Si Se Calla El Cantor

If the Singer is Silenced

Si Se Calla El Cantor

If the singer is silencedSi se calla cantor
life is silenced too,calla la vida,
because life itselfporque la vida misma
is all a songes toda un canto

If the singer is silencedSi se calla el cantor
hope, light,muere de espanto
and joyla esperanza, la luz
all die of fright...la alegría...

If the singer is silencedSi se calla el cantor
the humblese quedan solos
sparrows of the streetslos humildes
are left alone...gorriones de los diarios...

The dockworkersLos obreros del puerto
cross themselvesse persignan
who will fightquién habrá de luchar
for their wages?por su salario?

And what will become of lifeY qué ha de ser de la vida
if the one who singssi el que canta
doesn't raise his voice in the standsno levanta su voz en las tribunas

For those who sufferPor el que sufre
and for those with no reasony por el que no hay ninguna razón
condemned to walk without a blanketque le condene a andar sin manta

If the singer is silencedSi se calla el cantor
the rose dies,muere la rosa,
and what good isy de qué sirve
the rose without the song...la rosa sin el canto...

The song must be a lightDebe el canto ser luz
over the fieldssobre los campos
always illuminatingiluminando siempre
those below...a los de abajo...

Let the singer not be silent,Que no calle el cantor,
because silence,porque el silencio,
cowardly, shelterscobarde apaña
the evil that oppressesla maldad que oprime

Singers don't knowNo saben los cantores
how to bow downde agachadas
they will never be silentno callarán jamás
in the face of crime...de frente al crimen...

Let all the flags be raised,Que se levanten todas las banderas,
when the singer stands with his crycuando el cantor se plante con su grito
and let a thousand guitars bleed in the nighty que mil guitarras desangren en la noche
an immortal song to infinityuna inmortal canción al infinito

If the singer is silenced...Si se calla el cantor...
life is silenced!calla la vida!