La Noche
Patricio Manns
The Night
(Song IV of "The American Dream")
(sung by Andean Voices*)
Hail, Pure Mary:
the night has fallen and silence reigns.
The guard's footsteps
barely disturb the colonial peace.
He walks away
through damp alleyways
and in the still night
the voices of the wind nestle in afterward.
A black carriage
rolls over the cobblestones
and in the night shines the laughter of some woman.
Night in Santiago
for the warriors
who with arrogant
disdain ruled in the king's name.
And the people? And the people stayed silent.
Why?
The guard's footsteps
barely disturb the colonial peace.
He walks away
through damp alleyways
and in the still night
the voices of the wind nestle in afterward.
Hail, Pure Mary:
the night has fallen and silence reigns.
Stone prisons
filled the homeland
and with a thousand chains burdened the restless people.
Masters of the land,
masters of life,
the conquerors hung a black ribbon
on the chest of the Creole.
And the people? And the people who fought yesterday?
And the guard's footsteps
barely disturb the colonial peace.
He walks away
through damp alleyways
and in the restless night
the eyes of a man watch him lose.
Hail, Pure Mary:
the dawn is already breaking.
*Andean Voices: Jaime Garat, José Ortega, Rolando Jaque, and Víctor Ibarra
