La Copla

The Ballad

La Copla

Fisherman from the deep seaPescador de mar adentro
My friend always used to singMi amigo siempre cantaba.
One day his ballad returnedUn día volvió su copla
With the farewell of the boatCon el adiós de la barca.

I saw miner's blood runningVi correr sangre minera
Over hardened breadPor un pan endurecido.
next to the clenched handjunto á la mano crispada
the moon turned into wheatla luna se volvió trigo.

Don't give me sorrows in lifeNo me dé penas la vida,
I have enough with what I haveMe sobra con la que tengo.
Like the quebracho tree from the mountainComo el quebracho del monte
I flourish after the axeSobre el hachazo florezco.

The indigenous man works on the stoneTrabaja el indio en la piedra
His tunnel of silenceSu socavón de silencio,
And under its shadowY á su sombra se cobija
My songful heart takes shelterMi corazón cancionero.

I feel it moan in the windLo siento gemir al viento
Crossing mountains of thornsCruzando montes de espinas.
I go out on the road and shoutSalgo al camino y le grito
To serve as a guidePara servirle de guía.

Up there in the skyAllá por el cielo arriba
Goes the wounded moonVa la luna lastimada,
Like a lost balladComo una copla perdida
That no longer has a guitarQue ya no tiene guitarra.

The indigenous man works on the stoneTrabaja el indio en la piedra
His tunnel of silenceSu socavón de silencio.
And under its shadowY á su sombra se cobija
My songful heart takes shelterMi corazón cancionero.