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The Letter
This is the story of a young man
who one day at the end of one of our concerts
approached us and told us:
"I'm one of your followers,
your lives are very different from mine,
you sing your songs and I work; carrying bricks
but when I hear you sing, I believe we are the same.
Forgive my forwardness
but you come and go,
perhaps you can help me".
And as he dried a tear from his eye
and put a hand in his pocket,
this is what he said to us:
"Take this letter to my mother,
perhaps soon you'll sing in my town.
I have no acquaintances nor relatives,
I know you'll understand
my brazen dare.
My little town is quaint and picturesque
its streets are dirt roads, they're not cemented
in the square, there's an image of San Judas
to whom I entrusted myself
when I left on this venture.
On the main street is her house
it's different from the rest
it has a roof now made of concrete
it's painted blue
almost like the sky itself".
As a matter of fact, it was destined to be
that our music would follow that path,
and we arrived in that town,
it was very hard to find that house,
it was the saddest and poorest of them all,
a little old woman who could barely stand opened the door
and with a little uncertainty
and a look in her eyes, she said: "Yes, sir?"
Ma'am, good afternoon, pardon the intrusion,
your son gave me something for you
it's a letter, one which I hand over to you
I have fulfilled my promise, and I'll be on my way.
I turned around and the woman interjected:
"I apologize for the inconvenience" and looked to me
"I don't know how to read, I was never taught;
I know you'll understand, please read it to me"
Of course, ma'am, with much pleasure:
October 13th of 2012,
Los Angeles, California
8:59PM
this is what the letter says:
"Dear mother, I don't know where to begin
I'll start with telling you how much I miss you,
I miss the tortillas you used to make me,
I miss your scoldings, I miss your food.
Here, my life is a routine like always
I have two jobs, and sometimes I don't finish
but it doesn't matter that I work myself to death
so that you don't want for nothing
so that you aren't struggling.
Precisely today, makes thirteen years
of that afternoon that I came to the United States
your blessings worked,
thank my father, his advice has served me well.
Dear mother, my most darling mother
I hope for the day I depart
I promise you, I'll return soon
to make my dream of embracing you both again come true".
mikistli✕
Translations of "La Carta"
English #1, #2
Comments
Russia is waging a disgraceful war on Ukraine. Stand With Ukraine!
About translator
Outstanding!