Translation of the song Pingüino artist Pablo Neruda

Ni bobo, ni niño, ni negro

Neither a fool, nor a child, not black

ni blanco, sino vertical

or white, but upright

y una inocencia interrogante

and a questioning innocence

vestida de noche y de nieve.

dressed in night and snow.

Ríe la madre al marinero,

The mother laughs at the sailor,

el pescador al astronauta,

the fisherman at the astronaut,

pero no ríe el niño al niño

but the child doesn't laugh at the child

cuando mira al pájaro niño;

when he sees the baby bird;

y del océano en desorden

and from the ocean in disarray

inmaculado pasajero

an immaculate passenger

emerge de luto nevado.

emerges from mourning covered in snow.

Fui yo sin duda el niño pájaro

I was without a doubt the baby bird

allá en los fríos archipiélagos

there in the cold archipelagos

cuando él me miró con sus ojos,

when he looked at me with his eyes,

con los viejos ojos del mar:

with the old eyes of the sea:

no eran brazos y no eran alas,

they weren't arms and they weren't wings,

eran pequeños remos duros

they were hard tiny oars

los que llevaba en sus costados:

that he carried on his sides;

tenía la edad de la sal,

he was the age of salt,

la edad del agua en movimiento

the age of the water in motion

y me miró desde su edad:

and he looked at me from his age:

desde entonces sé que no existo,

ever since then I know that I don't exist,

que soy un gusano en la arena.

that I am a worm in the sand.

Las razones de mi respeto

The reasons for my respect

se mantuvieron en la arena.

remained in the sand.

aquel pájaro religioso

That religious bird

no necesitaba volar,

didn't need to fly,

no necesitaba cantar;

didn't need to sing;

y aunque su forma era visible,

and although his shape was visible,

sangraba sal su alma salvaje

his wild soul bled salt

como si hubieran cercenado

as if they had cut

una vena del mar amargo.

a vein from the bitter sea.

Pingüino, estático viajero,

Penguin, immobile traveler,

sacerdote lento del frío,

a priest slow from the cold,

saludo tu sal vertical

I salute your upright charm

y envidio tu orgullo emplumado.

and envy your plumed pride.