La cuna
Alfredo Zitarrosa
The Cradle
(Song)
If I knew from which jungle came
the vigorous tree that gave the cedar
to carve the cradle of my child.
I would like to bless its exotic name,
I would like to guess under which sky,
under which breeze it was slowly growing
the tree that was born with the destiny
to be such a pure and tiny bed.
Immense tree, that made yourself humble
to cradle a child among your branches,
rock the children of my children,
all my lineage will sleep in your arms.
Sometimes while the little one sleeps
I recall a story that could have happened to him:
perhaps under its canopy at another time
a tawny mother breastfed a child
under the protective cedar of nests,
in the evening, when the old tree
filled with birds dreaming
of music, lullabies, and chirps.
Immense tree, that made yourself humble
to cradle a child among your branches,
rock the children of my children,
all my lineage will sleep in your arms.
