La Madre del Cordero

The Mother of the Lamb

La Madre del Cordero

We grew up, since we were kids, together in 'El Miraor'Nos criamos, desde chicos, juntos en "El Miraor"
my father? an old farmhand, his? an administrator.mi padre? peón antiguo, el suyo? administrador.
Of course, when one is a kid, they don't understand the difference.Claro que cuando uno es chico no entiende la diferencia.
How nice it would have been to own such tremendous innocence!¡Qué lindo haber sido dueño ¿no? de tan tremenda inocencia!
The estate, playing, we had 'explored' it all,El fundo jugando, entero, lo habíamos "recorrío",
I almost always won because I was a bit 'bigger',yo le ganaba casi siempre porque era algo más "crecío",
she picked flowers, I pulled her braids,ella me juntaba flores, yo, le tiraba las trenzas,
and so time passed almost without us realizing.y así se nos pasó el tiempo casi sin darnos ni cuenta.
It was my turn to go out to the field, to 'peel the garlic',A mi me tocó salir, al campo, a "pelar el ajo",
I wasn't such a little kid anymore, I was good for work.ya no era tan "cauro" chico t'aba gueno p'al trabajo.
Of course, every afternoon we went out for a walkClaro que todas las tardes salíamos a pasear
and we looked at each other a lot without finding what to talk about.y nos mirábamos mucho sin hallar qué conversar
I rehearsed 'everything' all day of what I was going to ask,Yo me ensayaba "toíto" el día de lo que iba a pedir,
but when I was close, I couldn't find what to say.pero cuando estaba cerca, no encontraba qué decir.
I don't know what happened to me when she was by my side,No sé lo que me pasaba cuando la tenía a mi "lao"
my throat tightened and I got stuck there.se me "anudaba el cogote" y ahí me quedaba "pegao".
One day she told me she was leaving the estate,Un día me dijo, ella, que se iba a "dir" de la hacienda,
she was being sent to study, to the nuns, I think, to learnla mandaban a estudiar, a las monjas, creo, p'a que aprienda
how to sew, to knit, to read, 'Don Guille' had saida coser, a tejer, a leer, había dicho "Don Guille"
books are good things and you have to know what they say.los libros son cosa buena y hay que saber lo que dicen.
I felt a sadness when she told me she was leaving,A mi me "dentró" una pena, cuando me dijo que se iba,
I gathered strength from within and told her I loved her.que saqué juerzas de "aentro" y le dije que la quería.
She didn't say anything, she blushed,Ella no contestó na', se puso coloraíta,
and I stole a kiss from her own little mouth.y yo que le robo un beso de su "mesmita" boquita.
Time passed, a couple of years, and I never forgot about her,Pasó el tiempo, un par de años, y nunca me olvidé de ella,
at night I saw her looking at me from a star.por las noches la veía mirándome de una estrella.
She also loved me, I was sure of that,Ella "tamién" me quería, yo estaba seguro d'eso,
the sweet taste of her kiss had told me so.me lo había dicho el gusto, dulcecito, de su beso.
A man, when he's a real man, I thought, must know what's going on,El hombre cuando es bien hombre, me dije, ha de saber lo que pasa,
I got her address from one of the housemaids.me "agencié" su dirección con una empleá 'e las casas.
Francisco wrote me the letter and, although I didn't get a response,Francisco me hizo la carta y, aunque no tuve respuesta,
I didn't die because of that, what is good always costs.no me eché a morir por eso, lo que es bueno, siempre cuesta.
Some time later, the estate woke up 'disturbed',"Tiempazo" después el fundo amaneció "trastornao",
the old ladies from the big house were running around,las viejas de la casona, oiga, corrían p'a "lao" y "lao".
two heifers turned around, the young girls how they entered!se "voltiaron" dos vaquillas, las chuicas ¡cómo dentraban!
they scraped the tortillas and the 'empanadas' sizzled.se raspaban las tortillas y las "empanás" chirriaban.
The tables were set, the place for the singers,Se acomodaron las mesas, el lugar p'a las cantoras,
everything was decorated with copihues and totora leaves.se adornó "too" con copihues y con hojas de totora.
I didn't feel joy, I felt 'everything' at once,A mi, no me dio alegría, me dio "too" junto "al tiro",
the girl Rosa was coming back, next to me again.la niña Rosa volvía, de nuevo, p'al lao mío.
Then I wanted to give up, I even thought I didn't deserve her,Después me quiso dar "mieo" pensé hasta en no merecerla,
but I sent the fear to hell and I gathered courage to see her.pero mandé el miedo" al "diaulo" y me "cacharpié" p'a verla.
There came my girl, lovelier than the sky itself,Ahí venía mi niña, más linda que el mismo cielo,
with her red lips, where I had placed my kiss.con su misma boca roja, esa, a'onde puse mi beso.
She was wearing a dress that dazzled the eyes,Venía con un vestío que encandilaba los ojos,
Don Guille took her arm, he was overjoyed.tomá del brazo 'e Don Guille que no cabía de gozo.
We went to eat, the jugs were uncovered,Pasamos a la "comía", se destaparon los chuicos,
