El Vals de los Jubilados

The Waltz of the Retirees

El Vals de los Jubilados

He gets up very earlySe levanta muy temprano
with the whole day ahead.con todo el día por delante.
And he wanders around the house,Y da vueltas por la casa,
getting in the way everywhere.estorbando en todas partes.
He finally ties his tie,Se anuda al fin la corbata,
once so elegant.en tiempos tan elegante.
Just like a brush,Lo mismito que un pincel
the old man goes out into the street.el viejo se echa a la calle.

With bread under his armCon el pan debajo el brazo
he visits all the bars.visita todos los bares.
Tomás, pour us some red wineTomás, ponnos unos tintos
I'll treat my friends.que invito a las amistades.
He loudly solves the world's problemsA voces arregla el mundo
and loudly, even if he goes too far,y a voces, aunque se pase,
he pontificates about bullfighting,pontifica de los toros,
about the league and singing.de la liga y del cante.

"If things, I tell you,"Si las cosas, ya le digo,
blew with different winds,soplaran con otros aires,
and that damn wary aquella maldita guerra
didn't end as it did,como acabó no acabase,
neither would I be here now,ni aquí estaría yo ahora,
nor you. And most likelyni usted. Y lo más probable
the same old storyes que la tortilla misma
would have to be turned around".la vuelta tendría que darse".

And he sighs nostalgicallyY suspira con nostalgia
for the one who knows everything.de aquel que todo lo sabe.
And a glance at that girl,Y una mirada a esa niña,
age doesn't satisfy hunger.que la edad no mata el hambre.
Today is the twenty-eighth dayHoy es día veintiocho
and the pension is late.y la pensión viene tarde.
"For us old folks, I tell you,"A los viejos, ya le digo,
no one takes away what we've danced".lo bailao no nos quita nadie".

With a little wine in his systemCon un vinito en el cuerpo
the old man opens his house.el viejo a su casa se abre.
She waits for him at the door.Ella lo espera en la puerta.
"What a body you bring me"."Menudo cuerpo me traes".
They both eat in silence.Comen los dos en silencio.
Occasionally a sentenceDe vez en cuando una frase
breaks the four walls.rompe las cuatro paredes.
"Were you saying something? Did you talk to me?"."¿Decías algo?¿Me hablaste?".

After so many years of hearing each otherSon tantos años de oírse
they don't know how to listen.que no saben escucharse.
"Do you know anything about the kids?""¿Sabes algo de los chicos?"
"The oldest called yesterday afternoon"."El mayor llamó ayer tarde".
They spend time in silence.Pasan el tiempo en silencio.
After eating, they don't go out.Después de comer no salen.
Then they have dinner and watch TVLuego cenan y ven tele
for a while before going to bed.un ratito y a acostarse.

If things, it's true,Si las cosas, es verdad,
blew with different winds.soplaran con otros aires.
If the shadow of oblivionSi la sombra del olvido
doesn't erase with timecon el tiempo no arrastrase
memories that in this autumnrecuerdos que en este otoño
leave the landscape orphaned,dejan huérfano el paisaje,
another story would be told,otro gallo cantaría,
perhaps it wouldn't be too late.quizá no sería tan tarde.

And he sighs nostalgicallyY suspira con nostalgia
for the one who knows everything.de aquel que todo lo sabe.
And a glance at that girl,Y una mirada a esa niña,
age doesn't satisfy hunger.que la edad no mata el hambre.
Today is the twenty-eighth dayHoy es día veintiocho
and the pension is late.y la pensión viene tarde
For us old folks, I tell you,A los viejos, ya le digo,
no one takes away what we've danced.lo bailao no nos quita nadie.