Juanita La Lavandera

Juanita the Washerwoman

Juanita La Lavandera

Juanita the washerwomanJuanita la lavandera
was from Venezuelaera venezolana
washing clothes for the laborerslavaba ropa de peón
who worked for the bossque le trabajaba al amo
and mending the underweary remendaba el calzón
of her unemployed husbanddel marido sin trabajo

Juanita the washerwomanJuanita la lavandera
could just as well be called Petrabien pudo llamarse Petra
it's all the same miserytotal que es la misma miseria
of Juanita, the one who washesde Juanita, la que lava
and Petra, the one who makes arepasy Petra la que hace arepas

Come on, you little shitAnde muchacho e' mielda
don't ask for breadno pida pan
come on, I have a lot to work onande que tengo mucho que trabajal
since yesterday I've been washing for the bossque desde ayer yo lavo pa' la pioná
come on, I have clothes to mendanda que tengo ropa que remendar
Oh my, oh myAyayayay
to mend (repeat)que remendar (bis)

Her dad went to seeSu papá se fue a ver
the civil chiefal jefe civil
to settle the disputea que le arregle el pleito
with the bosscon el patrón
because if they take awayporque si nos quitan
our shackel barrancón
we won't have anywhere to liveno tendremos donde vivir
Oh my, oh myAyayayay
anywhere to live (repeat)donde vivir (bis)

I can hear her dad's footstepsPor ahí siento los pasos de su papá
and I see his face is really worriedy le noto la cara muy preocupá
it seems like, as always, the civil chiefparece que como siempre, el jefe civil
has come to an agreement with the boss todayhoy se puso de acuerdo con el patrón
Oh my, oh my, with the boss (repeat)Ayayayay, con el patrón (bis)

Come on, you little shitAnda muchacho e' mielda
fight for your breadpelee su pan
come on, you little shitande muchacho e' mielda
struggle for your breadluche su pan
Come on, it's raining outsideAnde que afuera lloviendo está
go play in the puddlescon chopos de agua vaya a jugar
my little cart, don't make your mom crymi carricito no haga llorar a su mamá

Juanita the washerwomanJuanita la lavandera
washed in Venezuelan stylelavaba en venezolano
when she used detergentcuando usaba detergente
the dirt would wash awayel sucio se iba debajo
but thinking it over, Juanitapero pensándolo bien, Juanita
society and your tubla sociedad y tu batea
are almost the same thingcasi son la misma cosa
with the weight of the tubcon el grueso de la batea
and the dirt that goes underneathy el sucio que va debajo
if you let time passsi dejas pasar el tiempo
it'll be hard to break itva a ser difícil romperla
breaking it takes workromperla cuesta trabajo

From the president, her mom from the PresidentDel presidente, su mamá del Presidente