{"id":7948,"date":"2021-08-30T08:03:44","date_gmt":"2021-08-30T08:03:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.universolorca.com\/cita\/ballad-of-the-civil-guard\/"},"modified":"2021-09-02T07:04:39","modified_gmt":"2021-09-02T07:04:39","slug":"ballad-of-the-civil-guard","status":"publish","type":"cita","link":"https:\/\/www.universolorca.com\/en\/cita\/ballad-of-the-civil-guard\/","title":{"rendered":"Ballad of the Civil Guard"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Los caballos negros son.<br \/>\n[Black are the horses,]<br \/>\nLas herraduras son negras.<br \/>\n[their horses are shod in black.]<br \/>\nSobre las capes relucen<br \/>\n[On their capes glitter]<br \/>\nmanchas de tinta y de cera.<br \/>\n[stains of ink and wax.]<br \/>\nTienen, por eso no lloran,<br \/>\n[This is why they do not weep:]<br \/>\nde plomo las calaveras.<br \/>\n[their skulls are cut in lead.]<br \/>\nCon el alma de charol<br \/>\n[They ride the highways]<br \/>\nvienen por la carretera.<br \/>\n[with patent leather souls.]<br \/>\nJorobados y nocturnos,<br \/>\n[Hunchbacked and nocturnal,]<br \/>\npor donde animan ordenan<br \/>\n[they ride forth and command]<br \/>\nsilencios de goma oscura<br \/>\n[the silences of dark rubber]<br \/>\ny miedos de fina arena.<br \/>\n[and the fears like fine sand.]<br \/>\nPasan, si quieren pasar,<br \/>\n[They go where they want,]<br \/>\ny ocultan en la cabeza<br \/>\n[and hide in their skulls]<br \/>\nuna vaga astronom\u00eda<br \/>\n[vague astronomical ideas,]<br \/>\nde pistolas inconcretas.<br \/>\n[amorphous pistols.]<br \/>\n\u00a1Oh ciudad de los gitanos!<br \/>\n[Ai, city of gypsies!]<br \/>\nEn las esquinas banderas.<br \/>\n[Corners hung with colors.]<br \/>\nLa luna y la calabaza<br \/>\n[The moon and pumpkins]<br \/>\ncon las guindas en conserva.<br \/>\n[and cherries in sweet preserve.]<br \/>\n\u00a1Oh ciudad de los gitanos!<br \/>\n[Ai, city of gypsies!]<br \/>\n\u00bfQui\u00e9n te vio y no te recuerda?<br \/>\n[Who could see you and not recall?]<br \/>\nCiudad de dolor y almizcle,<br \/>\n[City of musks and agony,]<br \/>\ncon las torres de canela.<br \/>\n[city of cinnamon towers.]<br \/>\nCuando llegaba la noche,<br \/>\n[As the night was approaching]<br \/>\nnoche que noche nochera,<br \/>\n[the night so deep, dark, nightish,]<br \/>\nlos gitanos en sus fraguas<br \/>\n[the gypsies at their forges]<br \/>\nforjaban soles y flechas.<br \/>\n[were hammering suns and arrows.]<br \/>\nUn caballo malherido,<br \/>\n[A deeply wounded stallion]<br \/>\nllamaba a todas las puertas.<br \/>\n[knocked at each door.]<br \/>\nGallos de vidrio cantaban<br \/>\n[Glass cocks were crowing]<br \/>\npor Jerez de la Frontera.<br \/>\n[in Jerez de la Frontera.]<br \/>\nEl viento vuelve desnudo<br \/>\n[The naked wind, turning]<br \/>\nla esquina de la sorpresa,<br \/>\n[in the silver night, around]<br \/>\nen la noche platinoche<br \/>\n[the corner with surprise,]<br \/>\nnoche, que noche nochera.<br \/>\n[in the night so deep, dark, nightish]<br \/>\nLa Virgen y San Jos\u00e9,<br \/>\n[The Virgin and Saint Joseph]<br \/>\nperdieron sus casta\u00f1uelas,<br \/>\n[have lost their castanets.]