Para Manolo

For Manolo

(Milonga song, chant and foliada)

Galician, with a Galician name
he saves money and seems like a doctor.
Galician, with a head like an ant,
he gathers weariness in his heart.

"By the sea below goes
a trout of foot
running and running, who could catch it
who could catch it, who could catch it
By the sea below goes a trout of foot."

Galician, with a knife and hat
you're a foreigner just like me.
Manolo, don't feel alone
sweat in your own way your humble sweat.

"Your mother doesn't have it and your father
doesn't give it to you, and where you go from your trailalalá
from your trailalalá, from your trailalalá your mother doesn't have it
and your father doesn't give it to you."

Galician, tough companion
there's no barman who sings better
the estuaries that Rosalía loved
sing folías and are for you.

I challenge you to a game of cards and I win, Manolito.**

*: Phonetic.
**: Final speech, not sung.

(Punctuation, spelling, and versification by Alfredo Zitarrosa)