Translation of the song Biromes y Servilletas artist Leo Masliah
Biromes y Servilletas
Pens and tissues
En Montevideo hay poetas, poetas, poetas
In Montevideo there are poets, poets, poets
que sin bombos ni trompetas, trompetas, trompetas
who without fanfares nor pomps, pomps, pomps
van saliendo de recónditos altillos, altillos, altillos
come out from remote lofts, lofts, lofts
de paredes de silencios de redonda con puntillo.
of walls of sience of dotted notes.
Salen de agujeros mal tapados, tapados, tapados
They come out of poorly covered holes, holes, holes
y proyectos no alcanzados cansados, cansados
and not achieved projects, projects, projects
que regresan en fantasmas de colores, colores, colores
who come back like color ghosts, ghosts, ghosts
a pintarte las ojeras y pedirte que no llores.
to paint your eyebags and beg you to not cry.
Tienen ilusiones compartidas partidas, partidas
They have shared illusions, illusions, illusions
pesadillas adheridas heridas, heridas
attached nightmares, nightmares, nightmares
cañerías de palabras confundidas fundidas, fundidas
pipes of confused words, words, words
a su triste paso lento por las calles y avenidas.
on their sad and slow pass through streets and avenues.
No pretenden glorias ni laureles, laureles, laureles
They don't pretend fame nor prizes, prizes, prizes
solo pasan a papeles, papeles, papeles,
they just move to papers, papers, papers
experiencias totalmente personales, zonales, zonales
completely personal experiences, experiences, experiences
elementos muy parciales que juntados no son tales.
very partial experiences that gathered aren't the same.
Hablan de la aurora hasta cansarse, cansarse, cansarse
They talk about the dawn until getting tired, tired, tired
sin tener miedo a plagiarse, plagiarse, plagiarse
without fearing of plagiarize, plagiarize, plagiarize
nada de eso importa ya mientras escriban, escriban, escriban
nothing of that matters while they write, write, write
su manía su locura su neurosis obsesiva.
their mania, their craziness their obsessive neurosis.
Andan por las calles los poetas, poetas, poetas
They walk by the streets the poets, poets, poets
como si fueran cometas, cometas, cometas
like if they were kites, kites, kites
en un denso cielo de metal fundido, fundido, fundido
in a thick sky of melted metal, metal, metal
impenetrable, desastroso, lamentable y aburrido.
impregnable, disastrous, terible and boring.
En Montevideo hay biromes, biromes, biromes
In Montevideo there are pens, pens, pens
desangradas en renglones, renglones, renglones
unbleeded in lines, lines, lines
de palabras retorciéndose confusas, confusas, confusas
of words twisting confused, confused, confused
en delgadas servilletas como alcohólicas reclusas.
in thin tissues like alcoholic prisioners.
Andan por las calles escribiendo y viendo y viendo
They walk by the streets writing and seeing and seeing
lo que ven lo van diciendo y siendo y siendo
what they see they say it and by being and by being
ellos poetas a la vez que se pasean, pasean, pasean
poets while they walk, walk, walk
van contando lo que ven, y lo que no, lo fantasean.
they tell what they see, and fantasize what they don't.
Miran para el cielo los poetas, poetas, poetas
They look at the sky the poets, poets, poets
como si fueran saetas, saetas, saetas
like if they were arrows, arrows, arrows
arrojadas al espacio que un rodeo, rodeo, rodeo
thrown at the space that a detour, detour, detour
hiciera regresar para clavarlas en Montevideo
made them return to nail them in Montevideo.