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    Romance del campesino → English translation

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Romance del campesino

En las montañas de Borinquen bella
entre la sombras de un cafetal,
vive mi amada linda doncella
la jíbarita de mi cantar.
Cantan las aves en la enramada
murmura el río una oración,
y en la ventana de mi adorada
se oyen las notas de mi canción.
 
Ven aca jíbarita hermosa
que yo voy caminito a la ciuda'
yquisiera besar una vez más
tus labios fecundo' de amor y rosa.
Ay lara lara lay, lo re lo lai lerola
 
Mi jíbarita de tez lozana
de negros ojos y gracias mil
esta esperándome en la ventana
y sonriendo me dice asi:
Dios te bendiga mi dulce amado
te doy ansiosa todo mi amor,
y con mis besos, sueño adorado,
se va contigo mi corazón.
 
Ven aca jíbarito mio,
no te vaya' a quedar en la ciudad
que mañana nos vamos a casar
y te espero solita en el bohío.
Lara la raila relo lai, lo re lo lai lerola.
 
No hay otra tierra como mi tierra
de ricas mieles y buen café,
por eso siempre mi vida entera
en mi bohío yo viviré.
Lerolay, oh Borinquen bella,
que bonito se ve tu platanar,
y que lindo se ve de madrugá'
ese cielo bordado con estrellas.
Ay lara lara la lo relo lai lerola.
 
Translation

Farmer's Romance

In the mountains of beautiful Borinquen1
among the shadows of a coffee plantation,
lives my beloved beautiful girl
the young peasant of my singing.
the birds are singing on the arbour
the river is humming a prayer
and at the window of my adored one
the notes of my song are heard
 
Come here pretty little peasant
'cause I'm on my way to the city
'cause tomorrow we're going to be strolling
around your fertile and rosy lips
Ay lara lara lay, lo re lo lai lerola
 
My little peasant of lusty complexion
of black eyes and of thousand charms
is waiting for me at the window
and smiling she tells me:
may God bless you my sweet loved one
I'm eagerly giving you all my love
and with my kisses, adorable dream
my heart is always following you
 
Come here my peasant boy
don't go staying at the city long
'cause we're going to get married tomorrow
and I expect you in the shack all alone
Lara la raila relo lai, lo re lo lai lerola
 
There's no other land like my land
with delicious honeys and good coffee
this is why forever my whole life
I'll live it in my shack.
Lerolay oh beautiful Borinquen
how nice it is to see your banana trees
and how nice it is to see at daybreak
that sky embroidered with stars
Ay lara lara la lo relo lai lerola
 
  • 1. Puerto Rico
Please help to translate "Romance del ..."
La Sonora Matancera: Top 3
Comments
roster 31roster 31
   Fri, 26/09/2014 - 22:44

Nice translation, Evan.
I'll be back for some comments.
Thanks, for now.

roster 31roster 31
   Sun, 28/09/2014 - 02:14

Hola Evan,
I am doing a very bad job: I just wrote all my comments and, apparently, I din't save them. They are gone. I'll start all over again:

Preferencia;
I would leave the word "Borinquen" with a foot note, and I would do the same with "jibarita".
The word "jíbaro" although originally was the name of an Indian tribe, today is used, more so, in reference to country people, a peasant. Notice that the title says "campesino" (country man).

Suggestions and possible corrections:
1. First stanza, last two verses - "...en la ventana...se oyen las notas...", I don't think it ia "through", he is saying that the song reaches her window, where she is waiting.
2. Second stanza - "yo voy caminito a la ciuda", he is in his way to town.
3. Third stanza - I made a correction in the original: "Mi jibarita de tez lozana".
This stanza is good although the original actually says, at the end, "... and with my kisses (my adorable dream) my heart goes with you", or "along with my kisses...."
4. Next, fourth stanza, she is the one talking. (Notice she says "jibarito"), and she is asking HIM not to stay in the city, 'cause she is waiting.

At the end, HE seems to be the one repeating the lyrics. This is not right. The original song says something like:
"...que bonito se ve tu platanar (?)
y que lindo se ve de madrugá'
en el cielo bordado com estrellas".

I can't hear well the lyrics in the video. Could you check?

Eso es todo lo que tengo que decir. No...

evfokasevfokas
   Sun, 28/09/2014 - 10:46

Thank you Rosa for your help and vote, I think he says
Oh Borinquen bella
que bonito se ve tu platanar (tus plátanos)
y que lindo se ve de madrugá'
ese cielo bordado con estrellas

roster 31roster 31
   Sat, 27/09/2014 - 18:09
5

...gracias otra vez!
Got it!

roster 31roster 31
   Sun, 28/09/2014 - 10:55

Dice "platanar", ¿verdad? Lo voy a cambiar. Gracias. (You do the same).

evfokasevfokas
   Sun, 28/09/2014 - 11:01

I'll wait till you update the lyrics

roster 31roster 31
   Sun, 28/09/2014 - 11:06

Está bien.

I did. Let me double check.

roster 31roster 31
   Sun, 28/09/2014 - 11:37

Thak you. One more thing:
Second stanza, verses three and four, with more sense (according to El trío Vegabaja y Leo Marin)i:
"... y quisiera besar una vez más
tus labios fecundos (?) de amor y rosas".

Another "more thing":
In next to the last stanza, why don't you change the order of words, "all alone" to rhime with "long" above?

evfokasevfokas
   Sun, 28/09/2014 - 11:44

The word fecundos is used because it's farming related and it also implies that they'll have children soon, but in this version they're singing in the second stanza again:
Ven aca jíbarito mio
no te vaya' a quedar en la ciudad
que mañana nos vamos a casar
y te espero solita en el bohío

roster 31roster 31
   Sun, 28/09/2014 - 11:59

I know the meaning of "fecundos". I question marked because I didn't here well and I wanted to make sure that's what he was saying.

First stanza, fifth verse, cap.