La Sirenita

The Little Mermaid

La Sirenita

As a fisherman passed byAl pasar un pescador
in his seafaring boaten su barca marinera
next to the rocksjunto a las rocas
bathed by the seaque baña el mar
he heard a voice singing ...oyó una voz cantar ...
and rowing closery remando se acercó
where the breakwater breaks,donde rompe la escollera,
with crazy longingcon ansias locas
to capturede aprisionar
that sweet voice.la dulce voz aquella.

When he threwCuando tiró
the net of his netsla malla de sus redes
he caught the little mermaidpescó a la sirenita
with green reflections.de los reflejos verdes.
The fishermanEl pescador
saw her in the moonlight,la vió con luz de luna,
and when he tried to touch her,y al quererla tocar,
to escape from himpara escapar de él
she turned into foam.se convirtió en espuma.

Since then every timeDesde entonces cada vez
the moon is fullque la luna es luna llena
in his little boaten su barquilla
the fisherman goesva el pescador
looking for a murmur ...buscando un rumor ...
but the only singingpero el único cantar
is never from the mermaid,nunca es de la sirena,
but from wavessino de olas
breaking there,al reventar allá,
in the calm sea.en la mar serena.

Below him,Bajo de él,
in the depths,en las profundidades,
the mermaid playedjugaba la sirena
with pearls and corals,con perlas y corales,
freelyen libertad
far beyond his reach;muy lejos de su alcance;
never coming out againsin salir nunca más
because the law of the seaporque la ley del mar
does not know of romance.no sabe de romance.