1
Federico García Lorca: Horseman's Song
Cordoba.
Distant and alone.
A black nag, the giant moon,
and olives in my saddlebag.
Even if I know the way,
I never will reach Cordoba.
Over the plain, through the wind,
A black nag, the bloody moon.
The Reaper is watching me
From the tall towers of Cordoba.
Oh, such a long road!
Oh, my valiant nag!
Oh, the Reaper awaits me
before I ever reach Cordoba!
Cordoba.
Distant and alone.
Translation, Charles W. Johnson
2
Canción del jinete
Cordoba.
Lejana y sola.
Jaca negra, luna grande,
y aceitunas en mi alforja.
Aunque sepa los caminos,
yo nunca llegaré a Córdoba.
Por el llano, por el viento,
jaca negra, luna roja.
La muerte me está mirando
desde las torres de Córdoba.
¡Ay que camino tan largo!
¡Ay mi jaca valerosa!
¡Ay que la muerte me espera,
antes de llegar a Córdoba!
Córdoba.
Lejana y sola.
3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg3h-ZJVKGo
Heres a virtual movie of Federico Garcia Lorca (1898 - 1936) reading his sad dark and beautiful poem "Canción de jinete" (Horseman's Song).
Federico García Lorca is possibly the most important Spanish poet and dramatist of the twentieth century.
He was born June 5, 1899(?), in Fuente Vaqueros, a small town a few miles from Granada. His father owned a farm in the fertile vega surrounding Granada and a comfortable mansion in the heart of the city. His mother, whom Lorca idolized, was a gifted pianist. After graduating from secondary school García Lorca attended Sacred Heart University where he took up law along with regular coursework. His first book, Impresiones y Viajes (1919) was inspired by a trip to Castile with his art class in 1917.
In 1936, García Lorca was staying at Callejones de García, his country home, at the outbreak of the Civil War. Toward the end of July, he was arrested by Franquist soldiers. After a few days in jail, soldiers took García Lorca to "visit" his brother-in-law, Manuel Fernandez Montesinos, the Socialist ex-mayor of Granada whom the soldiers had murdered and dragged through the streets. When they arrived at the cemetery, the soldiers forced García Lorca from the car. They struck him with the butts of their rifles and riddled his body with bullets. His books were burned in Granada's Plaza del Carmen and were soon banned from Franco's Spain. To this day, no one knows where the body of Federico García Lorca rests.
4
Horseman's Song
Cordoba.
So distant and lonely.
Black little horse, and big moon,
and in my saddlebag olives.
Though the ways are familiar,
at Cordoba I will never arrive.
Across the plain, through the wind,
black little horse, and red moon.
Death keeps staring at me,
down from Cordoba's towers.
Oh, how the way's dragging on!
Oh, so patient my brave little horse!
Oh, that death waits for me,
before Cordoba will ever be reached!
Cordoba.
So distant and lonely.
(trad. by A.W. Tüting)
5
Song of the Horseman
Córdoba,
distant and alone.
Black pony, big moon,
olives in my saddlebag.
Though I know these roads,
I’ll never reach Córdoba.
Through the plains, through wind,
black pony, red moon,
death watching me
from the high towers of Córdoba.
Ay! What a long road.
Ay! What a brave pony.
Ay! Death, you will take me,
on the road to Córdoba.
Córdoba,
distant and alone.
6
Song of the Rider
Cordoba.
Distant. Alone.
Black my pony, full the moon,
and olives in my saddlebags.
I know this road and yet I know
I shall not get to Cordoba.
Through the plains and through the wind,
Black my pony, red the moon.
Death is looking out at me
from the towers of Cordoba.
O, the road is long!
O, my pony brave!
O, that death waits for me,
before I get to Cordoba!
Cordoba.
Distant. Alone.
*
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federico_Garc%C3%ADa_Lorca
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federico_Garc%C3%ADa_Lorca
http://www.eskimo.com/~cwj2/writing/horseman.html
http://www.poempoet.blogspot.com/
http://www.antoniopalomo.com/ArtworkMain.html
