La Mazamorra

The Mazamorra

La Mazamorra

The mazamorraLa mazamorra

The mazamorra, you knowLa mazamorra, sabes
It's the bread of the poorEs el pan de los pobres
And the milk of mothersY leche de las madres
With empty breastsCon los senos vacios
I kiss the handsYo le beso las manos
Of the Inca ViracochaAl inca viracocha
Because he invented cornPorque invento el maiz
And taught its cultivationY enseño su cultivo

In a trough it comesEn una artesa viene
To unite the familyPara unir la familia
Greeted by the elderly,Saludada por viejos,
Celebrated by childrenFestejada por niños
Where the goatsAlla donde las cabras
Climb silentlyRemontan en silencio
And hunger is a cloudY el hambre es una nube
With wings of wheatCon las alas de trigo

Everything is beautiful in it,Todo es hermoso en ella,
The ripe cobLa mazorca madura
That shucks on nightsQue desgrana en noches
Of rural windsDe vientos campesinos
The mortar and pestleEl mortero y la maza
With braids over the shoulderCon trenzas sobre el hombro
That among the grains mixQue entre los granos mezcla
Blushes and sighsRubores y suspiros

If you want it perfectSi la quieres perfecta
Look for a clay bowlBusca un cuenco de barro
And thicken it with gentleY espesala con leves
Neat gesturesAdemanes prolijos
From the rocker cutDel mecedor cortados
From fig tree branchesDe ramas de la higuera
That the nap gives shadows,Que la siesta da sombras,
Flycatchers and figs.Benteveos e higos.

And if you want, addY si quieres, agregale
A pinch of jume ashesUna pizca de cenizas de jume
That plant that summarizesEsa planta que resume
The salty desertsLos desiertos salinos
And let the flameY deja que la llama
Transmit its strength to itLe transmita su fuerza
Until it acquires a hueHasta que adquiera un tinte
Slightly amber.Levemente ambarino.
When you eat it you feelCuando la comes sientes
That the town accompanies youQue el pueblo te acompaña
Along valleys,A lo largo de valles,
By river bendsPor recodos de rios
When you eat it, you feelCuando la comes, sientes
That the earth is your motherQue la tierra es tu madre
More than the sad old womanMas que la anciana triste
Waiting on the roadQue espera en el camino
For your return from the fieldTu regreso del campo
It's the mother of your motherEs madre de tu madre
And her face is a stoneY su rostro es una piedra
Worked for centuries.Trabajada por siglos.

There are cities that ignoreHay ciudades que ignoran
Its American tasteSu gusto americano
And many who forgotY muchos que olvidaron
Its Argentine flavorSu sabor argentino
But it will always bePero ella ser siempre
What it was for the IncaLo que fue para el inca
Nurse of the poorNodriza de los pobres
In the Andean moorEn el paramo andino

The night they executeLa noche que fusilen
Poets and singersPoetas y cantores
For having betrayedPor haber traicionado
For having corruptedPor haber corrompido
The music and the pollen,La musica y el polen,
The birds and the fireLos pajaros y el fuego
Perhaps these verses I sayQuizas a mi me salven
Will save me.Estos versos que digo.