El Títere
A un compadrito le canto
Que era el patrón y el ornato
De las casas menos santas
Del barrio de triunvirato
Atildado en el vestir
Medio mandón en el trato
Negro el chambergo y la ropa
Negro el charol del zapato
Como luz para el manejo
Le marcaba un garabato
En la cara al más garifo
De un solo brinco, a lo gato
Bailarín y jugador
No sé si chino o mulato
Lo mimaba el conventillo
Que hoy se llama inquilinato
A las pardas zaguaneras
No les resultaba ingrato
El amor de ese valiente
Que les dio tan buenos ratos
El hombre, según se sabe
Tiene firmado un contrato
Con la muerte. En cada esquina
Lo anda acechando el mal rato
Ni la cuartiada ni el grito
Lo salvan al candidato
La muerte sabe, señores
Llegar con sumo recato
Un balazo lo paró
En Thames y Triunvirato
Se mudó a un barrio vecino
El de la quinta del ñato
The Puppet
To a compadrito I sing
Who was the boss and the ornament
Of the less holy houses
In the neighborhood of Triunvirato
Elegant in dress
Somewhat bossy in manner
Black the hat and the clothes
Black the patent leather of the shoe
Like a light for handling
He marked a scrawl
On the face of the most cunning
In one leap, like a cat
Dancer and gambler
I don't know if Chinese or mulatto
He was pampered by the tenement
Which today is called a tenement
To the brown-skinned women
The love of that brave man
Who gave them such good times
Was not ungrateful
The man, as is known
Has signed a contract
With death. On every corner
The bad time is stalking him
Neither the split nor the shout
Save the candidate
Death knows, gentlemen
How to arrive with great caution
A gunshot stopped him
On Thames and Triunvirato
He moved to a neighboring neighborhood
The one from the ñato's estate