Alfonsina Y El Mar

By the soft sand that the sea licks
Her little footprint never returns
And a lonely path, of sorrow and silence arrived
To the deep water
And a lonely path of pure sorrows arrived
To the foam

God knows what anguish accompanied you
what old pains your voice silenced
to lay you down lulled by the song
of the seashells
the song that sings in the dark depths of the sea
the seashell

You leave, Alfonsina, with your solitude
What new poems did you go to seek?
An ancient voice of wind and sea
Breaks your soul and is taking it
And you go
There like in dreams
Asleep, Alfonsina
Dressed in sea

Five little mermaids will take you
along paths of algae and coral
and phosphorescent seahorses will
make a circle by your side.
And the inhabitants of the water will swim
soon by your side.

Lower the lamp a little
let me sleep, nurse peacefully
and if he calls, don't tell him I'm here,
tell him Alfonsina won't return.
and if he calls, never tell him I'm here,
say that I have gone.