11. Por Morfina y Cocaina

En la cárcel del condado (In the country jail)

sacaron una cadena, (they took out a chain gang,)

eran puros prisioneros (they were all prisoners)

que iban a sufrir su pena. (who were going off to serve their sentences)

Fue el veintitrés de octubre (It was the twenty-third of October)

como a las ocho serían, (probably around eight o-clock,)

llevan veintiséis convictos (they were transferring twenty-six convicts)

a la penitenciaría (to the penitentiary)

Todos van a Leavenworth (All of them are going to Leavenworth)

por no saberse tantear (because they didn‘t know the score,)

el whisky y la marijuana (that whisky and marijuana)

que algo bueno han de dejar (have got to leave something good.)

No les valen los consejos (They didn't pay attention to the advice)

que sus padres les han dado, (that their parents gave them,)

sabiendo bien que esos viejos (knowing full well that these older people)

ya por todito han pasado. (have already been through everything imaginable.)

Unos dejan a sus madres (Some leave their mothers behind)

rogándole al Dios del Cielo (begging God in Heaven)

que se duela de sus hijos (to feel sorry for their children)

y que les mande algún consuelo. (and to give them some consolation.)

Otros dejan a sus hijos (Others leave their children

esperando a su papá (waiting for their father,)

y sus padres a la finca, (and their parents in their last moments,)

sabe Dios, hijo verás. (God only knows, child, if you will get to see them.)

Solamente el que ha vivido (Only someone who has spent)

algún tiempo en la prisión (some time in prison)

sabe lo que son congojas (knows what anguish is,)

y penas del corazón (and what heartfelt sorrows are.)

Qué triste es ir pa' el tren (How sad it is to board the train)

cuando ya se iba a arrancar, (when it is getting up steam to go,)

qué tristes iban los presos, (how sadly those prisoners were going,)

daban ganas de llorar. (it was enough to make you cry.)

Rechinaron las maneas (The shackles were clanking)

y la campana sonó, (and the locomotive's bells rang out,)

y entre ruido de cadenas (and between the noise of the chains)

un gemido se escuchó (a groan could be heard.)

Por morfina y cocaína, (Because of morphine and cocaine,)

por marijuana y licor, (because of marijuana and liquor,)

están poniendo su tiempo, (many are doing their time)

muchos allá en derredor. (up there in Leavenworth.)

Pero el mundo es una bola (But the world is a globe/big lie,)

y el que lo anda es un bolón (and he who walks in it is a bewildered wanderer,)

y cada quien con sus uñas (and each one with his finger nails)

se rasca su comezón (scratches his own itch.)

Señores, este corrido (Gentlemen, this ballad)

no es de mayor interés (is not of the greatest interest,)

es compuesto humildemente (it was humbly composed)

por Manuel Cuéllar Valdez. (by Manuel Cuéllar Valdez.)

____________________
In the country jail
they took out a chain gang
they were all prisoners
who were going off to serve their sentences
It was the twenty-third of October
probably around eight o-clock
they were transferring twenty-six convicts
to the penitentiary
All of them are going to Leavenworth
because they didn't know the score
that whisky and marijuana
have got to leave something good
They didn't pay attention to the advice
that their parents gave them
knowing full well that these older people
have already been through everything imaginable
Some leave their mothers behind
begging God in Heaven
to feel sorry for their children
and to give them some consolation.
Others leave their children
waiting for their father
and their parents in their last moments
God only knows, child, if you will get to see them

Only someone who has spent
some time in prison
knows what anguish is
and what heartfelt sorrows are.
How sad it is to board the train
when it is getting up steam to go
how sadly those prisoners were going
it was enough to make you cry.
The shackles were clanking
and the locomotive's bells rang out,
and between the noise of the chains
a groan could be heard.
Because of morphine and cocaine,
because of marijuana and liquor,
many are doing their time
up there in Leavenworth.
But the world is a globe/big lie
and he who walks in it is a bewildered wanderer
and each one with his finger nails
scratches his own itch.
Gentlemen, this ballad
is not of the greatest interest
it was humbly composed
by Manuel Cuéllar Valdez
__________________________

À la prison régionale
ils ont sorti une chaîne de forçats
ils étaient tous les prisonniers
qui partaient pour purger leur peine
C’était le vingt-troisième jour d'Octobre
probablement autour de huit heures
ils transféraient vingt-six condamnés
au pénitencier
Ils sont tous allé à Leavenworth
parce qu'ils ne connaissaient pas la chanson
que le whisky et la marijuana
doivent laisser quelque chose de bon
Ils ne prêtaient pas attention aux conseils
que leurs parents leur ont donné
sachant très bien que ces personnes âgées
avaient déjà traversés tout ce qui est imaginable
Certains laissent leurs mères en arrière
suppliant Dieu au ciel
de se sentir mal pour ses enfants
en de leur donner une certaine consolation.
D'autres laissent leurs enfants
en attente de leur père
et leurs parents dans leurs derniers moments
Dieu seul le sait, enfant, si vous pourrez les revoir

Seul quelqu'un qui a passé
du temps en prison
sait ce qu’est l’angoisse
et les peines sincères.
Comme il est triste d’embarquer à bord du train
quand il se met cracher de la vapeur
si malheureux, ces prisonniers allaient
c’était assez pour vous faire pleurer.
Les manilles claquaient
et le sifflet de la locomotive resonnait,
et entre le bruit des chaînes
un gémissement pouvait être entendu.
À cause de la morphine et de la cocaïne,
À cause de la marijuana et de l'alcool,
Nombreux sont ceux qui font leur temps
là-bas à Leavenworth.
Mais le monde est un globe / gros mensonge
et celui qui y marche est un vagabond égaré
et chacun avec ses ongles
gratte sa propre démangeaison.
Messieurs, cette ballade
n’est pas du plus grand intérêt
il a été humblement composé
par Manuel Cuéllar Valdez