda en el entrecejo
When something strange in the distanceCuando algo extraño a lo lejos
Made me gallop outMe hizo salir galopeando

With a demanded tugDe un tironsito exigido
I arrived surrounded by chimangosLlegué rodeao de chimangos
The poncho of a PolancoTaba el poncho de un Polanco
Hung on the wireEn el alambre tendido
I dismounted somewhat distressedDesmonté medio aflijido
Observing the detailsOservando los detalles
Praying that the suspicion I hadRogando que no me falle
Does not fail meLa sospecha que tenía
For some marks that were therePor unas marcas que había
Heading towards the streetCon dirección a la calle

At the end of my endeavorHallé al final de mi empeño
About a hundred meters away was the cartA unos cien metros el rodao
Of a dilapidated wagonDe un carro desvencijao
That I know well its ownerQue bien conozco a su dueño
When hunger kills sleepCuando el hambre mata el sueño
Reason slowly diminishesLa razón de a poco merma
And there is no honesty that sleepsY no hay honradez que duerma
If there in the shackSi allá en la tapera están
Ten mouths asking for breadDiez bocas pidiendo pan
And a very sick womanY una mujer muy enferma

Guiding reasonCabrestiando a la razón
And putting the leather on the saddleY echando en el anca el cuero
I left the little fieldDejé al tranquito el potrero
To fulfill the missionPa cumplir con la misión
To inform the bossDe anoticiarle al patrón
“That the black man in a lasso“Que al negro en una pialada
To cure his woundPor curarle la abichada
Unintentionally broke his neckSin querer lo desnuqué
On the spot he skinned himSobre el pucho lo cuerié
And gave him to the dogs”Y se lo di a la perrada”