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    Almudena → English translation

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Almudena

Yo iba vendiendo violetas
una tarde de mayo
por la Plaza de Oriente
y me encontré con sus ojos
que me dieron la vida
y me dieron la muerte.
 
¿Me querrás un poquito?
él me dijo bajito
con voz de primavera.
Te querré, tanto y tanto,
que puede que con llanto
yo pague el que te quiera.
 
Y aquella tarde clara
no vendí mis violetas
en la Plaza de Oriente,
ni escuché aquel romance
que cantaron los niños
en redor de la fuente.
 
Almudena, mi Almudena,
no te vayas tú de aquí,
que él es duque y tú una pobre
violetera de Madrid.
 
A ese hombre lo hemos visto
con el Rey ir y venir,
con su sable y su plumero
y su capa carmesí.
 
        Arroyo claro, fuente serena,
 
      si te vas con el duque,
 
      ¡pobre Almudena, pobre Almudena!
 
~ ~ ~
 
Ya no vendí más violetas
y viví entre damascos
como reina y señora,
pero su amor fue cambiando
y ahora soy yo quien pide,
quien suplica y quien llora.
 
¿Y papá nunca viene?
me pregunta quien tiene
derecho a preguntarme.
Y le digo: mañana;
y miro a la ventana
para no delatarme.
 
Y ahora he vuelto de nuevo
a pasar como entonces
por la Plaza de Oriente,
y he escuchado el romance
que cantaban los niños
en redor de la fuente.
 
¿Dónde vas, pobre Almudena?
¿Dónde vas, triste de ti?
Voy en busca de mi amante
que ayer tarde no lo vi.
 
Nosotros sí que lo vimos
con su capa carmesí,
dando el brazo a una duquesa
más bonita que un jazmín.
 
        Arroyo claro, fuente serena,
 
      ¡olvídate del duque,
 
      pobre Almudena, pobre Almudena!
 
Él me dijo que vendría
antes que llegase abril,
con un anillo de oro
para conmigo cumplir.
 
No lo esperes, Almudena,
porque nunca ha de venir,
que él es duque y tú una pobre
violetera de Madrid.
 
        Arroyo claro, fuente serena,
 
      ¡olvídate del duque,
 
      pobre Almudena, pobre Almudena!
 
Translation

Almudena

I was selling violets
On a May afternoon across la Plaza de Oriente1
And I met his eyes
That gave me life and gave me death
 
"Will you love me a little?"
He said softly
With a voice of spring
I will love you so much, so much
That maybe with tears
I pay for the fact that I love you
 
And that clear afternoon
I didn't sell my violets in la Plaza de Oriente
Nor listened to that romancero
The children sang around the fountain
 
Almudena, my Almudena
Don't you leave here
He is a duke and you, a poor violetera2
From Madrid
 
We have seen that man
With the King coming and going
With his sword and his duster
And his crimson cloak
 
Clear stream, calm/still fountain
If you leave with the Duke
Poor Almudena, poor Almudena!
 
I didn't sell any more violets
And I lived among apricots as queen and mistress
But his love was changing
And now I am who asks, who begs and who cries
 
And does father ever come?
I wonder who has
The right to ask me
I tell him: tomorrow
And I look out the window
To not betray myself
 
And now I've spent time again like before
By la Plaza de Oriente
And I've heard the romancero the children were singing
Around the fountain
 
Where are you going, poor Almudena?
Where are you going, poor you?
I will search for my lover
Whom I didn't see yesterday afternoon
 
We indeed saw him
With his crimson cloak
Holding the arm of his duchess
Prettier than jazmin
 
Clear stream, calm/still fountain
Forget the Duke!
Poor Almudena, poor Almudena!
 
He told me he would come
Before April comes
With a golden ring
To meet up with me
 
Don't wait, Almudena
For he does not have to come
He is a Duke and you
A poor violetera from Madrid
 
Clear stream, calm/still fountain
Forget the Duke!
Poor Almudena, poor Almudena!
 
  • 1. A rectangular park that connects the east facade of Palacio Real to the Teatro Real, which is a major opera house located in Madrid, Spain
  • 2. Someone who sells violets
Comments
Valeriu RautValeriu Raut
   Wed, 09/04/2014 - 05:21

Hello cm.1,
Please look in the dictionary:
sereno > [aguas] calm, still
Here ”serena” is not a name, like Serena Williams.

Kind regards.

Valeriu RautValeriu Raut
   Thu, 10/04/2014 - 06:48

Hello cm.1
romance => romance, love affair
romancero => collection of ballads
el Romancero => the Spanish ballads

damasco => damask (a kind of expensive cloth)

Y ahora he vuelto de nuevo a pasar como entonces => And now I'm back again to pass as then

roster 31roster 31
   Thu, 10/04/2014 - 13:38

I was going to make a note on "damasco". In English, "damask". Originated in Damascus, Syria
Third stanza - Isn't it "neither I listened..."?
Fourth stanza, I would say, "don't you go away from here..."
"I wonder who has the right... = "Ask me the one who has the right..."
"para no delatarme" = "not to give myself away"
"para conmigo cunplir" = "to fulfill his obligation"
"don't wait for him, Almudena"

Note 2. Someone who sells violets in the streets.