#alfonsina y el mar
Honestly, I’m translating this because I feel like it and because I want to talk about this hauntingly beautiful song and the story behind it.
The story behind what inspired the song:
Alfonsina Storni was an argentine poet who had breast cancer and treated it the first time but was not willing to go through the same process a second time when it came back, so in true Alfonsina Storni form a woman with a strong character that let no one lead her life, she decided to handle it her way, she had already voiced her thoughts about suicide on a poem when her friend (Alleged lover) and poet Horacio Quiroga committed suicide, I find the poem slightly eerie because it kind of foretell her own death
She traveled to Mar del Plata, a city located on the Atlantic coast, she stayed there a few days and wrote her last poem “Me voy a dormir” (I’m going to sleep) and send it to the journal La Nación.
The song pays homage and is slightly inspired by the last poem and the way Alfonsina Storni committed suicide.
There are many versions out there of this tragically beautiful song, my favorites are the original version by Mercedes Sosaand this cover by Amaia (starts at 1:35). Mind you this is not a proper translation because I’m not a professional translator there might be a few mistakes here and there I just wanted to share this song because is so beautiful. You should definitely check some of her work or read about her, she was an impressive person.
Por la blanda arena que lame el mar
By the soft sand that the sea licks
Su pequeña huella no vuelve más
Her small footprint won’t come back
Un sendero solo de pena y silencio llegó
A path only of sorrows and silence arrived
Hasta el agua profunda
Down to the deep water
Un sendero solo de penas mudas llegó
A path only of unspoken sorrows arrived
Hasta la espuma
To the sea foam
Sabe Dios que angustia te acompañó
God only knows what anguish accompanied you
Que dolores viejos calló tu voz
What old pains your voice silenced
Para recostarte arrullada en el canto de las
To lay down lulled to sleep by the singing of the
Caracolas marinas
Seashells
La canción que canta en el fondo oscuro del mar
The song that is sang in the dark depths of the sea by
La caracola
The seashell
Te vas Alfonsina con tu soledad
You leave Alfonsina with your loneliness
¿Qué poemas nuevos fuiste a buscar?
What new poems did you went to find?
Una voz antigua de viento y de sal
An old voice of wind and salt
Te requiebra el alma y la está llevando
Breaks your soul and is taking it
Y te vas hacia allá, como en sueños
And you go over there, like in a dream
Dormida, Alfonsina, vestida de mar
Asleep, Alfonsina, dressed by the sea
Cinco sirenitas te llevarán
Five little mermaids will take you
Por caminos de algas y de coral
Through paths of seaweed and coral
Y fosforescentes caballos marinos harán
And phosphorescent seahorses will make
Una ronda a tu lado
A round by your side
Y los habitantes del agua van a jugar
And the inhabitants of the waters will play
Pronto a tu lado
Soon by your side
Bájame la lámpara un poco más
Lower the lights a little bit more
Déjame que duerma Nodriza en paz
Let me sleep, nursemaid, in peace
Y si llama él no le digas que estoy
And if he calls, don’t tell him I’m here
Dile que Alfonsina no vuelve
Tell him that Alfonsina won’t come back
Y si llama él no le digas nunca que estoy
And if he calls don’t ever tell him I’m here
Di que me he ido
Say that I’ve left
Te vas Alfonsina con tu soledad
You leave, Alfonsina with your loneliness
¿Qué poemas nuevos fuiste a buscar?
What new poems did you went to find?
Una voz antigua de viento y de sal
An old voice of wind and salt
Te requiebra el alma y la está llevando
Breaks your soul and is taking it
Y te vas hacia allá como en sueños
And you go over there, like in a dream
Dormida, Alfonsina, vestida de mar
Asleep, Alfonsina, dressed by the sea
