Text & Translation
Canto negro
Spanish source:
Nicolás Guillén
Repica el congo solongo,
repica el negro bien negro.
congo solongo del Songo
baila yambó sobre un pie.
Mamatomba,
serembé cuserembá,
El negro canta y se ajuma.
el negro se ajuma y canta.
el negro canta y se va.
Acuemem e serembó
aé,
yambó
aé.
Tamba, tamba, tamba, tamba,
tamba del negro que tumba,
tamba del negro, caramba,
caramba, que el negro tumba,
¡Yambá, yambó, yambambé!
Negro Song
English translation ©
Jacqueline Cockburn
The congo solongo is ringing,
the black man, the real black man is ringing;
congo solongo from the Songo
is dancing the yambó on one foot.
Mamatomba,
Serembe cuserembá.
The black man sings and gets drunk,
the black man gets drunk and sings,
the black man sings and goes away.
Acuemem e serembó
aé,
yambó
aé.
Bam, bam, bam, bam,
bam of the black man who tumbles;
drum of the black man, wow,
wow, how the black man's tumbling!
¡Yambá, yambó, yambambé!
Translations by Jacqueline Cockburn and Richard Stokes published in the The Spanish Song Companion (Gollancz, 1992)
Canto negro
Spanish source:
Nicolás Guillén
Negro Song
English source:
Jacqueline Cockburn
¡Yambambó, yambambé!
Yambambó, yambambé!
Repica el congo solongo,
The congo solongo is ringing,
repica el negro bien negro.
the black man, the real black man is ringing;
congo solongo del Songo
congo solongo from the Songo
baila yambó sobre un pie.
is dancing the yambó on one foot.
Mamatomba,
Mamatomba,
serembé cuserembá,
Serembe cuserembá.
El negro canta y se ajuma.
The black man sings and gets drunk,
el negro se ajuma y canta.
the black man gets drunk and sings,
el negro canta y se va.
the black man sings and goes away.
Acuemem e serembó
Acuemem e serembó
aé,
aé,
yambó
yambó
aé.
aé.
Tamba, tamba, tamba, tamba,
Bam, bam, bam, bam,
tamba del negro que tumba,
bam of the black man who tumbles;
tamba del negro, caramba,
drum of the black man, wow,
caramba, que el negro tumba,
wow, how the black man's tumbling!
¡Yambá, yambó, yambambé!
¡Yambá, yambó, yambambé!
Composer
Xavier Montsalvatge
Xavier Montsalvatge i Bassols was a Spanish composer and music critic.