"Argentine Women" is a song cycle composed by the Argentine composer Ariel Ramírez. It is based on Félix Luna lyrics about eight women who were part of the Argentine history and fighters for their freedom.
"Alfonsina y el mar"/"Alfonsina and the Sea"
Alfonsina Storni (1892-1938), together with Gabriela Mistral (Chile) and Juana de Ibarborou (Uruguay), is one of the most important Latin-American poets from the twentieth Century. “Alfonsina y el mar” enjoys great popularity in Latin-America and Spain, being a regarded song in Argentinian folk music. The piece pays homage to poet Alfonsina Storni, evoking her tragic suicide in 1938, when she threw herself into the sea at La Perla beach in Mar del Plata, and the poem she wrote as a goodbye message, “I Am Going to Sleep.”
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"Alfonsina y el mar"
(Letra: Félix Luna - Música: Ariel Ramírez) Por la blanda arena que lame el mar su pequeña huella no vuelve más un sendero solo de pena y silencio llegó hasta el agua profunda un sendero solo de penas mudas llegó hasta la espuma. Sabe dios qué angustia te acompañó qué dolores viejos calló tu voz para recostarte arrullada en el canto de las caracolas marinas la canción que canta en el fondo oscuro del mar la caracola. Te vas Alfonsina con tu soledad ¿qué poemas nuevos fuiste a buscar? una voz antigua de viento y de sal te requiebra el alma y la está llevando y te vas hacia allá, como en sueños, dormida, Alfonsina, vestida de mar. Cinco sirenitas te llevarán por caminos de algas y de coral y fosforescentes caballos marinos harán una ronda a tu lado y los habitantes del agua van a jugar pronto a tu lado. Bájame la lámpara un poco más déjame que duerma, nodriza, en paz y si llama él no le digas que estoy Dile que Alfonsina no vuelve Y si llama él no le digas nunca que estoy Di que me he ido. Te vas Alfonsina con tu soledad ¿Qué poemas nuevos fuiste a buscar? Una voz antigua de viento y de sal Te requiebra el alma y la está llevando Y te vas hacia allá como en sueños Dormida, Alfonsina, vestida de mar. |
"Alfonsina and the Sea"
Translation Across the soft sand that the waves lick Her small footprints are not coming back Only one path made of sorrow and silence Reached the deep water Only one path made of untold sorrows Reached the foam. Only God knows about the anguish that accompanied you And about the old pains your voice never told That caused you to go to sleep lulled by the song Of the seashells The song sung in the depths of the dark sea By the seashell. You're going away Alfonsina along with your loneliness What kind of new poems did you go looking for? An ancient voice made of wind and salt Is shattering your soul and taking you away And you go there like in a dream, Asleep, Alfonsina, dressed with the sea. Five little mermaids will escort you Through paths made of seaweed and corals And phosphorescent sea horses will Walk by your side And the aquatic dwellers will soon play By your side. Dim the light of the lamp a bit for me Let me sleep in peace, nurse, And if he calls don´t tell him I'm here Tell him that Alfonsina is not coming back And if he calls never tell him I'm here Tell him that I have left You're going away, Alfonsina along with your loneliness What kind of new poems did you go looking for? An ancient voice made of wind and salt Is shattering your soul and taking you away And you go there like in a dream Asleep, Alfonsina, dressed with the sea. |