Milonga Del Muerto
Jorge Luis Borges
Milonga of the Dead
I dreamed it in this house
Between walls and doors.
God allows men
To dream things that are true.
I dreamed it out at sea
On some glacial islands.
Let them tell us the rest
The grave and the hospitals.
One of so many provinces
From the interior was his land.
(It's not convenient for it to be known
That people die in war).
They took him from the barracks,
They put in his hands
The weapons and sent him
To die with his brothers.
It was done with great prudence,
It was spoken in a detailed manner.
They handed over at the same time
The rifle and the crucifix.
He heard the empty speeches
Of the vain generals.
He saw what he had never seen before,
The blood in the sands.
He heard cheers and heard cries,
He heard the clamor of the people.
He just wanted to know
If he was brave or not.
He knew it at that moment
When the wound entered him.
He said to himself, I was not afraid
When life left him.
(spoken)
His death was a secret
Victory. Let no one be surprised
That I envy and feel sorry
For the fate of that man.
