Carnaval

(Candombe)

Even though he hasn't winked yet,
there's not a single soul left in the square.
A sleepy black guy, on a little lame horse,
carries a hairy one of those that don't get saddled.

The Count of Romanones is full of bad words
because a kid is yelling at him: “Old man… the vines!”
Blonde Maria Cachorro, giving it to the redhead,
came from the Hill to the Center followed by her crew.

And Maria, sighing, dressed as a gypsy,
takes a handsome guy by the arm heading to the dance hall.
Tolentino got bold with a married woman,
but her husband put a straw in his tie.

The brown Macaco Baio, for slashing a mask,
was taken by the cops in a crazy jaia-jaia.
Singing, he crosses the line or breaks the dawn,
a carnival spirit of Santan's black folks.

Every time the wind blows in the square,
the air fills with a strong smell of street food.
Officer Procopio got drunk at the stop
and shouts nonsense at every black woman that passes.

Sassy and flirty, the maid of the house
is wearing a new dress made of printed muslin.
And as time goes by, the parade grows,
because despite the crisis, there's always money for parties.

But at the treacherous night, defying orders
from the police, it occurs to them to play carnival with water.
And goodbye parade and little mask, street vendors and troupes,
and goodbye new dress of the maid of the house.

It's eleven and there's not a single soul left on the street,
but still, the night keeps playing with water.

Carnival, carnival, carnival…*

* Alfredo Zitarrosa doesn't sing this ending.