La Milpa [English translation]

How beautiful the milpa1 is

surrounded by sunflowers,

where the cattle thresh,

it's raining now while the sun is out.2

The early rising birds

taught me the song

that I sing behind the plow

where my heart cries.

Little grain you must eat,

little grain you must eat,

if you want to see the harvest

first you must do your part,3

if you want to see the harvest

first you must do your part.

How beautiful the milpa,

it smells of herbs, it smells of flowers,

when night falls

it hurts a little bit.

The early rising birds

taught me the song

that I sing behind the plow

where my heart cries.

Little grain you must eat,

little grain you must eat,

if you want to see the harvest

first you must do your part,

if you want to see the harvest

first you must do your part.

1. is a crop-growing system used throughout Mesoamerica.2. a sunshower3. lit. 'first you must sweat'