La Mazamorra

The Mazamorra

La Mazamorra

The mazamorraLa mazamorra

The mazamorra, you knowLa mazamorra, sabes
Is 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 Inca ViracochaAl inca Viracocha
Because he invented cornPorque inventó el maiz
And taught its cultivationY enseñó su cultivo

In a trough it comesEn una artesa viene
To bring the family togetherPara unir la familia
Greeted by the oldSaludada por viejos
Celebrated by kidsFestejada por niños
Over there where the goatsAllá donde las cabras
Climb up in silenceRemontan en silencio
And hunger is a cloudY el hambre es una nube
With wings of wheatCon las alas de trigo

Everything is beautiful in itTodo es hermoso en ella
The ripe ear of cornLa mazorca madura
That they shuck on nightsQue desgranan en noches
Of country windsDe vientos campesinos
The mortar and the girlEl mortero y la moza
With braids on her shoulderCon trenzas sobre el hombro
Who mixes among the grainsQue 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 espésala con leves
Careful gesturesAdemanes prolijos
From the cut rockerDel mecedor cortado
Of fig tree branchesDe ramas de la higuera
That in the afternoon gives shadeQue a la siesta da sombra
To the benteveos and figsA benteveos e higos

And if you want, addY si quieres, agrégale
A pinch of jume ashUna pizca de ceniza de jume
That plant that sums upEsa planta que resume
The salty desertsLos desiertos salinos
And let the flameY deja que la llama
Pass on its strengthLe transmita su fuerza
Until it acquires a tintHasta que adquiera un tinte
Slightly amberLevemente ambarino
When you eat it you feelCuando la comes sientes
That the people are with youQue el pueblo te acompaña
Along the valleysA lo largo de valles
Through river bendsPor recodos de ríos
When you eat it, you feelCuando la comes, sientes
That the land is your motherQue la tierra es tu madre
More than the sad old womanMás que la anciana triste
Waiting on the roadQue espera en el camino
For your return from the fieldTu regreso del campo
She is the mother of your motherEs madre de tu madre
And her face is a stoneY su rostro es una piedra
Carved by centuriesTrabajada 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 será siempre
What it was for the IncaLo que fue para el inca
Nourisher of the peoplesNodriza de los pueblos
In the Andean highlandsEn el paramo andino

The night they executeLa noche en que fusilen
Poets and singersPoetas y cantores
For having betrayedPor haber traicionado
For having corruptedPor haber corrompido
The music and the pollenLa música y el polen
The birds and the fireLos pájaros y el fuego
Maybe these verses I sayQuizás a mí me salven
Will save meEstos versos que digo