El Compromiso
Inti-Illimani
The Commitment
Here's my handkerchief
Ma'am, dry your tears
There's no sorrow in the world
That doesn't have its comfort
Lift your gaze from the ground
And look at me face to face
Everyone suffers
I forgot it out of selfishness
That leads to the abyss
I tell you first.
I condemn you, ma'am
To the top of a cactus
Five days of bread and water
Throughout all your hours
The tears that fall from me
Have no explanation
Denounce with your fury
The political farce
Not the charming sighs
Nor the reasons of love.
No one has died of love
Nor from fake affection
Nor from living without a husband
Nor from supposed betrayal
The world is a station
Of trains of sorrows
With much greater faults
Your complaint is not a whim
A great complaint is one who skins
Without mercy our poor.
If I write this poetry
It's not just for my pleasure
But rather to scare it
Evil with premeditation
I want to mark the departure
That's why I light up sparks
May the stars help me
With their immense clarity
To publish the truth
That shadows walk on earth.
My wandering heart
Is firm in this service
The benefit will be great
That I grant to my destiny
The infinite thought
Betray me at every moment
Not even the most flamboyant
Can pass by in indifference
If love for our fellow beings
Shines in our conscience.
