El Despido

The Dismissal

El Despido

Secundido Barbosa was my friend.Secundido barbosa era mi amigo.
When I was born, he was already a peon at home;Cuando nací, ya estaba de pión en casa;
And I stopped crawling to be attachedY dejé de gatiar pa dir prendido
To his modest chiripá de apala.De su modesto chiripá de apala.

I knew how to be a troublesome kid.Supe ser, de gurí, flor de cargoso.
I didn't have a garment that satisfied me,No tenía prienda que me conformara,
And there I was, quindín, which was his nickname,Y ái andaba quindín, qu'era su apodo,
Fishing the moon in the streams.Pescándome la luna en las cañadas.

I have it well clear in my memoryLo tengo bien patente en el ricuerdo
Of the night of the assault on the ranch;De la noche'el asalto de la estancia;
Stone fort that withstood in its timeFortín de piedras que melló en sus tiempos
Many sharp attacks from the natives.Mucho malón filoso de l'indiada.

Tata was stationed, to defend himself,Tata'bía acantonao, pa'defenderse,
His trusted personnel in the houses;Su personal de crédito en las casas;
And mama, as if pregnant with death,Y mama, como encinta de la muerte,
Wore an apron pregnant with bullets.Pasiaba un delantal preñao de balas.

I started to get scared, but in those moments,Yo dentré a tener miedo, pero en esas,
At the orange flash of a gun,Al rejucilo anaranjao di un arma,
I saw quindín barbosa turn into a beast,Lo ví' a quindín barbosa hecho una fiera,
With a shotgun next to my window.Meta trabuco al lao de mi ventana.

And the fear left me; drowsiness came over me,Y el miedo se me jué; m'entró sueñera,
And to the barbaric lullaby of the shots,Y al bárbaro arrorró de las descargas,
I fell asleep and dreamed the whole night,Clavé el pico y soñé la noche entera,
That that gaucho was the guardian angel.Que aquel gaucho era'l angel de la guarda.

Time passed slowly, which is the wayPasó lerdiando el tiempo, que's el modo
It passes through the countryside,Que tiene de pasar por la campaña,
And in my friend, I found a teacher who gladlyY en mi amigo hallé un máistro que gustoso
Taught me scratching away my ignorance.Me diba rasquetiando l'inorancia.

He taught me to make braids and knots,M'enseñó a hacer trencitas y retobos,
And entangled in the reins and conversations,Y enriedao en los tientos y las pláticas,
He gave me the secret of the criollo's virtue,Me dio el secreto 'e la virtud del criollo,
Which is to be strong and resilient, like the weeds.Que es ser juerte y sobao, como las guascas.

And he was modest and kind...Y era de comedido y bondadoso...
Always roaming the countryside, he broughtDe recorrer el campo siempre tráiba
To the 'boss', a hare or a fox,P'al "patroncito", un aperiá o un zorro,
Or some pigeon or calandria chick.O algún pichón de tero o de calandria.

I will never forget that afternoonNunca más viá olvidar la tarde aquella
When he went to ration the horses,Cuando él jué a racionar la caballada,
And I, tied to the jingle of his spurs,Y yo, atado al tilín de sus espuelas,
Approached to watch how he handled them.Me arrimé a pirichar cómo lidiaba.

He filled a ditch for the golden one,Rellenó un imbornal pal doradiyo,
Who was an imported devil, his father's pride,Que'ra un diablo importao, orgullo e'tata,
The cursed one was jealous and determinedIdioso el condenao y decidido
To distribute the teeth and hooves!Pa'distribuir los dientes y las patas!

I hadn't even approached him, when I saw the gleamNi me le había arrimao, cuando ví el brillo
In his wild eyes, hatred in flames,De sus ojos salvajes, odio en llamas,
He burned my cheek; the fangsMe abrasó la clinera; los colmillos
Tore the distance like a rag.Rajaron como un trapo la distancia.

I felt a collapse and was amazed by the stallionSentí un derrumbe y me asombró el padrillo
Kicking on the ground with gasps,Pataliando en el suelo entre boquiadas,
While Secundino's raised fistMientras el puño alzao de secundino
Was a knot in the girl's skirt.Era un ñudo en la lonja de la guacha.

And there you have it, see? That's why it was the dismissal.Y ái tiene, ¿ve?, por eso jué el despido.
The horse had cost him a good sum of money,El puro había costao su güena plata,
And the man didn't explain what happened,Y el hombre no explicó lo sucedido,
Because it would be wrong to explain it.Porque quedaba mal que lo explicara.

He left the office as if in a daze...Salió del escritorio como ido...
He was already in the corral with the sorrelYa estaba en el palenque'l malacara
And began to saddle him slowly,Y se puso a ensillarlo dispacito,
As if he enjoyed inspecting the claws...Como quien gusta revisar las garras...

Then he rolled a cigarette; in rough affectionDispués armó un cigarro; en rudo mimo
He patted my head; his gazeMe palmió la cabeza; la mirada
Filled with stars... he sighed,Se l'enllenó de estrellas... dio un suspiro,
And wiped his forehead with his sleeve.Y se secó la frente con la manga.

Driven by a sudden rush,Ganao por un apuro repentino,
He made the sorrel spiral,Hizo caracoliar al malacara,
And grabbed the reins at a trot...Y agarró por la güeya al trotecito...
I just understood what was happening,Yo, recién compriendí lo que pasaba,
And didn't know what to do, I was so young!Y no sabía qué hacer ¡era tan chico!

The sorrow tied a knot in my throatLa pena m'hizo un ñudo en la garganta
That suddenly I untied with a scream;Que redepente desaté en un grito;
The sun turned the shadow of Tata towards me:El sol voltió a mi lao la sombra e'tata:
He's leaving, daddy, my friend is leaving!¡se va, tatita, se me va'l amigo!
Who will catch my moon in the streams,¿quién va'pescar mi luna en las cañadas,
When the wild wind brings his frightened herdsCuando el viento cerrero traiga arisco
To my pillow?Sus tropillas de miedo hasta mi almohada?

And let the chilcal unleash the criesY desfleque el chilcal los alaridos
Of the werewolf, and let the dogs tremble.Del lobizón, y tiemble la perrada.
The shotgun of Secundino won't be thereNo va'star el trabuco'e secundino
Like a brave sun in my window.Como un sol de coraje en mi ventana.

It was to save me that he killed the stallion!Jué pa'salvarme que mató al padrillo!
He went to bite me and he brought him down!Me jué a morder y el l'abajó la guacha!
As he said later: 'It was written...'Como él dijo dispués: "estaba escrito..."
Will he blame me? The guardian angel?¿me lo va'echar? ¿al angel de la guardia?

Tata was a good, understanding man,Tata era un hombre güeno, compriensivo,
It hurt him, you know? without wordsLe dolió aquello, ¿sabe? sin palabras
He went to the gate; let out a cry,Salió hasta la tranquera; dio un chillido,
And Secundino stopped the sorrelY sofrenó el bagual el secundino
With a tug that sat him on his haunches!Con un tirón que lo sentó en las patas!

He ran back, an echo of affectionCorrió pa'regresar, eco 'e cariño
Picking up the length of the call...Recogiendo el largor de la llamada...
'Mande, boss..."mande, patrón...

--Stay, Secundino,--quedate, secundino,
The kid doesn't want you to go.El gurí no quiere que te vayas.