La Llorona (The Weeping Woman)

Saguaro blossom. Image licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.  Original photo by kreyten on Flickr.  The original image can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/10271343@N00/2462280028.

 

 

Dear Readers,

 

This poem is woven around the songs “Volver, volver”, by Vicente Fernández (all the Spanish in the poem comes from the song’s lyrics), “La Llorona”, which, like "Volver, volver", has multiple versions, and the legend of “La Llorona”, who killed her children to follow her lover, was rejected, and then couldn’t enter heaven until she found her children; hence her continual tears as she wanders the earth.  The words of the poem are intended to be set to the music of “Volver, volver”.  There is a link in the Notes if you are unfamiliar with the music.  I think it is helpful to hear the song before reading the poem.

Best regards!

Rick

La Llorona

(The Weeping Woman)

      "...Driven to tears by lost love..."

Oh my love, why have you left me?

For the two of us shared love beyond compare

If you stayed, oh how I’d love you!

I'd enfold my arms around you--

We'd find love most anywhere

Y volver, volver, volver!

If I knew you truly loved me

We would share such bliss together

We'd be happy anywhere!

Este amor apasionado

Anda todo alborotado, por volver.

Voy camino a la locura

Y aunque todo me tortura, se querer.

Y volver volver, volver

A tus brazos otra vez

Llegaré hasta donde estés

Yo se perder, yo se perder

Quiero volver, volver, volver

But my love I cannot follow--

For the welfare of our children, I don’t dare!

I must keep them safely guarded

Thus my heart’s will is discarded

And no more your love will share

Y volver, volver, volver!

I must keep our children guarded

All my own needs disregarded--

Sorrow now my only fare

Nos dejamos hace tiempo

Pero me llego el momento de perder

Tu tenías mucha razon

Le hago caso al corazón

Y me muero por volver

Y volver volver, volver

A tus brazos otra vez

Llegaré hasta donde estés

Yo se perder, yo se perder

Quiero volver, volver, volver

Now I am the Weeping Woman

And this bitter loss of your love I can’t bear!

All my cries, unheeded sorrows

All my tears flood sad tomorrows

No, Llorona won’t be spared!

Y volver, volver, volver!

All my cries mourn unmet passion

All my tears earn no compassion

No, Llorona won’t be spared!

No vuelves porque no quieres!

Nos dejamos hace tiempo pero

Me llego el momento de perder

Tu tenías mucha razon, le hago caso

Al corazón y me muero por volver.

Y volver volver, volver

A tus brazos otra vez

Llegaré hasta donde estés

Yo se perder, yo se perder

Quiero volver, volver, volver!

 

 

©2012 Richard Puetter

All rights reserved

 

Notes:

 

One of the things I try to accomplish in this poem is to explore the roots of the legend of “La Llorona”, i.e., is there a reason for her situation.  Here the poem is meant to be the weaving of two soliloquies, one by the female lover (English text), the other by the male (Spanish text).  Each has a slightly different view on the reason and details of their separation, and each brings their own needs and weaknesses to the failed relationship.  I leave it to the reader to decide if the woman actually kills her children, literally becoming the legendary “La Llorona”, or is just driven to the brink of committing the crime, but keeping her children safe.

The songs “Volver, volver” and “La Llorona” are two of my wife's, Rosalinda’s, favorite Mexican songs.  Over the years they have become deep favorites of mine as well.  The concept for this poem came in May of 2012 when we visited one of our favorite restaurants in Cabo San Lucas, Mi Casa, and were played these two requested songs.  The evoked emotion was so strong that words demanded to be set down in verse.

 

There are many versions of the lyrics of both the songs “Volver, volver” and “La Llorona”, but here are two links to YouTube performances that I enjoy:

 

Volver, volver:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugNQ5uIN09Q

La Llorona:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-F8GxI0t7I

Below I give a translation of the "classical" version of "Volver, volver", the one by Vicente Fernandez. The translation is not alway completely literal, but goes with the sentiment and flow of the poem.

