Translation of the song Pájaros de Portugal artist Joaquin Sabina
Pájaros de Portugal
Birds from Portugal
No conocían el mar
They didn't know the sea
y se les antojó más triste
and they craved it so sadly
que en la tele, pájaros de Portugal
that on TV, birds from Portugal
sin dirección ni alpiste
without course nor bird seed
ni papeles.
nor papers.
Él le dijo vámonos,
He told her let's go,
dónde le respondió
where responded to him
llorando ella,
crying,
lejos del altar mayor,
far from the high altar,
en el velero pobretón
on a terribly poor sailing boat
de una botella.
in a bottle.
Despójate del añil
Take off the indigo
redil del alma de nardo
fold of the tuberose soul
con camisa.
jacket.
Devuélveme el mes de abril,
Return to me the month of April,
se llamaban Abelardo y Eloisa,
they were called Abélard and Héloïse,
arcángeles bastardos de la prisa.
bastard archangels of haste.
Alumbraron el amanecer muertos de frío,
They illuminated the morning dying of cold,
se arroparon con la sensatez del desvarío
they wrapped themselves up with a good sense of delirium
tuyo y mío de vuelta al hogar,
yours and mine back at home,
qué vacío deja la ansiedad.
how empty anxiety leaves.
Qué vergüenza tendrán sus papás.
How much shame their parents will have.
Sin alas para volar,
Without wings to fly,
prófugos del instituto,
deserters from secondary school,
y de la cama, pájaros de Portugal,
and in the bed, birds from Portugal,
apenas dos minutos
barely two minutes
mala fama.
bad name.
Luego la guardia civil
Later the Civil Guard
les decomisó el sudor
seized their effort
y la sonrisa, las postales de Estoril
and their smile, the postcards from Estoril
sin posada, sin escudos
without lodging, without defence
y sin visa.
and without visa.
Se llamaban Abelardo y Eloisa.
They were called Abélard and Héloïse.
Bucearon contra el Everest
They swam underwater against Everest
y se ahogaron,
and they were drowned,
nadie les enseño a merecer
nobody taught them how to deserve
el amparo de la Virgen de la Soledad,
the support from the Virgin of Solitude,
qué pequeña es la luz de los faros.
how small is the light from the lighthouse
Bucearon contra el Everest
They swam underwater against Everest
y se ahogaron,
and they were drowned,
nadie les enseño a merecer
nobody taught them how to deserve
el amparo de la Virgen de la Soledad,
the support from the Virgin of Solitude,
qué pequeña es la luz de los faros
how small is the light from the lighthouse
de quien sueña con la libertad.
of whom dreams of freedom.