<br \/>\ny buscan a los gitanos<br \/>\n[They are looking for the gypsies]<br \/>\npara ver si las encuentran.<br \/>\n[to see if they can help find them.]<br \/>\nLa Virgen viene vestida<br \/>\n[Here comes the Virgin, dressed]<br \/>\ncon un traje de alcaldesa<br \/>\n[just like the mayor&#8217;s wife]<br \/>\nde papel de chocolate<br \/>\n[in silvery chocolate paper,]<br \/>\ncon los collares de almendras.<br \/>\n[with a necklace of almonds.]<br \/>\nSan Jos\u00e9 mueve los brazos<br \/>\n[Saint Joseph swings his arms]<br \/>\nbajo una capa de seda.<br \/>\n[beneath a cloak of silk.]<br \/>\nDetr\u00e1s va Pedro Domecq<br \/>\n[Behind comes Pedro Domecq]<br \/>\ncon tres sultanes de Persia.<br \/>\n[and three Persian sultans.]<br \/>\nLa media luna so\u00f1aba<br \/>\n[The half moon dreamed]<br \/>\nun \u00e9xtasis de cig\u00fce\u00f1a.<br \/>\n[out an ecstasy of the stork.]<br \/>\nEstandartes y faroles<br \/>\n[And ensigns and lanterns]<br \/>\ninvaden las azoteas.<br \/>\n[stormed the roof tiles.]<br \/>\nPor los espejos sollozan<br \/>\n[Hipless dancers sob]<br \/>\nbailarinas sin caderas.<br \/>\n[in every mirror.]<br \/>\nAgua y sombra, sombra y agua<br \/>\n[Water and shadow, shadow and water]<br \/>\npor Jerez de la Frontera.<br \/>\n[in Jerez de la Frontera.]<br \/>\n\u00a1Oh ciudad de los gitanos!<br \/>\n[Ai, city of gypsies!]<br \/>\nEn las esquinas banderas.<br \/>\n[Corners hung with colors.]<br \/>\nApaga tus verdes luces<br \/>\n[Quell your green lights:]<br \/>\nque viene la benem\u00e9rita.<br \/>\n[for here come the Civil Guard.]<br \/>\n\u00a1Oh ciudad de los gitanos!<br \/>\n[Ai, city of gypsies!]<br \/>\n\u00bfQui\u00e9n te vio y no te recuerda?<br \/>\n[Who could see you and not recall?]<br \/>\nDejadla lejos del mar, sin<br \/>\n[Let her be, far from the sea,]<br \/>\npeines para sus crenchas.<br \/>\n[with no combs to hold back her hair.]<br \/>\nAvanzan de dos en fondo<br \/>\n[To the celebrated city]<br \/>\na la ciudad de la fiesta.<br \/>\n[they ride two abreast.]<br \/>\nUn rumor de siemprevivas<br \/>\n[The gossip of the everlasting]<br \/>\ninvade las cartucheras.<br \/>\n[invades their cartridge belts.]<br \/>\nAvanzan de dos en fondo.<br \/>\n[They ride two abreast.]<br \/>\nDoble nocturno de tela.<br \/>\n[A night of twin shadows in cloth.]<br \/>\nEl cielo, se les antoja,<br \/>\n[The sky, they conclude,]<br \/>\nuna vitrina de espuelas.<br \/>\n[a window full of spurs.]<br \/>\nLa ciudad libre de miedo,<br \/>\n[The city, unsuspicious,]<br \/>\nmultiplicaba sus puertas.<br \/>\n[unfolding its doors.]<br \/>\nCuarenta guardias civiles<br \/>\n[40 Civil Guards, to sack]<br \/>\nentran a saco por ellas.<br \/>\n[and burn, poured through.]<br \/>\nLos relojes se pararon,<br \/>\n[The clocks stopped and the brandy]<br \/>\ny el co\u00f1ac de las botellas<br \/>\n[bottles impersonated November]<br \/>\nse disfraz\u00f3 de noviembre<br \/>\n[so as not to stir any suspicion.]<br \/>\npara no infundir sospechas.