I am at the end of the hall, in the cornet to be precise, of the building in which I have spent the last four years of my life. This place has closed its doors to me, yet I am here trying to finish with little dignity. I see the two people sitting in front of me and I wonder what their motivation to keep going is, what their wishes are, what is their hope. Now that I am at the end of this journey I think: If only I could do something different, what it may be?
I think about it and I feel this vertigo pass over my whole body. It is a lost cause, it is hopeless and yet, I believe in my own lie that there is still hope. I think in a word that describes having hope in a lost cause, in Spanish the word “ojala” is used to describes those situations.
In an interview, Silvio Rodriguez said that “Ojala” is a song dedicated to his first love. I understand that this is not a love song, but a song that asks for a miracle to make him forget that love; hopefully that love stop being so pure, hopefully that perfect smile disappears, hopefully something happens that suddenly erases that memory.
This is a song to the lost cause of loving what you once had, what a better word to describe the wish and the hope for the love that is already lost… ojala.
This is the best translation I found (original post), I edited a few lines.
| Ojalá que las hojas no te toquen el cuerpo cuando caigan Para que no las puedas convertir en cristal. Ojalá que la lluvia deje de ser milagro que baja por tu cuerpo. Ojalá que la luna pueda salir sin ti. Ojalá que la tierra no te bese los pasos. |
May the leaves not touch your body when they fall So that you don’t turn them to crystal May the rain cease to be a miracle flowing over your body May the moon be able to rise without you May the earth not kiss your steps |
| Ojalá se te acabe la mirada constante, La palabra precisa, la sonrisa perfecta. Ojalá pase algo que te borre de pronto: Una luz cegadora, un disparo de Nievi. Ojalá por lo menos que me lleve la muerte, Para no verte tanto, para no verte siempre En todos los segundos, en todas las visiones: Ojalá que no pueda tocarte ni en canciones |
May your constant gaze fade away The precise word, the perfect smile May something happen suddenly to erase you A blinding light, a shot by Nievi. May at least death take me So that I won’t see you so often, so that I won’t see you always In every second, in every vision May I not be able to touch you, even in song |
| Ojalá que la aurora no de gritos que caigan en mi espalda. Ojalá que tu nombre se le olvide a esa voz. Ojalá las paredes no retengan tu ruido de camino cansado. Ojalá que el deseo se vaya tras de ti, A tu viejo gobierno de difuntos y flores. |
May the dawn not bring the shouts that fall down my back May your name be forgotten by that voice May the walls not hold the sound of your exhausted journey May the desire follow you To your old government of death and flowers |
| Ojalá se te acabe la mirada constante, La palabra precisa, la sonrisa perfecta. Ojalá pase algo que te borre de pronto: Una luz cegadora, un disparo de Nievi. Ojalá por lo menos que me lleve la muerte, Para no verte tanto, para no verte siempre En todos los segundos, en todas las visiones: Ojalá que no pueda tocarte ni en canciones |
May your constant gaze fade away The precise word, the perfect smile May something happen suddenly to erase you A blinding light, a shot by Nievi. May at least death take me So that I won’t see you so often, so that I won’t see you always In every second, in every vision May I not be able to touch you, even in song |
| Ojalá pase algo que te borre de pronto: Una luz cegadora, un disparo de nieve. Ojalá por lo menos que me lleve la muerte, Para no verte tanto, para no verte siempre En todos los segundos, en todas las visiones: Ojalá que no pueda tocarte ni en canciones |
May something happen soon to erase you A blinding light, a shot of snow. May at least death take me So that I won’t see you so often, so that I won’t see you always In every second, in every vision May I not be able to touch you, even in song |
Hijos De La Malinche 