Historia de Juan Fiel

Juan Fiel's Story

Historia de Juan Fiel

(Milonga)(Milonga)

He came from Rio Grande,Se vino de Río Grande,
I can imagine why;me imagino por qué causa;
like steel, cold,como de acero, de frío,
straight as a spear,derecho como una lanza,
and in a slow Portuguese,y en un portugués pausado,
musical like a dripping,musical como gotera,
he said: I am me, John Faithful,decía: Eu sou eu, João Fiel,
and his whole story was.y toda su historia era.

When the civil wars,Cuando las guerras civiles,
he got involved with the governmentse enganchó con el gobierno
and a red ribbony una cinta colorada
faded on his hat.se destiñó en su sombrero.
He never complained about anything,Nunca se quejó por nada,
among the dust, under the rain,entre el polvo, bajo lluvia,
on foot or on horseback; deada pie o a caballo; muerto
from hunger, thirst, hardships.de hambre, de sed, de penurias.

But, facing the enemy,Pero, frente al enemigo
he was a terrible machineera una terrible máquina
to hurt and to kill,de herir y de despenar,
with a rifle or a spear;con carabina o con lanza;
but, facing the enemy,pero, frente al enemigo,
even though he didn't understand anything;aunque no entendía nada;
and what could he understand,y qué podía entender,
either he killed or they killed him.o mataba o lo mataban.

Back to the law of the jungleVuelto a la ley de la selva
his knife - the dance -su facón -la refalosa-
touched after many battles,tocó tras muchos combates,
and this was almost a rule,y esto fue casi una norma,
and this, even though many keep quiet about it,y esto, aunque lo callen muchos,
in both sides it was a lawen los dos bandos fue ley
that, in this slaughter,que, en esta carnicería,
Juan Fiel was not alone.no estaba solo Juan Fiel.

I don't know if a documentYo no sé si un documento
or in some war report,o en algún parte de guerra,
alive or dead, reality is assignedvivo o muerto, se le asigna
to his existence,realidad a su existencia,
but Juan Fiel and his shadowpero Juan Fiel y su sombra
are the secret realityes la realidad secreta
of so many heroic tales,de tanta milonga heroica,
its background of disgust and shame.su fondo de asco y vergüenza.

Where death sowedDonde la muerte sembró
its sinister agriculture,su agricultura siniestra,
Juan Fiel, the purplish land,Juan Fiel, la tierra purpúrea,
that you stepped on, is this land;que pisaste, es esta tierra;
where death soweddonde la muerte sembró
its sinister agriculture,su agricultura siniestra,
Juan Fiel, the purplish land,Juan Fiel, la tierra purpúrea,
that you stepped on, is this land.que pisaste, es esta tierra.

Juan Fiel, the purplish land,Juan Fiel, la tierra purpúrea,
that you stepped on, is this land.que pisaste, es esta tierra.

ChorusCoro
This is the land...Es esta tierra...