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Paloma Negra
Ya me canso de llorar y no amanece
Ya no se si maldecirte o por ti rezar,
Tengo miedo de buscarte y de encontrarte
Donde me aseguran mis amigos que te vas.
Hay momentos en que quisiera mejor rajarme
Pa’ arrancarme ya los clavos de mi penar,
Pero mis ojos se mueren sin mirar tus ojos
Y mi carino con la aurora te vuelve a llamar.
Y agarraste por tu cuenta las parrandas,
Paloma negra, paloma negra, donde donde andaras?
Ya no puedo con tu honra parrandera,
Si tus caricias han de ser mias, de nadie mas.
Y aunque te amo con locura ya no vuelvas,
Paloma negra tu eres la reja de un penal,
Quiero ser libre, vivir mi vida con quien yo quiera,
Dios, dame fuerzas, que me estoy muriendo por irlo a buscar.
Y agarraste por tu cuenta las parrandas,
Paloma negra, paloma negra, donde donde andaras?
Ya no puedo con tu honra parrandera,
Si tus caricias han de ser mias, de nadie mas.
Translation by Chavela Vargas
I’m tired of weeping and yet there’s no sign of the sun
I no longer know whether to curse you or pray for you
I’m afraid to look for you and afraid to find you
Where my friends have told me that you’ve gone
At times I feel like relinquishing the fight
And ripping out the nails that cause my pain
But my eyes are dying without looking into yours
And my affection returns to wait for you at dawn
And you decided on your own to find a party
Black dove, black dove where are you?
Stop playing with my honour, party girl
Your caresses must be mine, and no one else’s
And though I love you madly, don’t come back to me
Black dove, you’re the bars on this cage of suffering
I want to be free and live my life with whom I choose
Lord, give me strength for I’m dying to go find her
And you decided on your own to find a party
Translation by Richard Leo Jackson
PALOMA NEGRA/UNFAITHFUL ANGEL
I'm so weary and my teardrops have stained your gown dear.
I don't know whether to curse you or just try to pray.
But I'm fearful of looking for you for I might find you
in the arms of your old lover on our wedding day.
There are moments when I know it's best for me to leave you
and to tear out the thorns you've planted around my heart.
But then I look down at that gold ring dear, there on my finger
and suddenly realize that when the dawn breaks my search for you will start.
CORO:
Have you soiiled your snowy wings dear with cruel betrayel?
Unfaithful Angel, darling tell me, where have you flown?
Were your vows at the altar a mere deception?
Have you shared the love with other men meant for me alone?
And though I love you with true devotion, still you've left me.
My soul's in prison and you're the bars that hold it in.
Oh how I wish I had my heart back to love another!
Lord grant me courage to go out searching for her again.