Memorias Colombianas

Colombia, my beloved land, I wanted to write you a song
Inspired by those beautiful melodies of your folklore
I’m Colombian, and my roots push me to be bold
And the journey of life taught me to love you more

Equipped with my ruana and my father's poncho
I traveled the roads of Caldas, reaching the great Tolima
I looked at the old houses where the acacias hang
And in that little old town, I only found nostalgia
Carmentea was gone, I felt bitterness on my lips

Love is written with tears, said Doña Rosario to me
Without hope, without a way back, just my sorrows
And with endless longing, I cried by the bamboo groves
My lady María Rosa, I too was twenty once
I’m looking for a Santanderean country girl with black eyes

And I’ve traveled a lot on the roads of life
And here I am arriving from the land of forgetfulness
My Antioquian heart asks me about the girl
The one with the crazy laugh, where are you, my pretty rose?

The grave digger told me, there by the old lantern
I sang to you, my serenade of love
I’m looking for you, Bogotá girl, on nights in Bocagrande
So we can live together, my dark-skinned girl, I bought a house in the air

To God, I ask you to return to my farming land
And when you come back, I’ll sing to you, fisherman, star, and river
I’m wearing a black shirt, I got kicked out of town yesterday
Because I sang to the mayor, who are you fooling, grandpa?

Make me a tiple, maestro, I want to sing with my soul
Songs that are the essence of my Colombian land
Goodbye, little white house, the bells of forgetfulness
Girl with big black eyes, to the south, and dear old one

The backwaters and the swans, under the moonlight
Foams, the washerwomen, and singing oh my plains
I dreamed of her dancing, in the red pollera
I sang to the old road, glitter and blaze
We danced the sabanales, the guanena, the sanjuanero
And I woke up crying, dreaming of my grandpa.