La novia ausente

The Absent Girlfriend

La novia ausente

Sometimes I go over those hoursA veces repaso mis horas aquellas
when I was a student and you were the belovedcuando era estudiante y tú eras la amada
who with your smiles scattered starsque con tus sonrisas repartías estrellas
to all the young men in that neighborhood.a todos los mozos de aquella barriada.
Ah! the warm nights... Ah! the fantasy¡Ah! las noches tibias... ¡Ah! la fantasía
of our happy twenties,de nuestra veintena de abriles felices,
when only your laughter was heardcuando solamente tu risa se oía
and I didn't have my gray hair.y yo no tenía mis cabellos grises.

We walked arm in armÍbamos del brazo
and you sighedy tú suspirabas
because very closeporque muy cerquita
I told you: 'My dear...te decía: "Mi bien...
do you see how the moon¿ves como la luna
tangles in the pinesse enreda en los pinos
and its silver lighty su luz de plata
kisses you on the temple?'te besa en la sien?"
To the rare spellAl raro conjuro
of night and mignonettede noche y reseda
the leaves trembledtemblaban las hojas
in the park, as well,del parque, también,
and you asked mey tú me pedías
to recite for youque te recitara
this 'Sonatina'esta "Sonatina"
that Rubén dreamed of:que soñó Rubén:
(Recited:)(Recitado:)
'The princess is sad! What's wrong with the princess?"¡La princesa está triste! ¿Qué tendrá la princesa?
Sighs escape from her strawberry mouth.Los suspiros se escapan de su boca de fresa.
She has lost her laughter, she has lost her color...Que ha perdido la risa, que ha perdido el color...
The princess is pale on her golden chair,La princesa está pálida en su silla de oro,
the keyboard of her sonorous harpsichord is silentestá mudo el teclado de su clave sonoro
and in a glass, forgotten, a flower faints.'y en un vaso, olvidada, se desmaya una flor."

What elves achieved what no longer exists?¿Qué duendes lograron lo que ya no existe?
What bony hand was spinning my woes?¿Qué mano huesuda fue hilando mis males?
And what proud sorrow today has made me so sad,¿Y qué pena altiva hoy me ha hecho tan triste,
sad like the echo of cathedrals?triste como el eco de las catedrales?
Ah!... I know, I know... It was the absent girlfriend,¡Ah!... ya sé, ya sé... Fue la novia ausente,
the one who, when I was a student, loved me.aquella que cuando estudiante, me amaba.
Who, upon dying, I left a kiss on her foreheadQue al morir, un beso le dejé en la frente
because she was cold, because she was leaving me.porque estaba fría, porque me dejaba.