Aquella Carmen!

When Carmen
When Carmen stood still, at the break of dawn
And her body turned to marble, dark-skinned and pure-bred.
Barcelona,
Barcelona screaming, ordered the bells to ring
And the rhythm of the sardana lost its breath.
And in that very moment… the sound of the zambra faded!
Carmen, the gypsy born of a vine and a coral.
Carmen, your dress spread out, the tail of a peacock.
When you crossed the line and your flame went out
The owl stopped singing, and the guitar didn’t tremble,
Carmen, Carmen, Carmen… Carmen!
Carmen Amaya died, and all of Spain wept.

In Seville,
In Seville, the mirrors, with their green water glass,
In the tablaos they were saying:
Why doesn’t that Carmen come back?
La Malena, La Malena spoke to herself
La Nina broke her combs
And Juana the loudmouth lit an oil lamp.
The Giralda is without arms and the Alhambra, without cypress trees.
Carmen! Moorish gypsy of sweets and soot.
Carmen! Your dress was a moon of nard from Albaicin.
When you crossed the line and your flame went out
The owl stopped singing, and the guitar didn’t tremble.
Carmen, Carmen, Carmen… Carmen!
Carmen Amaya died, and all of Spain wept.

From the somorrostro to the beach, her star has dimmed
Her wall crumbled, like that of Jericho…
Carmen, Carmen, Carmen… Carmen!
Carmen Amaya died, and the whole world wept.