El Payaso

The Clown

El Payaso

Clown of long lifePayaso de Vida larga
Of many wide smilesDe muchas sonrisas amplias
With a tin voice clownCon voz de lata payaso
Playing in the throatJuguetando en la garganta

Clown of a thousand colorsPayaso de mil colores
Clown of the applePayaso de la manzana
Clown from son to fatherPayaso del hijo al padre
Joy of the nightAlegría de la noche
Loneliness of the morningSoledad de la mañana

The clown of my landEl payaso de mi tierra
Has light of salt and sugarTiene luz de sal y azúcar
Has seeds for eyesTiene por ojos semillas
And two stakes for legsY por piernas dos estacas
The clown of my townEl payaso de mi pueblo
Has a moon for a mouthTiene por boca una luna
Has tired handsTienes las manos cansadas
And a guitar heartY el corazón de guitarra

Yellow for the daysAmarillo por los días
Feet worn out at dawnPies gastados madrugando
Ashen skin, copper skinPiel ceniza piel de cobre
His body goes singingSu cuerpo se va cantando
The wind from his bowelsEl viento de sus entrañas
Carries the hunger of the poorArrastra el hambre del pobre
The rain of his silenceLa lluvia de su silencio
Bakes the bread of his northHornea el pan de su norte

The wine of his brothersEl vino de sus hermanos
Is blue like his motherEs azul como su madre
Is green like his songEs verde como su canto y
And red like his eveningsEs rojo como sus tardes
His tears are of grapes, his cryingDe uva su menso su llanto
His distances are of mulesDe mulas son sus distancias
His absences of charangosDe charangos sus ausencias
From town to town his soulDe pueblo a pueblo su alma

The clown of my landEl payaso de mi tierra
Has light of stone and songTiene luz de piedra y canto
Has time for handsTiene por manos el tiempo
And his tears for tirednessY por cansancio su llanto
The clown of my townEl payaso de mi pueblo
Has the moon for a mouthTiene por boca la luna
Has a new and serene sunTiene un sol nuevo y sereno
Voice of an old man and a boyVoz de viejo y de muchacho

Yellow for the daysAmarillo por los días
Feet worn out at dawnPies gastados madrugando
Ashen skin, copper skinPiel ceniza piel de cobre
His body goes singingSu cuerpo se va cantando
The wind from his bowelsEl viento de sus entrañas
Carries the hunger of the poorArrastra el hambre del pobre
The rain of his silenceLa lluvia de su silencio
Bakes the bread of his northHornea el pan de su norte

Yellow for the daysAmarillo por los días
Feet worn out at dawnPies gastados madrugando
Ashen skin, copper skinPiel ceniza piel de cobre
His body goes singingSu cuerpo se va cantando
The wind from his bowelsEl viento de sus entrañas
Carries the hunger of the poorArrastra el hambre del pobre
The rain of his silenceLa lluvia de su silencio
Bakes the bread of his northHornea el pan de su norte