Silvio Rodríguez
Canción en harapos lyrics with English translation
- Language
- Spanish
- Level
- Intermediate
- Released
- 1986
- Length
- 6:30
Qué fácil es agitar un pañuelo a la tropa solar
How easy it is to wave a handkerchief to the solar troop
Del manifiesto marxista y la historia del hambre
Of the Marxist manifesto and the history of hunger
Qué fácil es suspirar ante el gesto del hombre
How easy it is to sigh at the gesture of a man
Que cumple un deber
Who fulfills a duty
Y regalarle ropitas a la pobrecita hija del chofer
And to gift little clothes to the poor daughter of the driver
Qué fácil de enmascarar, sale la oportunidad
How easy it is to disguise, the opportunity arises
Qué fácil es engañar al que no sabe leer
How easy it is to deceive those who cannot read
Cuántos colores, cuántas facetas tiene el pequeño burgués
How many colors, how many facets the little bourgeois has
Qué fácil es trascender con fama de original
How easy it is to transcend with a reputation for being original
Pero se sabe que, entre los ciegos, el tuerto suele mandar
But it is known that among the blind, the one-eyed often leads
Qué fácil de apuntalar sale la vieja moral
How easy it is to prop up the old morals
Que se disfraza de barricada
They disguise themselves as barricades
De los que nunca tuvieron nada
Of those who never had anything
Qué bien prepara su máscara el pequeño burgués
How well the little bourgeois prepares their mask
Viva el harapo, señor
Long live the rag, sir
Y la mesa sin mantel
And the table without a cloth
Viva el que huela a callejuela
Long live the one who smells of alleyway
A palabrota y taller
With a curse and a workshop
Viva el harapo, señor
Long live the rag, sir
Y la mesa sin mantel
And the table without a cloth
Viva el que huela a callejuela
Long live the one who smells of alleyways
A palabrota y taller
With cursing and craft
Desde una mesa repleta, cualquiera decide aplaudir
From a table piled high, anyone can decide to clap
La caravana en harapos de todos los pobres
The caravan in rags of all the poor
Desde un mantel importado y un vino añejado
From an imported tablecloth and aged wine
Se lucha muy bien
One fights very well
Desde una casa gigante y un auto elegante, se sufre también
From a giant house and a fancy car, one suffers too
En un amable festín se suele ver combatir
In a friendly feast, one often sees them battle
Si fácil es abusar, más fácil es condenar
If it's easy to abuse, it's even easier to condemn
Y hacer papeles para la historia para que te haga un lugar
And make papers for history so it can make you a place
Qué fácil es protestar por la bomba que cayó
How easy it is to protest against the bomb that fell
A mil kilómetros del ropero y del refrigerador
A thousand kilometers from the closet and the fridge
Qué fácil es escribir algo que invite a la acción
How easy it is to write something that urges action
Contra tiranos, contra asesinos
Against tyrants, against murderers
Contra la cruz o el poder divino
Against the cross or divine power
Siempre al alcance de la vidriera y el comedor
Always within reach of the showcase and the dining room
Viva el harapo, señor
Long live the rag, sir
Y la mesa sin mantel
And the table without a tablecloth
Viva el que huela a callejuela
Long live the one who smells of alleys
A palabrota y taller
To foul language and workshop
Viva el harapo, señor
Long live the rag, sir
Y la mesa sin mantel
And the table without a tablecloth
Viva el que huela a callejuela
Long live the one who smells of alleyways
A palabrota y taller
Of foul words and workshops
Viva el harapo, señor
Long live the rag, sir
Y la mesa sin mantel
And the table without a tablecloth
Viva el que huela a callejuela
Long live the one who smells of alleyways
A palabrota y taller
Of foul words and workshops
Viva el harapo, señor
Long live the rag, sir
Y la mesa sin mantel
And the table without a tablecloth
Viva el que huela a callejuela
Long live the one who smells of alleyways
A palabrota y taller
With curse words and workshop
Viva el harapo, señor
Long live the rag, sir
Y la mesa sin mantel
And the table without a tablecloth
Viva el que huela a callejuela
Long live the one who smells of alleyways
A palabrota y taller
With curse words and workshop
Viva el harapo, señor
Long live the rag, sir
Y la mesa sin mantel
And the table without a tablecloth
Viva el que huela a callejuela
Long live the one who smells of alleyways
A palabrota y taller
With curse words and workshop
Viva el harapo, señor
Long live the rag, sir
Y la mesa sin mantel
And the table without a cloth
Viva el que huela a callejuela
Long live the one who smells of alleyway
A palabrota y taller
Of foul words and workshop
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Key vocabulary
- burgués
- bourgeoisC1
- callejuela
- alleyC1
- cumple
- fulfillC1
- mandar
- sendA2
- caravana
- caravanB1
- haga
- doB1
- importado
- importedB1
- mantel
- tableclothB1
- refrigerador
- refrigeratorB1
- trascender
- transcendB1
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About this song
Silvio Rodríguez is a Cuban singer-songwriter associated with nueva trova and nueva canción. He is known for politically charged, lyric-driven protest songs set against tender folk balladry, and for helping define the style that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s.