I Wish You Well - Juan Andrés Bruno

The rooster crowed the wake-up call,
a distant dog barked in response
and as the arrabal began to stir
to greet the new day,
far off, a car went on its way…
And like a sentinel’s end-of-watch signal,
the flickering light of a streetlamp
winked out, like a lamentation.

The strumming of a guitar broke the silence
and sorrow wept down all its strings
and a voice torn up with pain
sang of its terrible sorrow, like this:

“I wish you well in spite of how you hurt me!
Though other arms may enfold you and embrace you,
because there’s no room for a grudge inside the heart
that you once filled with light and with love!

But if you ever weep
with sorrow of your own
at the memory of the love
that I knew how to give you
just know that you have been pardoned
by my heart
and that the soul which suffered for you
gives you its blessing.”

The rooster crowed its morning call
as if to rebuke that loving blessing,
a dog was barking and the light
from the streetlamp died with the song…
But the blessing
that he drew from the bottom of his heart
rose from the guitar right up to the heavens
and hid itself inside a single star…

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Juan Andrés Bruno (1901 - 1979) Argentina
Translated by Derrick del Pillar
Source: Poesía de gotán: The Poetry of the Tango