El Chueco Maciel

The Crooked Maciel

El Chueco Maciel

Why does your painful stepPor qué tu paso dolido
from north to south,del norte hacia el sur,
the foot that didn't know,el pie que no supo,
the foot that didn't knowel pie que no supo
of laughter or light?de risa o de luz?

Your father leaves the landTu padre abandona la tierra
of Tacuarembóde Tacuarembó
searching for his land,buscando su tierra,
his own land,una tierra suya,
and never found it.y nunca la halló.

He finds the sad garbageEncuentra la triste basura
where a thousand live,donde viven mil,
he finds death,encuentra la muerte,
he finds the silenceencuentra el silencio
of that shantytown.de aquel cantegril.

The Crooked one, eyes roundEl Chueco, redondos los ojos
and without a blackboard,y sin pizarrón,
looking at his mother,mirando a la madre,
looking at his brother,mirando al hermano,
learns the pain.aprende el dolor.

The moon, week after week,La luna, semana a semana,
has seen him wanderlo ha visto vagar
armed with foam,armado de espuma,
looking for a shorebuscando una orilla
like the sea searches.como busca el mar.

The Crooked one doesn't know about shoresEl Chueco no sabe de orilla
or about the sea,ni sabe de mar,
he knows about anger,él sabe de rabia,
anger that aimsde rabia que apunta
and doesn't want to kill.y no quiere matar.

He robs the bank and sharesAsalta el banco y comparte
with the shantytown,con el cantegril,
like hunger before,como antes el hambre,
like hunger before,como antes el hambre,
shares the loot.comparte el botín.

So I sing to you the storyAsí les canto la historia
of Crooked Maciel,del Chueco Maciel,
the siren sounds,suena la sirena,
the siren sounds,suena la sirena,
they're coming for him.ya vienen por él.

The newspapers publish two bullets,Los diarios publican dos balas,
are they ten or a thousand,son diez o son mil,
a thousand eyes watching,mil ojos que miran,
a thousand eyes watchingmil ojos que miran
from the shantytown.desde el cantegril.

The crooked one was a UruguayanEl chueco era un uruguayo
from Tacuarembó,de Tacuarembó,
with a painful step,de paso dolido,
with a painful step,de paso dolido,
with a painful step.de paso dolido.

The crooked ones gather their feet closely,Los chuecos se junten bien juntos,
feet closely together,bien juntos los pies,
and then walk seeking the homeland,y luego caminen buscando la patria,
the homeland of all, the Maciel homeland,la patria de todos, la patria Maciel,
this crooked homeland that they won't twistesta patria chueca que no han de torcer
with harsh chains all feet togethercon duras cadenas los pies todos juntos
we shall overcome.hemos de vencer.