Defensa del cantor

Defense of the singer

Defensa del cantor

(Milonga)(Milonga)

"From a cage a song springs up,"Desde una jaula brota un cantar,
"It's a goldfinch, it wants to fly."es un jilguero, quiere volar."

Peach tree and cinacinDuraznero y cinacina
they point out the population;señalan la población;
police station and pantheon,comisaría y panteón,
fences of stone and mist,cercos de piedra y neblina,
the population of Curtina,la población de Curtina,
the plaza with bienteví,la plaza con bienteví,
the gurí's little field,la canchita del gurí,
few walls and walls,pocas paredes y muros,
many dark clods;muchos terrones oscuros;
the singer came from there.el cantor vino de allí.

"This little bird is not for decoration"Este pajarillo no es para adornar
to no cage, but to fly."a ninguna jaula, sino pa' volar."

Curtina or Tacuarembó,Curtina o Tacuarembó,
dunes of San Gregorio,médanos de San Gregorio,
in sorrow or joyen la pena o el jolgorio
that boy sang;aquel muchacho cantó;
and on his guitar he flew,y en su guitarra voló,
I don't know how,yo no sé de qué manera,
wooden birdpajarito de madera
with the sound of a blackbird,con sonoridad de mirlo,
no one can repeat it,nadie podrá repetirlo,
the purest invention was.la invención más pura era.

"What are you accused of, tell them,"De qué lo acusan, díganselo,
because no fault ever existed."pues culpa alguna nunca existió."

With guitar in hand,Con la guitarra en la mano,
in this arbitrary time,en este tiempo arbitrario,
He was the supportive boy,fue el muchacho solidario,
putting brother's shoulder,poniendo el hombro de hermano,
with the worker, the countryman,con el obrero, el paisano,
in the countryside and the city,en el campo y la ciudad,
and fought against iniquityy peleó a la iniquidad
of the owner of the region,del dueño de la comarca,
He marked the oligarch with fire,marcó a fuego al oligarca,
He cried out for freedom.clamó por la libertad.

"This little bird asks for freedom,"Este pajarillo pide libertad,
listen to his song, don't make him cry."escuchen su canto, no lo hagan llorar."

The light will return, it doesn't matterLa luz volverá, no importa
the long night will comela larga noche, vendrá
like a xabiá songcomo un canto de xabiá
and the wait will be short;y la espera será corta;
the fire that most comforts,el fuego que más conforta,
that of the free and equal,el de los libres e iguales,
the long night of evilsla larga noche de males
will change into meridian light,cambiará en luz meridiana,
purple land, tomorrow,tierra purpúrea, mañana,
you will be of the orientals.serás de los orientales.