A Lo Ñandú
José Larralde
Like an Ñandú
He climbed up the sleepers
foot by foot towards the ombú
of those southern railways.
It's not easy to walk like a tramp
the water up to the caracú
through a June without entrails of the south.
Damn, you have to be tough
to live like an ñandú
without backing down from the pampero
with wings crossed.
Damn, you have to be tough
fed on ragout
heart of earth and soul of the south.
At some point he was a cowboy
another time he was a wire-fencer
he had a ranch and a mare, and he lost.
Luck turned out to be a swindler
and he, who lay down on the track
like a sleeper with wings, departed.
Damn, you have to be tough
to live like an ñandú
without backing down from the pampero
with wings crossed.
Damn, you have to be tough
fed on ragout
heart of earth and soul of the south.
Heart of earth and soul of the south.