the wine flowed, it was a pleasure.el vino ¡cómo corría!, oiga, cosa era que daba gusto.
Then we started dancing, the guitars tuned,Después le entramos al baile, se afinaron las vihuelas,
and the 'adre' heated up with the sound of the 'cuecas'.y se calentaba el "adre" con el "tañar" de las cuecas.
I couldn't talk to my girl, she was very 'busy'No pude hablar con mi niña, 'tuvo, muy "ocupaaza"
talking to the guests and other 'important' people.hablando con las visitas y otra gente "importantaza".
Days later, one afternoon, while I was in the corral,Días después, una tarde, estando yo en el corral,
I was already thinking of forgetting her when I heard someone call me.pensaba ya en olvidarla cuando me siento llamar.
'Venancio!', they said, 'Beno!', and I kept looking at her,¡Venancio!, me dicen, ¡Beno!, y me la quedo mirando,
there was my beautiful girl, crying with pure joy.ahí 'taba mi niña linda, de pura dicha, llorando.
We hugged each other tightly. Had you forgotten me?Nos abrazamos bien juerte. ¿Ud. me había olvidao?
'Never!', I said, and I kissed her like I had never kissed before.¡Jamás!, le digo, y la beso como nunca había besao.
We kept meeting, she was mine to the boneNos seguimos encontrando, era mía hasta los huesos
and I also loved her, even if it meant dying for it.y yo "tamién" la quería, aunque muriera por eso.
I have two hands, I told her, to make you happyTengo dos manos, le decía p'a hacer su felicidad
and she would get sad when she heard me speak.y ella se me entristecía cuando me sentía hablar.
One day Don Guille came to talk, man to man,Un día vino Don Guille, a conversar, dijo, de hombre a hombre,
he said very nice things, with titles and names,habló cosas muy bonitas, con apelativo y nombre,
he told me to let her go, that Rosa was grown upme dijo que la dejara, que la Rosa estaba grande
and that childish things should be forgotten.y que las cosas de niño deberían olvidarse.
Understand, Venancio, he said, that she's not from here,Entiende Venancio, dijo, que ella no es de este lugar,
she's a lady and will someday get married,es "toa" una señorita y algún día se va a casar,
not to a farmhand, and not to belittle,no con un peón de fundo, y no es por desmerecer,
life is sad, Venancio, but what can you do.la vida es triste, Venancio, pero qué se le va hacer.
He convinced me very well, then he let me go.Me la "empató" muy re bien, después me soltó "el doblao".
Understand well, Beno, what I'm telling you, or 'cut' to another side.Entiende bien Beno, lo que le digo si no, "cortai" p'a otro lao.
So I got into the 'tomas', the work, I thought, even if I lose it,Ahí me metí a las "tomas", ¿el trabajo?, me dije, aunque lo pierda,
I fought even with the 'pacos' with a whip in hand.me "pelié" hasta con los "pacos" a punta'e rebenque mierda.
Forty days drinking, dancing 'cueca' with determination,Cuarenta días tomando, bailando cueca "aperrao",
I had saved some money for that and I'm not a 'fijao'.p'a eso había "juntao" alguna plata y no soy ningún "fijao".
'Life is sad, Venancio', that doesn't go with me,"La vida es triste Venancio", eso no corre conmigo,
as long as there are 'good girls', life is life, my friend.mientras haya "chinas" "güenas" la vida es vida, mi amigo.
I went from 'chincol to jote', I showed the world who's boss,Tiré "de chincol a jote", le saqué al mundo la madre,
I was jailed for being a troublemaker and I drank even vinegar.'tuve preso por rosquero y me tomé hasta el vinagre.
And here I am now, 'puh', with empty pockets,Y aquí me tienen ahora, "puh", con los bolsillos "pelaos,
without a job anywhere and with a swollen face.sin "pega" en ninguna parte y con el "hocico" "hinchao".
And here comes the problem: I still love her.Y se me viene el problema: "tovía" la estoy queriendo.
Men, I once said, think like men and I don't recognize myself.Los hombres, dije una vez, piensan como hombres y me estoy desconociendo.
Rosa is mine or 'nobody's', prejudices? Screw them!La Rosa es mía o de "naide", ¿los prejuicios? ¡a la cresta!
and if it's hard for Don Guille to have me as a son-in-law,y si a Don Guille tenerme, de yerno, tanto le cuesta,
we'll have to fix this situation right away,habrá que poner remedio "al tiro" a esta situación,
I don't see, for these things, the difference between 'employee' and boss.yo no veo, p'a estas cosas, la diferencia entre "empleao"y patrón.
If they come looking for me 'badly', 'well then', I'll go down fighting,Si me buscan " a la mala", "güeno poh", a la mala bajo al vino,
and this is already 'decided' by the only way.y esto ya está "decidío" por el único camino.
When one loves 'for real', God knows it's not a slight,Cuando uno quiere "a la güena" Dios sabe que no es desaire,
I'm a hardworking man, I don't bow down to anyone,yo soy un roto 'e trabajo, no le agacho el moño "a naiden",
so tonight, I'll grab my horse and gear,así es que esta misma noche, agarro "pingo" y "apero",
I'll steal Rosa, damn it, there's the mother of the lamb!¡me robo a la Rosa, mierda, ahí 'tá la madre 'el cordero!