Text & Translation
Bonita rama de sauce
Chinese source:
Arturo Vasquez
bonita rama de amor,
nunca floreció, que siempre
se quedó diciendo adiós.
El río pasa y la peina,
el río la jura amar.
La rama le da sus trenzas.
El río miente y se va.
El viento pasa y la besa,
el tallo le hace cimbrar,
toda la ramita canta,
el viento miente y se va.
Se va, se va,
y la ramita se inclina,
no la vean suspirar.
y la ramita se inclina,
no la vean suspirar.
Bonita rama de sauce,
bonita rama de amor,
florecida de alegría
con el alba amaneció.
Debajo de su caricia
dormido estaba el cantor,
de la guitarra y la boca
le nacía una canción.
Más dulce que viento y río,
la noche entera cantó,
coronado por la rama,
abrazadito quedó.
Cantar, cantar,
las verdes coplas del sauce,
altas por el cielo van.
Cantar, cantar,
las verdes coplas del sauce,
altas por el cielo van.
Beautiful Willow Branch
English translation ©
Lorena Paz Nieto
Beautiful branch of love,
That never flourished, that was always
Left saying goodbye.
The river goes by and it brushes her hair,
The river swears its love.
The branch gives him her tresses.
The river tells lies and is gone.
The wind passes by and kisses her,
And makes her stem tremble,
The whole of the branch sings,
The wind tells lies and is gone.
It's gone, it's gone,
And the little branch bends,
They won't see her cry.
And the little branch bends down,
They won't see her cry.
Beautiful willow branch,
Beautiful branch of love,
Blooming with happiness
It awakened with the sunrise.
Beneath its caress
The singer was sleeping,
From his guitar and from his lips
A song was born.
Sweeter than the wind and than the river,
All through the night he sang,
Crowned by the branch,
He was embraced.
To sing, to sing
The green coplas* of the willow,
High up in the sky they go.
To sing, to sing
The green coplas* of the willow,
*A Copla is a poetic form of four verses
found in many popular Spanish songs
Bonita rama de sauce
Chinese source:
Arturo Vasquez
Beautiful Willow Branch
English source:
Lorena Paz Nieto
Bonita rama de sauce,
Beautiful willow branch,
bonita rama de amor,
Beautiful branch of love,
nunca floreció, que siempre
That never flourished, that was always
se quedó diciendo adiós.
Left saying goodbye.
El río pasa y la peina,
The river goes by and it brushes her hair,
el río la jura amar.
The river swears its love.
La rama le da sus trenzas.
The branch gives him her tresses.
El río miente y se va.
The river tells lies and is gone.
El viento pasa y la besa,
The wind passes by and kisses her,
el tallo le hace cimbrar,
And makes her stem tremble,
toda la ramita canta,
The whole of the branch sings,
el viento miente y se va.
The wind tells lies and is gone.
Se va, se va,
It's gone, it's gone,
y la ramita se inclina,
And the little branch bends,
no la vean suspirar.
They won't see her cry.
y la ramita se inclina,
And the little branch bends down,
no la vean suspirar.
They won't see her cry.
Bonita rama de sauce,
Beautiful willow branch,
bonita rama de amor,
Beautiful branch of love,
florecida de alegría
Blooming with happiness
con el alba amaneció.
It awakened with the sunrise.
Debajo de su caricia
Beneath its caress
dormido estaba el cantor,
The singer was sleeping,
de la guitarra y la boca
From his guitar and from his lips
le nacía una canción.
A song was born.
Más dulce que viento y río,
Sweeter than the wind and than the river,
la noche entera cantó,
All through the night he sang,
coronado por la rama,
Crowned by the branch,
abrazadito quedó.
He was embraced.
Cantar, cantar,
To sing, to sing
las verdes coplas del sauce,
The green coplas* of the willow,
altas por el cielo van.
High up in the sky they go.
Cantar, cantar,
To sing, to sing
las verdes coplas del sauce,
The green coplas* of the willow,
altas por el cielo van.
Composer
Carlos Guastavino
Carlos Guastivino, one of the foremost Argentine composers of the 20th century, produced over 500 works in his lifetime, mostly for piano and voice. Read more here.
