El Abuelo

The Grandfather

El Abuelo

Grandpa one dayEl abuelo un día
When I was very youngCuando era muy joven
There in GaliciaAllá en su Galicia
He looked at the horizonMiró el horizonte
And he thought that another pathY pensó que otra senda
Maybe it existedTal vez existía
And to the north windY al viento del norte
That was an old friendQue era un viejo amigo
He told him about his hurryLe habló de su prisa
He showed her his handsLe mostró sus manos
How gentle and strongQue mansas y fuertes
They were emptyEstaban vacías
And the wind told himY el viento le dijo
Build your lifeConstruye tu vida
Behind the seasDetrás de los mares
Allende GaliciaAllende Galicia

And the grandfather one dayY el abuelo un día
On an old boatEn un viejo barco
He left SpainSe marchó de España
Grandpa one dayEl abuelo un día
Like so many othersComo tantos otros
With so much hopeCon tanta esperanza
The beloved imageLa imagen querida
From his old villageDe su vieja aldea
And its mountainsY de sus montañas
It was recordedSe llevó grabada
Deep within the soulMuy dentro del alma
When the old shipCuando el viejo barco
He took him away from SpainLo alejó de España

Grandpa one dayEl abuelo un día
He got on the cartSubió a la carreta
To raise lifeDe subir la vida
He took up the plowEmpuñó el arado
He fertilized the landAbonó la tierra
And time was running outY el tiempo corría
And he fought calmlyY luchó sereno
For planting the treePor plantar el árbol
That I wanted so muchQue tanto quería
And the grandfather one dayY el abuelo un día
He cried under the treeLloró bajo el árbol
That finally bloomedQue al fin florecía
He cried with joyLloró de alegría
When he saw his handsCuando vio sus manos
That a little olderQue un poco más viejas
They were not emptyNo estaban vacías

And the grandfather thenY el abuelo entonces
When I was a childCuando yo era niño
He was talking to me about SpainMe hablaba de España
From the north windDel viento del norte
From the old villageDe la vieja aldea
And its mountainsY de sus montañas
He liked it so muchLe gustaba tanto
Remember thingsRecordar las cosas
That I have recordedQue llevo grabadas
Deep within the soulMuy dentro del alma
That sometimes silentQue a veces callado
Without saying a wordSin decir palabra
He was talking to me about SpainMe hablaba de España

Grandpa one dayEl abuelo un día
When I was very oldCuando era muy viejo
Allende GaliciaAllende Galicia
He took my handMe tomó la mano
And I realizedY yo me di cuenta
That he was already dyingQue ya se moría
And then he told meY entonces me dijo
With very little strengthCon muy pocas fuerzas
And with less hasteY con menos prisa
Promise me, sonProméteme, hijo
That to the old villageQue a la vieja aldea
You will go somedayIrás algún día
And to the north windY al viento del norte
You will say that his friendDirás que su amigo
To a new landA una nueva tierra
He gave his lifeLe entregó la vida

And the grandfather one dayY el abuelo un día
He fell asleepSe quedó dormido
Without returning to SpainSin volver a España
Grandpa one dayEl abuelo un día
Like so many othersComo tantos otros
With so much hopeCon tanta esperanza
And at the same time to the grandfatherY al tiempo al abuelo
I saw it in the villagesLo vi en las aldeas
I saw it in the mountainsLo vi en las montañas
Every morningEn cada mañana
And in every legendY en cada leyenda
Along all the pathsPor todas las sendas
What I was in SpainQue anduve de España