El Niño y El Canario

The Boy and The Canary

El Niño y El Canario

The canary was a beautyEra el canario un primor
And its owner was a little boyY era su dueño un pequeño
Who diligently watched overQue velaba con empeño
The singer's careLos cuidados del cantor

It was a beautiful specimenEra un hermoso ejemplar
With an orange colorDe color anaranjado
It was a resigned prisonerEra un preso resignado
To the mission of singingA la misión de cantar

It was very nice to hearEra muy lindo escuchar
From its melodious throatDe su garganta sonora
The deep note that criesLa nota grave que llora
In a constant rollingEn un constante rolar

Its singing indicatedDaba a entender su trinar
That it was suffering some anguishQue alguna angustia sufría
Because lacking joyPorque falto de alegría
Its song was a sorrowEra su canto un penar

One day its ownerUn cierto día su dueño
The tender little boyEl candoroso pequeño
Who used to be ecstaticQue se solía extasiar
Observing the brillianceAl observar los fulgores
Of such divine colorsDe tan divinos colores
And such a beautiful singingY tan bonito cantar

Took his complaint to the skyLlevó hasta el cielo su queja
Because defeated by the barsPorque vencido a la reja
Of the small prisonDe la pequeña prisión
In nostalgic agonyEn nostálgica agonía
His faithful canary was dyingSu fiel canario moría
Without understanding the reasonSin comprender la razón

Prisoner of deep sorrowPreso de un hondo quebranto
He drowned his eyes in tearsSumió sus ojos en llanto
And with childlike emotionY con infante emoción
He took the prisoner out of the cageQuitó de la jaula al preso
Planted a kiss with his mouthPosó con su boca un beso
On the pink plumageSobre el rosado plumaje
And in his trembling handY en su mano temblorosa
A rose fell asleepQuedó dormida una rosa
That had a heartQue tenía corazón

The wooden boxLa cajita de madera
The wooden boxLa cajita de madera
The same one that containedLa misma que contuviera
Colorful little pencilsLapicitos de color

Was the final abodeFue la morada postrera
Of the one who in his life had beenDe aquel que en su vida fuera
Of the one who in his life had beenDe aquel que en su vida fuera
His most precious valueSu más preciado valor

And in the garden of his houseY en el jardín de su casa
And in the garden of his houseY en el jardín de su casa
At a very short distanceA distancia muy escasa
From a legendary walnut treeDe un legendario nogal

The poor creature criedLloró la pobre criatura
The poor creature criedLloró la pobre criatura
While digging the graveAl cavar la sepultura
Of his singing canaryDe su canario cantor