Lila Downs
Smoke (Acteal) lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- Beginner
- Released
- 2001
- Genre
- Cumbia
- Length
- 4:53
How dark is the smoke that fall from the sky
How dark is the smoke that falls from the sky
and soaked in our blood are the feathers of time
and soaked in our blood are the feathers of time
More women and children were killed on that night
More women and children were lost that night
more than they could count when they threw 'em in trucks
más de lo que podían contar cuando los echaron en camiones
some children were kneeling the saints were all calm
some children were kneeling, the saints were all calm
machetes and gunshots reveal all the blood
Machetes and gunshots unveil all the blood
The papers recounted the story we know
The papers recounted the tale that we know
yet silence is deep as the hundreds of souls
yet silence is deep as the hundreds of souls
and the hundreds of hopes of our people
and the countless hopes of our people
Now every one's waiting and hoping for justice
Ahora todos esperan y esperan justicia
but will there be goodness where men kill their own?
but will there be goodness where men kill their own?
our wise people say that the mouth of the earth
our wise people say that the mouth of the earth
has swallowed her fruit, but the eagle and snake
has swallowed her fruit, but the eagle and snake
will stand for the truth, when the mother of
will stand for the truth, when the mother of
corn has spoken
corn has spoken
oh axe of our fire bring justice to life for we know
oh axe of our fire bring justice to life for we know
that power
that power
was once sacrifice and it was sacrifice and it
was once sacrifice and it was sacrifice and it
was sacrifice
was sacrifice
of our people
of our people
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- em
- —
- yet
- still
- is
- —
- hoping
- hope
- has
- haveA2
- life
- vida
About this song
Lila Downs is a Mexican-born singer-songwriter and performer. She makes Indigenous Mexican-rooted music that blends North American jazz and Latin American folk, and is known for albums such as Ofrenda and for receiving Grammy and Latin Grammy awards.