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Spanish folksongs

I found an incredible book of Spanish folk-songs recently, which agonizingly only gives the English of most of the songs.


However, here is an Asturian song, with a lovely haiku-like earthiness and stillness:


Cuando paso por el puente

siempre te veo lavando

la hermosura de tu cara

el agua la va llevando.


When I pass by the bridge

I always see you washing.

The beauty of your face

the water is washing it away.


This hinges on a pun between 'lavando' (washing) and 'llevando' (taking away).


I was reminded of a line from Yeats: 'All that's beautiful drifts away/Like the waters':


I heard the old, old men say,

'Everything alters,

And one by one we drop away.'

They had hands like claws, and their knees

Were twisted like the old thorn-trees

By the waters.

'All that's beautiful drifts away

Like the waters.'











 
 
 

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