La Cauzaleña

The River Girl

La Cauzaleña

Belly of the whirlpoolsVientre de los remolinos
Round stonePiedra de canto rodao
Jumping, the fisherman carriesChimpando lleva el bagrero
His spine to the other sideSu espina pa'l otro lao

A riverside danceUna zamba ribereña
Little eyesOjitos de piquillin
In love, dancingEnamorada bailando
To the whistle of a fluteDel silbo de un quetubi

Sieves of love and dreamsZarandas de amor y sueños
Fences of painPalizadas del dolor
Old laborer cartsViejos carros jornaleros
Resting for prayerReposando a la oración

Taking advantage of the nightAprovechando la noche
The fisherman goes out to searchSale el chayuero a buscar
A school of hopesUn cardumen de esperanzas
That the river leaves behindQue el río deja al pasar

Wrinkling its back, the river runsArrugando el lomo corre
Without restEl río sin descansar
Whipping the cliffsChicotiando las barrancas
The bull of the current bellowsBrama el toro del caudal

The demon of the riverEl demonio vidalero
Sitting on the reedsSentado arriba el juncal
White and foamy wavesBlancas y oberas espumas
Drawing on the sandDibujando el arenal

A shack facing northUn rancho mirando al norte
Nestled by the willowsArrimadito al sauzal
So the boatman can sleepPa que dormite el botero
When the storm comes downCuando baje el temporal

Taking advantage of the nightAprovechando la noche
The fisherman goes out to searchSale el chayuero a buscar
A school of hopesUn cardumen de esperanzas
That the river leaves behindQue el río deja al pasar