El Caballo Que No Tuve

Al caballo que no tuve yo le llamaba distancia

To the horse I never had, I called it distance

Pero distancias hallé y ahí mi caballo no andaba

But distances I found, and there my horse didn't roam

Entonces yo comprendí que se llamaba esperanza

Then I understood it was called hope

Fiero pa' hallarlo en el campo caballito de la nada

Fierce to find it in the field, a little horse of nothing

Yo mismo le hice un recáu con cueros de mi nostalgia

I made a shelter for it with the hides of my nostalgia

Y unos estribos de nuncas y un cojinillo de lágrimas

And some stirrups made of nevers and a little cushion of tears

En un clavo en la pared tenía colgada una manta

On a nail on the wall, I had a blanket hanging

Que la tejí de ilusiones y bordadas de palabras

That I wove with illusions and embroidered with words

Las veces que me tapé con aquella vieja manta

The times I covered myself with that old blanket

Cada invierno fue una rosa que el tiempo me regalaba

Each winter was a rose that time gave me

Recogí el sol de la escarcha reflejáu en la mañana

I picked up the sun from the frost reflected in the morning

Y lo até a los cuatro vientos de mi imaginada manta

And tied it to the four winds of my imagined blanket

Pa' que luciera orgulloso mi caballito esperanza

So that my little horse, Hope, would proudly shine

Pal caballo que no tuve, macetié guasca por guasca

For the horse I never had, I shaped a bridle bit by bit

Del cuero de un ventarrón de esos que no tienen alma

From the leather of a gust, one of those without a soul

Con la argolla que el rocío le hace a la luna temprana

With the ring that dew makes to the early moon

Hice un lazo livianito como pa' pialar un ánima

I made a light lasso, as if to rope a soul

El cabresto y el bozal se los quité a una calandria

The halter and the muzzle, I took them from a lark

Porque soñé que a mi flete con un silbo le sobraba

Because I dreamed that with a whistle, my wagon had more than enough

Me hice un rebenque de trébol con iniciales de plata

I made a whip of clover with initials of silver

Que saqué de un arroyito entre piedritas de nácar

That I took from a little stream among little mother-of-pearl stones

Todo pa' que mi caballo no ande mezquinando alzada

All so that my horse doesn't go begging for a lift

Y hasta he cortao una flor pa' ponerle como marca

And I've even cut a flower to use as a brand

Pero pasaron los años, y nunca llegó esperanza

But the years passed, and hope never arrived

Caballito que no tuve, ya no importa tu tardanza

Little horse I never had, your delay doesn't matter anymore

Las pilchas, las pilchas las regalé y ya no me queda nada

The clothes, the clothes, I gave them away, and now I have nothing

A quién le pongo un recáu con cojinillo de lágrima

Who do I shelter with a shelter of tears

Y una manta de ilusiones y bordada de palabras

And a blanket of illusions and embroidered with words

Esas misma que no tuve pa' defenderte esperanza

That same one I didn't have to defend you, hope

Cuando andabas a lo lejos y te llamaba distancia

When you were far away, and I called you distance

Y hoy, y hoy que ya te recorrí, no me ha servido de nada

And today, now that I've traveled you, it has been of no use

Si hasta te usé pa' morir desde adentro de mi alma

If I even used you to die from inside my soul

Por tener un corazón y por llamarte esperanza

For having a heart and for calling you hope