El Chueco Maciel
Daniel Viglietti
Lyrics
Translation
Por qué tu paso dolido
Why your pained step
del norte hacia el sur,
from north to south,
el pie que no supo,
the foot that didn't know,
el pie que no supo
the foot that didn't know
de risa o de luz?
laughter or light?
Tu padre abandona la tierra
Your father leaves the land
de Tacuarembó
of Tacuarembó
buscando su tierra,
seeking his land,
una tierra suya,
a land of his own,
y nunca la halló.
and never found it.
Encuentra la triste basura
He finds the sad garbage
donde viven mil,
where a thousand live,
encuentra la muerte,
he finds death,
encuentra el silencio
he finds the silence
de aquel cantegril.
of that slum.
El Chueco, redondos los ojos
El Chueco, round-eyed
y sin pizarrón,
and without a blackboard,
mirando a la madre,
looking at his mother,
mirando al hermano,
looking at his brother,
aprende el dolor.
learns the pain.
La luna, semana a semana,
The moon, week by week,
lo ha visto vagar
has seen him wander
armado de espuma,
armed with foam,
buscando una orilla
seeking a shore
como busca el mar.
as the sea does.
El Chueco no sabe de orilla
El Chueco doesn't know about shores
ni sabe de mar,
or knows about the sea,
él sabe de rabia,
he knows about anger,
de rabia que apunta
anger that aims
y no quiere matar.
and doesn't want to kill.
Asalta el banco y comparte
He robs the bank and shares
con el cantegril,
with the slum,
como antes el hambre,
like hunger before,
como antes el hambre,
like hunger before,
comparte el botín.
shares the loot.
Así les canto la historia
So, I sing you the story
del Chueco Maciel,
of Chueco Maciel,
suena la sirena,
the siren sounds,
suena la sirena,
the siren sounds,
ya vienen por él.
they're coming for him.
Los diarios publican dos balas,
The newspapers publish two bullets,
son diez o son mil,
are ten or are a thousand,
mil ojos que miran,
a thousand eyes that watch,
mil ojos que miran
a thousand eyes that watch
desde el cantegril.
from the slum.
El chueco era un uruguayo
Chueco was a Uruguayan
de Tacuarembó,
from Tacuarembó,
de paso dolido,
pained step,
de paso dolido,
pained step,
de paso dolido.
pained step.
Los chuecos se junten bien juntos,
The crooked ones gather their feet well,
bien juntos los pies,
feet well together,
y luego caminen buscando la patria,
and then they walk seeking the homeland,
la patria de todos, la patria Maciel,
the homeland of all, the Maciel homeland,
esta patria chueca que no han de torcer
this crooked homeland that they will not twist
con duras cadenas los pies todos juntos
with harsh chains, all feet together
hemos de vencer.
we shall overcome.