Text & Translation
Chévere
Spanish source:
Nicolás Guillén
se vuelve él mismo navaja:
pica tajadas de luna,
mas la luna se le acaba;
pica tajadas de sombra,
mas la sombra se le acaba;
pica tajadas de canto,
mas el canto se le acaba;
y entonces pica que pica
carne de su negra mala.
The Dandy
(1996)
English translation ©
Richard Stokes
himself becomes a knife:
he cuts slices of the moon,
but the moon is fading on him;
he cuts slices of shadow,
but the shadow is fading on him,
he cuts slices of song,
but the song is fading on him;
and then he cuts up, cuts up
the flesh of his evil black woman.
Translations by Jacqueline Cockburn and Richard Stokes published in the The Spanish Song Companion (Gollancz, 1992)
Chévere
Spanish source:
Nicolás Guillén
The Dandy (1996)
English source:
Richard Stokes
Chévere del navajazo,
The dandy of the knife thrust
se vuelve él mismo navaja:
himself becomes a knife:
pica tajadas de luna,
he cuts slices of the moon,
mas la luna se le acaba;
but the moon is fading on him;
pica tajadas de sombra,
he cuts slices of shadow,
mas la sombra se le acaba;
but the shadow is fading on him,
pica tajadas de canto,
he cuts slices of song,
mas el canto se le acaba;
but the song is fading on him;
y entonces pica que pica
and then he cuts up, cuts up
carne de su negra mala.
the flesh of his evil black woman.
Composer
Xavier Montsalvatge
Xavier Montsalvatge i Bassols was a Spanish composer and music critic.