Las Ruinas
Silvio Rodriguez
The Ruins
The Chaldeans, the Assyrians, the Rome of power
Knew how to sum it up better
The Greeks, the Egyptians, the children of Israel
Were already talking about love
There were temples and cities just to worship
The cult of the soul and the skin
There were seductive goddesses and forests to love
And even wars fought over a woman
What could I tell you from today?
What ceremony could I honor?
Heavy centuries like coliseums
Crush any invention
There are stones, there are ruins hearing me speak
Hearing me say: I love you, I love you
Words that have crossed the desert between two
Circled the earth and returned from the sun
I love you, I love you
After so much has passed, it can't matter
That I put a finger on love
That I like to watch you through the glass
Of a cup painted with color
It's what they've left us. I have to settle
For the simplicity of wanting
I dedicate myself to putting flowers around you
And inch by inch to bless your skin
The 20th century doesn't allow for more
In its current, the ruins drown
But the whirlwind stops for moments
And there's calm and contemplation
Then the ruins can listen
They can smile: I love you, I love you
Hanging from the words
Sargassum from the sea
They're crystals of snow and the taste of salt
I love you, I love you
From the dust of the ruins, the master rises
Dust that is breathed and flew again
