Milonga de las Patriadas
Alfredo Zitarrosa
Milonga of the Patriadas
(Milonga)
Tell me how many died in Masoller,
fighting simply and without why;
how many deaths Tupambaé evokes.
How many ponchos they covered, still in Arbolito;
justifies the courage of that little boy,
Justifies the courage of that little boy.
Between Three Trees, then, Villar had
to count their dead, sad to tell;
to count their dead, sad to tell.
For the country or the absence or the legality,
faded badges, just dead;
faded badges, just dead.
Leaders, generals, fathers of the Nation,*
They invented a game, no one won;
They invented a game, no one won.
Unknown gauchos, cannon fodder
of Remington or the cold, Mauser or sun;
of the Remington or the cold, the Mauser or the sun.
And at least there was one change, determined and tenacious:
The countrymen followed, just poor;
The countrymen followed, just poor.
Tell me how many died in Masoller,
fighting simply and without why;
how many deaths Tupambaé evokes.
* Alfredo Zitarrosa says "Federal leaders, fathers of the Nation", in an error that changes the meaning of the verse, and that was about to stop the release of the album where the song is included.
