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Translation
Chacarera of the violin
1
[Instrumental]
2
Violin playing in the distance
The rhythm of chacarera 1
The wind moaning sadly
like the wailing of Kakuy Turay 2
Where is that old man coming from?
Must be Supay 3 himself
They say that he's gone blind
from crying so much for Telesita 4
On the way to Manogasta
and Sumampa and Mailín,
they've seen him crying as he goes by.
Poor little old man, playing the violin.
Telesita is burning in the fire,
all while she dances nonstop ...
Let the poor little girl go on dancing,
the violin will always cry for her.
The day is slowly appearing
and the little old man leaves.
She is dead now, Telesita,
of so much, so much dancing and dance.
No birds sing anymore
and all remains in silence.
Maybe the fields will cheer up
next year when carnival comes.
And the old man with his violin
through the road will come,
playing this chacarera
so that Telesita can dance.
- 1. chacarera, a genre of Argentine folk music and folk dance
- 2. mythical bird whose singing is a lamentation about the suffering of humankind
- 3. god of the underworld in Quechua, Aymara, and in the mythology of the Inca
- 4. «La Telesita» is a traditional song, and other songs often reference it, whether in chacarera or other Argentine folk genres. Telesita songs are based on the legend of a Nineteenth Century young woman, Telésfora Castillo. The circumstances of her death in a fire, as well as her great love of dancing created a semi-mythical figure.
Guest on 2017-05-08✕
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