Versos Sencillos
Pablo Milanés
Simple Verses
If you see a mountain of foam,
it's my verse that you see:
my verse is a mountain, and it's
a fan made of feathers.
My verse is a light green
and a bright crimson.
My verse is a wounded deer
seeking shelter in the woods.
I know of a deep sorrow
among the nameless pains:
the slavery of men
is the greatest sorrow in the world!
There are mountains, and we must climb
the high mountains: then
we'll see, my soul, who is
who put you here as I die!
My verse is like a dagger
that blooms from the hilt.
My verse is a fountain
that flows with coral water.
My verse pleases the brave:
my verse, short and sincere,
is as strong as the steel
with which the sword is forged.
I want, when I die,
without a homeland, but without a master,
to have on my grave a bouquet
of flowers and a flag.
Don't put me in the dark
to die like a traitor:
I am good, and like a good man,
I'll die facing the sun!
