A Quien Corresponda

To Whom It May Concern

A Quien Corresponda

A servant, Joan Manuel SerratUn servidor, Joan Manuel Serrat
Married, of legal ageCasado, mayor de edad
Resident of Camprodón, GeronaVecino de Camprodón, Gerona
Son of Ángeles and JosephHijo de Ángeles y de Joseph
By profession a singer-songwriterDe profesión cantautor
Born in BarcelonaNatural de Barcelona
As stated in the Civil RegistrySegún obra en el Registro Civil
Today, Monday, April 20, 1981Hoy, lunes 20 de abril de 1981
With the strength at his disposalCon las fuerzas de que dispone
Respectfully states: (colon)Atentamente expone: (dos puntos)

That apples don't smellQue las manzanas no huelen
That no one knows the neighborQue nadie conoce al vecino
That the elderly are set asideQue a los viejos se les aparta
After having served us wellDespués de habernos servido bien

That the sea is dyingQue el mar está agonizando
That no one trusts their brotherQue no hay quién confíe en su hermano
That the earth fell into the handsQue la tierra cayó en manos
Of some crazy people with a cardDe unos locos con carnet

That the world is toll and experimentalQue el mundo es de peaje y experimental
That everything is disposable and provisionalQue todo es desechable y provisional
That the accounts don't add upQue no nos salen las cuentas
That the reforms never endQue las reformas nunca se acaban
That we always arrive lateQue llegamos siempre tarde
Where nothing ever happensDonde nunca pasa nada

For these and many more deficienciesPor eso y muchas deficiencias más
Which are specified in an annexQue en un anexo se especifican
Without setting a precedentSin que sirva de precedente
Respectfully requestsRespetuosamente, suplica

To please take actionSe sirva tomar medidas
And call to order those bunglersY llamar al orden a esos chapuceros
Who leave everything in a messQue lo dejan todo perdido
In the name of the staffEn nombre del personal

But do it urgentlyPero hágalo urgentemente
So that more heroes or miraclesPara que no sean necesarios
Are not neededMás héroes ni más milagros
To tidy up the placePa' adecentar el local

There is no other timeNo hay otro tiempo
Than the one we've been givenQue el que nos ha 'tocao'
Make it clear who's in chargeAcláreles quién manda
And who's the one 'mandao'Y quién es el 'mandao'

And if it's not within your powerY si no estuviera en su mano
To put a stop to such abusesPoner coto a tales desmanes
Have them copy a hundred timesMándeles copiar cien veces
That 'those things are not done'Que "esas cosas no se hacen"

Grace that he hopes to deserveGracia que espera merecer
From the upright conductDel recto proceder
Of one who is not usually deceivedDe quien no suele llamarse a engaño
Whom God may keep for many years, amenA quien Dios guarde muchos años, amén