Yaco, El Herrero

Yaco, The Blacksmith

Yaco, El Herrero

More friend of wine than of water;"Más amigo del vino que del agua;
miserable from being poor, poor Yaco.miserable de pobre, el pobre Yaco.
He wasn't a worker of the anvil and forge,No era obrero del yunque y de la fragua,
he was a laborer, cheaper to hire.era peón, que costaba más barato.

The old folks claimAseguran los viejos que la guerra
that war stole half of his sanity;le robó la mitad de la cordura;
Yugoslavia might have been his land,Yugoslavia quizás fuera su tierra,
I think, judging by his accent and figure.pienso yo, por su acento y su figura.

Yaco, the blacksmith, Yaco,Yaco, el herrero, Yaco,
Yaco, the blacksmith.Yaco, el herrero.

Without neighbors, friends, or relatives,Sin vecinos, ni amigos, ni parientes,
he brought the trench to his exile.se trajo la trinchera a su destierro.
A character from the opposite sidewalkPersonaje de la acera de enfrente
who didn't even cross for his burial.que ni siquiera cruzó para su entierro.

A forced wanderer, his pathVagabundo a la fuerza, su camino
stopped in my land, big and rich,se detuvo en mi tierra, grande y rica,
which like him can't find its destinyque como él no encuentra su destino
and becomes smaller from being so big.y de tan grande se va haciendo chica.

Yaco, the blacksmith, Yaco,Yaco, el herrero, Yaco,
Yaco, the blacksmith.Yaco, el herrero.

His life was a bad deal,Fue mal negocio su vida,
just like his departurecomo lo fue su partida
for the gravedigger,para el sepulturero,
who was left without a tip.que se quedó sin propina.
Yaco, the blacksmith, Yaco,Yaco, el herrero, Yaco,
Yaco, the blacksmith.Yaco, el herrero.

I want to retrieve his file,Quiero sacar su expediente,
to keep him in mindpara tenerlo presente
when organizing the memoriesal ordenar los recuerdos
of my town and my people.de mi pueblo y de mi gente.

Poor wretch!¡Pobre infeliz!
My verses don't aimNo pretenden mis versos
to demand answers from Godpedir cuentas a Dios
about his fate.sobre su suerte.
Just that my memorySolamente que sea mi recuerdo
be the absent requiemel ausente responso
for his death.por su muerte."