There are too many versions of "La Llorona" to decide which one to pick. So I will forgo that effort.  The interested reader should feel free to explore the many versions.

Volver, volver   Vicente Fernández   Este amor apasionado Anda todo alborotado, por volver. Voy camino a la locura Y aunque todo me tortura, se querer.   Nos dejamos hace tiempo Pero me llego el momento de perder Tu tenías mucha razon Le hago caso al corazón Y me muero por volver   Y volver volver, volver A tus brazos otra vez Llegaré hasta donde estés Yo se perder, yo se perder Quiero volver, volver, volver   No vuelves porque no quieres! Nos dejamos hace tiempo pero Me llego el momento de perder Tu tenías mucha razon, le hago caso Al corazón y me muero por volver.   "Y volver volver, volver A tus brazos otra vez Llegaré hasta donde estés Yo se perder, yo se perder Quiero volver, volver, volver!

Return, return   Vicente Fernández   This passionate love is beside itself, with desire to return. I'm on the road to madness And while I'm tortured by everything, I know how to love   We parted ways some time ago But I feel the full weight of my loss You had every reason to leave But now I listen to my heart And I'm dying to return   Oh, return, return, return To your arms again To be where you are I am so lost, I am so lost I long to return, return, return   You haven't returned because you don't want to We parted so long ago But I now fully feel this moment of loss You had every reason, yet finally I  heed My heart, and I'm dying to return   Oh, return, return, return To your arms again To be where you are I am so lost, I am so lost I have such longing to return, return, return!

Reviews

[Marie Anzalone]

Very familiar with both songs, my favorite version of La Llorona is the haunting one by Chavela Vargas that was used live in the movie "Frida." I sent you a critique of some of the Spanish with suggestions for improving the grammar, essence, and translation you have here. You did a nice job capturing the essence of the songs and the stories behind them. I typically like poetry a little more show and a little less tell; I like to immerse myself and interpret the work for myself- but that is just a personal preference. You put a lot of research and thought into this, thank you for sharing. Let me know if you would like any additional cultural insights.

[Tate Morgan]

But of course it speaks of failed relationships that i can do lol I am expert at that If one needs help collapsing their relationship they only need ask.i can relate to the line I know how to lose very well .As always a work worthy of your pen

[Tate Morgan]

man you go all out when you do something It is a in depth look at a poem i could only dream of being able to create

[Sheila Kline]

Dear Rick!

You have taken a song, already known, and added another layer of passion, longing, remorse, perhaps an even keener awareness of defeat revealing the tragic realization that this mother shall forever weep tears for her children, and for the lover she hoped to gain with the murder of her children!

I have read your notes, which you are always add to educate your readers (Thank you for these notes), read the original lyrics, and listened to the two songs you have linked to YouTube, and they touch my heart to the point of pain as I close my eyes while listening to the music, the words, the emotion in the singer's voices, and can almost see, and hear this women as she laments for her lost love(s). She admits she knows how to lose, yet she longs to return, how she listened to her heart, and is dying.......yes dying to return yet she knows it may not be!

You have summed it up in your words:

All my cries, unheeded sorrows
All my tears flood sad tomorrows

I commend you for retaining the original depth of passion and sorrow in your adaptation, and thank you for introducing me, and other readers to this lovely, yet sad, ever so sad tale!

Since I cannot read, nor speak Spanish, I shall recall the words you have written, and perhaps even listen to hear her sobbing as the musical notes sound a melody of woe!

Congratulations on another wonderful write! This one is quite different for you, yet it is every bit as interesting a read as your other pieces. What could you write that I could not absolutely give worthy, and honorable praise? There is none that I have found!!

Best Regards,

Sheila

[Emerald Seas]

A wonderful truth, well written and expressed.

[Neva Flores Smith - Cha..]

back again, back again, oh the cries to return to those arms. Hauntingly beautiful, well done Rick.

[John Jackson (El Juero)]

Yo se perder, Yo se perder...
Este poesia es muy claro.Tu cuentes la leyenda perfectamente!
Gracias, Amigo!