O Vello e o Sapo

The Old Man and the Toad

O Vello e o Sapo

From the distant village the rooftops smoke;Da aldea lonxana fumegan as tellas
Behind the hills the sun is setting;Detrás dos petoutos vai póndose o sol
The sheep return to the fields with the nightRetornan prós eidos coa noite as ovellas
Nibbling on the tender grass edges.Tiscando nas beiras o céspede mol

An old man, leaning on a walking stick,Un vello, arrimado nun pao de sanguiño
Crosses the mountain towards the pine forest.O monte atravesa de cara ó pinar
He's tired; he found a stone on the pathVai canso, unha pedra topóu no camiño
And sat on it to catch his breath.E nela sentóuse pra folgos tomar

- Oh! - he said - how sad!¡Ai! Dixo, ¡qué triste!
How sad I am!¡Qué triste eu estóu!
And the toad, listening,I on sapo, que oía
Replied: - Croak, croak!Repuso: ¡Cro, cro!

The souls are ringing! ... on a night like this¡Ás ánemas tocan! Tal noite como ésta
My house burned down, my wife died;Queimóuseme a casa, morréume a muller
My crops burned in the yard, and the livestock,Ardéume a xugada na corte, i a besta
The seeds I planted in the ground were lost.Na terra a semente botóuse a perder

I sold the vineyards, orchards, and gardensVendín prós trabucos bacelos e hortas
And now I wander the world begging;E vou polo mundo de entón a pedir
But when I find the doors closedMais cando non topo pechadas as portas
The dogs chase me out and make me flee.Os cans sáienme a elas e fanme fuxir

- Sing, toad, sing;canta, sapo, canta
You and I are two! ... -Tí i eu ¡somos dous! ...
And the sorrowful toadI o sapo choroso
Sang: - Croak, croak!Cantaba:¡Cro, cro!

Alone we both are on this earth.Soliños estamos entrambos na terra
But you find a hole in it and I do not;Mais nela un buraco tí alcontras i eu non
The mountain winds don't bite you,A ti non te morden os ventos da serra
While my insides and bones are gnawed.I a min as entranas i os ósos me rón

You, born in the mountains, wait in the mountains,Tí, nado nos montes, nos montes esperas
Singing side by side, to see your land;De cote cantando, teu térmeno ver
I, born among men, sleeping among beasts,Eu, nado entre os homes, dormendo entre as feras
And death I do not find, if I want to die.E morte non hacho, si quero morrer

- They're ringing ... let's pray,Xa tocan, recemos
They say there is a god! ... -¡Que dicen que hai Dios! ...
He prays, and the toadEl reza, i o sapo
Sang: - Croak, croak!Cantaba:¡Cro, cro!

The night closed in, and the moon's rayA noite cerraba, i o raio da lúa
Began to shine on the pale peaks;Nas lívidas cumes comenza a brillar
A strange light dazzles in the dawnCurisco que tolle nos álbores brúa
And in the distance the wolf's howl is heard.I escóitase ó lexos o lobo oubear

The poor old man, bent with age,O probe do vello cos anos cangado
Rose from the stone and picked up his stick;Erguéuse da pedra i o pau recadóu
He raised his clenched fist to the sky,Viróu para os ceos o puño pechado
And muttering towards the thickets he went...E cara ós touzales rosmando marchóu

With eyes following himCos ollos seguíndoo
Into the dark expanse,Na escura estensión
The toad remainedO sapo quedouse
Singing: Croak, croak!Cantando: ¡Cro, cro!