<br \/>\n[Up rose from the weathercocks]<br \/>\nUn vuelo de gritos largos<br \/>\n[a series of long screams.]<br \/>\nLos sables cortan las brisas<br \/>\n[Sabers slashed the air,]<br \/>\nque los cascos atropellan.<br \/>\n[trampling under black horse hoof.]<br \/>\nPor las calles de penumbra<br \/>\n[Old gypsy women tried to flee]<br \/>\nhuyen las gitanas viejas<br \/>\n[through the half-lit streets]<br \/>\ncon los caballos dormidos<br \/>\n[with their benumbed horses]<br \/>\ny las orzas de monedas.<br \/>\n[and enormous crocks of coins.]<br \/>\nPor las calles empinadas<br \/>\n[Up the palisade streets]<br \/>\nsuben las capas siniestras,<br \/>\n[climbed the sinister capes]<br \/>\ndejando atr\u00e1s fugaces<br \/>\n[leaving behind brief]<br \/>\nremolinos de tijeras.<br \/>\n[whirlwinds of scissors.]<br \/>\nEn el portal de Bel\u00e9n<br \/>\n[In the gate of Bethlehem]<br \/>\nlos gitanos se congregan.<br \/>\n[all the gypsies gathered.]<br \/>\nSan Jos\u00e9, lleno de heridas,<br \/>\n[Saint Joseph, mortally wounded,]<br \/>\namortaja a una doncella.<br \/>\n[laid a shroud upon a girl.]<br \/>\nTercos fusiles agudos<br \/>\n[Sharp and stubborn, rifle]<br \/>\npor toda la noche suenan.<br \/>\n[bursts rang through the night.]<br \/>\nLa Virgen cura a los ni\u00f1os<br \/>\n[The Virgin healed children]<br \/>\ncon salivilla de estrella.<br \/>\n[with spit from a fallen star.]<br \/>\nPero la Guardia Civil<br \/>\n[But the Civil Guard]<br \/>\navanza sembrando hogueras,<br \/>\n[advance, sowing flames,]<br \/>\ndonde joven y desnuda<br \/>\n[where young and naked]<br \/>\nla imaginaci\u00f3n se quema.<br \/>\n[imagination is burnt out.]<br \/>\nRosa la de los Camborios,<br \/>\n[Rosa of the Camborios]<br \/>\ngime sentada en su puerta<br \/>\n[moans in her doorway,]<br \/>\ncon sus dos pechos cortados<br \/>\n[with her two severed breasts]<br \/>\npuestos en una bandeja.<br \/>\n[lying on a tray.]<br \/>\nY otras muchachas corr\u00edan<br \/>\n[And other girls ran]<br \/>\nperseguidas por sus trenzas,<br \/>\n[chased by their tresses]<br \/>\nen un aire donde estallan<br \/>\n[through air where roses]<br \/>\nrosas de p\u00f3lvora negra.<br \/>\n[of black gunpowder burst.]<br \/>\nCuando todos los tejados<br \/>\n[When all the roofs]<br \/>\neran surcos en la sierra,<br \/>\n[were furrows in the earth]<br \/>\nel alba meci\u00f3 sus hombros<br \/>\n[the dawn heaved its shoulders]<br \/>\nen largo perfil de piedra.<br \/>\n[in a vast silhouette of stone.]<\/p>\n<p>(<em>Gypsy Ballads<\/em>, 1927)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-7948","cita","type-cita","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.universolorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cita\/7948"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.universolorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cita"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.universolorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cita"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.universolorca.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}