david alberto fernández

I am not here (Immigrant Song); Oh, my Teresa; A world cup: David Alberto Fernández

No estoy aquí
(Canción de inmigrante)

No estoy aquí
a rimar la confusion
que ya conoces

Ni estoy aquí
a cantar platitudes,
del mundo duro

Ni estoy aquí
para discutir, fajar,
emboracharme

Ni para robar
tu animo con falsas
sonrisas blancas

Ni limpiar sangre
de tus pisos brillantes
antes de cenar

Ni ser objeto
de sus burlas, el tema
de sus programas

de television,
ni a vender sus drogas ,
o estafarte

Ni a matarte,
no veni, vidi,vici,
ni a conquistar,

o reconquistar,
Ni a sermonearte
en voz superfluo

Al contrario,
traigo agua dulce a
apagar tu sed

Vengo con frutas
para endulcinear
tu lengua triste

No para vender,
ni para comprar nada
Sino regalar

Vengo a estar
calmamente en sombra,
fuera de tu luz

en tormenta con
paragua ridiculo
Con espacio

No a despertarte,
namas a preguntarte
si puedes mover

un poco en la
cama tan grande, porque
estas rocando

Vengo con fuego
para tus lomos, mente
despejandolos

Vengo a bailar
pero no con tu esposa
Sino, contigo

Vengo con buenas
noticias, sonrisas,
sí, caricias

Vengo yo aquí
serio, namas para
compartir ésto

 

I am not here
(Immigrant Song)

I am not here
to rhyme the confusion that
you already know

Nor am I here
to sing the platitudes
of a hard world

Nor am I here
to argue with you, or fight,
or to get drunk

Nor to rob
your soul with false
white smiles

Nor to clean the blood
off your shiny floors
before dinnertime

Nor be an object
of your jokes, the topics of
your programs

on television,
nor to sell your drugs,
or screw you over

Nor to kill you,
no veni, vidi,vici,
nor to conquer you,

or to reconquer
Nor sermonize you, in voice
superfluous

On the contrary,
I bring you some sweet water
to quench your thirst

I come with fruits
to sweeten up
your sad tongue

Not to sell,
nor to buy anything
Instead to give

I come to be
calmly in the shade
outside of your light

in a storm with a
ridiculous umbrella
With space

Not to wake you up,
only to ask you
if you can move

a little on the
very large bed, because
you are snoring

I come with fire
for your loins, with a mind
freeing them

I come to dance
but not with your wife
Instead, with you

I come with good
news, with smiles, and yes,
with caresses

I come here
seriously, only to
give you this

Ay, mi Teresa

Ay, mi Teresa
trabajabas por ellos,
como querias

Esperándote
como me esperabas
en banco sucio

dentro del Metro
con gafas de sol, en tu
profundo dolor

Perdoname ya
por la sequía, por mi
malo retraso

Ventitres años
despues, regresaron todas
las mariposas

 

Oh, my Teresa

Oh, my Teresa
you worked hard for them
as you wanted to

Waiting for you there,
as you waited for me
on a dirty bench

inside the Metro
with your sunglasses, in your
deepest pain

Forgive me now
for the drought, for my
mean delay

Twenty-three years
later, all the butterflies
came back

 

Una copa mundial

Todos lugares
a pesar de todo, son
el mismo lugar

El borde, firme –
No te gusta perder Yo
no quiero ganar

 

A world cup

All places,
after all, are
the same place

The firm border –
You do not like to lose I
do not want to win

david alberto fernández is a poet born in Miami, Florida who lives in Takoma Park Maryland with his wife and daughter. A 25 year-employee of the world's largest library, he has had a lifelong love of words, books, auspicious birds, and new ideas.