Si Se Calla El Cantor (part. Mercedes Sosa)

If the Singer is Silenced (feat. Mercedes Sosa)

Si Se Calla El Cantor (part. Mercedes Sosa)

If the singer is silenced, life is silencedSi se calla el cantor, calla la vida
Because life, life itself, is a whole songPorque la vida, la vida misma, es todo un canto
If the singer is silenced, hope dies of frightSi se calla el cantor, muere de espanto
Hope, light, and joyLa esperanza, la luz y la alegría

If the singer is silenced, the humble sparrowsSi se calla el cantor, se quedan solos
From the newspapers are left aloneLos humildes gorriones de los diarios
The port workers cross themselvesLos obreros del puerto se persignan
Who will fight for their wagesQuién habrá de luchar por su salario

What will become of life if the one who singsQue ha de ser de la vida si el que canta
Does not raise his voice in the standsNo levanta su voz en las tribunas
For those who suffer, for those who havePor el que sufre, por el que no hay
No reason to walk without a blanketNinguna razón que lo condene a andar sin manta

If the singer is silenced, the rose diesSi se calla el cantor, muere la rosa
What good is the rose without the songDe que sirve la rosa sin el canto
The song must be a light over the fieldsDebe el canto ser luz sobre los campos
Always illuminating those belowIluminando siempre a los de abajo

Let the singer not be silenced, because silenceQue no calle el cantor, porque el silencio
Cowardly shelters the evil that oppressesCobarde apaña la maldad que oprime
Singers do not know about hidingNo saben los cantores de agachadas
They will never be silent in the face of crimeNo callarán jamás de frente al crimen

Let all the flags be raisedQue se levanten todas las banderas
When the singer stands with his shoutCuando el cantor se plante con su grito
May a thousand guitars bleed in the nightQue mil guitarras desangren en la noche
An immortal song to infinityUna inmortal canción al infinito

If the singer is silenced, life is silencedSi se calla el cantor, calla la vida