Muy Poco Antes De La Guerra

Just Before the War

Muy Poco Antes De La Guerra

My insolent twenty yearsMis veinte años insolentes
Your innocent fifteen yearsTus quince años inocentes
Dedicated a thousand poems to youTe dedicaban mil poemas
Rhyming on the same themeRimando sobre el mismo tema
You were just a girlTu eras apenas una niña
Just before the war.Muy poco antes de la guerra.

On the threshold of adolescenceEn el umbral de la adolescencia
When desire is impatienceCuando el deseo es impaciencia
Sadness nested purityTriste anidó la pureza
And I loved you without much skillY yo te ame sin gran destreza
Our witness was the earthNuestro testigo fue la tierra
Just before the war.Muy poco antes de la guerra.

To the rhythm of a guilty loveAl ritmo de un amor culpable
What was inevitable happenedPaso lo que era inevitable
Lost was your figure's sweetnessPerdido tu talle su dulzura
And we were hastily marriedY nos casaron con premura
Life changed and this was it.Cambió la vida y esto era.

A faded uniformUn uniforme deslucido
A rifle and four cartridgesUn fusil y cuatro cartuchos
Burned fields of the defeatedCampos quemados del vencido
And barbed wire in the wheatY alambradas en el trigo.
This happened in other landsEsto ocurrió en otras tierras
Just before the warUn poco antes dele guerra

Where did your fifteen years go?¿Dónde quedaron tus quince años?
And the fiery red of your ribbonsY El rojo ardiente de tus lazos
When joy reignedCuando reinaba la alegría
Without worrying about lifeSin preocupamos por la vida
When we were ignorant of sorrowsCuando Ignorábamos Ias penas
Just before the warUn pose antes de a guerra
If of the warSi de la guerra
If from the warSi da la guerra
The war.La guerra.