El Caporal y El Espanto

It was a moonless night, winters of May
A breeze of terror was blowing, one that chills the plain
Whispers, moans, and a long cry could be heard
Carrying in its hands the soul of a condemned
The dark lightning was its companion and ally
Even the bulls were scared and cowed
And the herd disappeared into the nearest mountain
And the black caiman of the nipa took refuge in a puddle
"Did you see the man?", I know, and I haven't doubted
Because men are men, history has shown it
They face the cruel world, or they kill each other with bullets
But fighting with the dead, has only been seen in my plain
The tale I tell you, many have heard
And they venerate the cowboy who defied the condemned
On a moonless night, winter of May
With no weapons but courage and the honor of being Christian
Few cowboys from the surroundings reached the ranch
Where today lives the legend of the cowboy and the terror
Although many stayed to test what was told
None endured the night and rode their horses
Those who lived those past times say
That during work seasons, herds were scared
And a tall black man appeared on the plain
Releasing a laugh that frightened even the bravest
Don Marcelino tells me, that one summer night
He was walking in the Savannah and heard singing
Upon reaching a swamp, he saw the terror galloping
Spewing fire, it moved away across the plain
Blond José Amalio, his patience was running out
A man of strong courage, he had never been scared
The workers didn't stop him, even if well paid
And none dared to ride the trails
"Damn that dead man they call condemned
I'm going to look for him, I'll just shoot him
That damn one thinks I've been a cock with spurs
But with me, he's done, I'm going to send him to hell"
And the man was determined on his chestnut horse
In his cartridge belt, the Christian cross
On the top of his hat, the virgin patroness of the plain
And on his lips, to Florentino and the devil
"Terror of the plain that frightens even the bravest"
Those were his words, upon reaching that burnt place
"I've come to fight you, as you wish, condemned
I'm a tiger that has never been cornered in the Savannah"
It was exactly midnight, the plain was scared
The sky with its darkness was overcast
The neigh of a beast announced the newcomer
While a laugh broke the silence of the plain
The sky trembled, a thunder filled the space
And a furious storm with lightning and thunder
Spewed hot fire, covering the condemned
Because there, in the dark night, a man had challenged him
"What do you want from me?", asked that terror
"If you want to fight me, get ready José Amalio
Because I'm going to show you that for me there's no human
Who dares to challenge me in this, your immense plain"
"Hahaha, get comfortable, brother", José Amalio replied
"Shadows don't scare me, I'm not afraid of lights
I'm like Florentino who beat the devil
I bring the Virgin of Carmen, hanging from my scapular"
Gunshots were heard, four shots were heard
Four crosses that extinguished the fire of the condemned
And two riders fiercely pounced on each other
Defending the right to lead in the plain
The storm ended, there was a sacred silence
Dawn began, the roosters crowed
And a breeze dissipated the smell of burnt sulfur
While there, senseless, José Amalio was found
The plain woke him up with an enchanted concert
And the morning dew caressed his lips
The soul of the condemned would never return
The bravery of a cowboy had defeated evil