O Vello e o Sapo

From the distant village the rooftops smoke;
Behind the hills the sun is setting;
The sheep return to the fields with the night
Nibbling on the tender grass edges.

An old man, leaning on a walking stick,
Crosses the mountain towards the pine forest.
He's tired; he found a stone on the path
And sat on it to catch his breath.

- Oh! - he said - how sad!
How sad I am!
And the toad, listening,
Replied: - Croak, croak!

The souls are ringing! ... on a night like this
My house burned down, my wife died;
My crops burned in the yard, and the livestock,
The seeds I planted in the ground were lost.

I sold the vineyards, orchards, and gardens
And now I wander the world begging;
But when I find the doors closed
The dogs chase me out and make me flee.

- Sing, toad, sing;
You and I are two! ... -
And the sorrowful toad
Sang: - Croak, croak!

Alone we both are on this earth.
But you find a hole in it and I do not;
The mountain winds don't bite you,
While my insides and bones are gnawed.

You, born in the mountains, wait in the mountains,
Singing side by side, to see your land;
I, born among men, sleeping among beasts,
And death I do not find, if I want to die.

- They're ringing ... let's pray,
They say there is a god! ... -
He prays, and the toad
Sang: - Croak, croak!

The night closed in, and the moon's ray
Began to shine on the pale peaks;
A strange light dazzles in the dawn
And in the distance the wolf's howl is heard.

The poor old man, bent with age,
Rose from the stone and picked up his stick;
He raised his clenched fist to the sky,
And muttering towards the thickets he went...

With eyes following him
Into the dark expanse,
The toad remained
Singing: Croak, croak!