El Pajarillo

The Little Bird

He was a young little bird, living by the canal
Of a hidden stream, in Equatorial Guinea
And they told in his village, with suspicion and curiosity
That in some Northern country they celebrated Christmas
He decided to soar the sky, to know it personally
Because they said his story was capable of transforming
'You're crazy,' they told him, 'you'll never achieve it'
But the desire in his soul and his longing to fly was greater

Who are you, Christmas?
Where can I find you?
I'm willing to cross the world to know if you're real
To see if it's true that you can make a mortal happy

And he flew over the mountains, from the jungle to the sea
Night after night, day after day, he refused to rest
Evading dangers, he managed to cross the sea
And reaching the continent he said to himself: 'I'm going to make it'
But what was his amazement, his sadness and disappointment
When he saw that those people were the same inside
They knew the story, and their color was different
But the deep void in their being was the same, they lived without love
Who are you, Christmas? Where can I find you?
I'm willing to cross the world to know if you're real
To see if it's true that you can make a mortal happy
He took flight again, although a bit slower now
Because the cold was affecting his tropical blood
And suddenly he realized he couldn't fly
And he fell on the snow, struggling to breathe
A girl in the morning, took him to her home
Where, by the fire, they celebrated Christmas
He was still breathing, he could see that place
And with a last breath, he heard
The sublime and unique story
Oh come, come to me, Christmas! I'm a tropical little bird
It's hard to find you, in a world of adversity
I finally see you and greet you
I know your encounter is my end

To reach you I've lost everything and yet
I've learned to fly, I've gained your truth
Knowing you, I now know what love is