El Huerfano

Un preso canto una tarde

A prisoner sang one afternoon

una muy triste cancion

a very sad song

ay si mis padres vivieran

oh, if my parents were alive

no estuviera aqui en prision

I wouldn't be here in prison

Ya por mi hubieran hablado

They would have already spoken for me

me darian su bendicion

they would give me their blessing

para el huerfano no hay sol

for the orphan, there is no sun

todos quieren ser el padre

everyone wants to be the father

Primos, parientes, y hermanos

Cousins, relatives, and brothers

se averguensan de mi sangre

are ashamed of my blood

Y a cada paso que doy son recuerdos de mi madre

And at every step I take, there are memories of my mother

Cuando yo me emborrachaba

When I got drunk

mi madre me iba a buscar

my mother would come looking for me

Donde quiera que me hayaba

Wherever I was

triste se ponia a llorar

she would sadly start to cry

y si algo me pasaba

and if something happened to me

ella me iba a consolar

she would come to console me

Recuerdo que mi decia

I remember she used to say

cuando me salia a pasear

when I went out for a walk

Hijo de la vida mia

My life's son

no te vayas a tardar

don't take too long

porque temo que algun dia no me vayas a encontrar

because I fear that someday you won't find me

Pobrecita de mi madre

Poor little thing, my mother

con que lastima murio

with what sorrow she died

dormidita se quedo en el sueno mas profundo

she fell asleep in the deepest sleep

Pero desgraciado yo

But wretched me

que quede solo en el mundo

left alone in the world

Al llorar mi soledad

As I weep in my solitude

cerca de su sepultura

near her grave

ay dios mio ten piedad

oh my God, have mercy

mira mi triste amargura

see my sad bitterness

Estas lagimas que lloro

These tears that I cry

no las lloro por cobarde

I don't cry them out of cowardice

las lloro porque me acuerdo

I cry them because I remember

los recuerdos de mi madre

the memories of my mother

Del cielo cayo una flor

From the sky fell a flower

que en el viento deshoje

that I plucked in the wind

para todos mis amigos

for all my friends

el huerfano les cante

I sing to the orphan