Mi México de ayer [English translation]

A very lovely peasant girl

had out her oven

on a sidewalk,

her comal1 - black and clean;

frying tamales2 in butter,

and gorditas3 made from masa4,

brown sugar5 and cinnamon.

As I left my house

I would buy a fifth

to take to school.

In the afternoon on the streets

they'd take out old and clean tables,

they'd sell us their custards6

and rice pudding7

in their little cooking pots.

Tasty "capirotada"8

tejocotes9 in honey,

and at night an atole10

like the champurrado11

that isn't served anymore.

These things were lovely

because that's how I saw them,

they're not in my homeland anymore,

they're not here anymore.

Today, my Mexico is beautiful

like never before,

but when I was a boy

my Mexico had an appeal.

Its stone paved streets

were quiet,

lovely and tranquil.

Their announcements12 tore

through the clean air,

selling by the bucket.

Land of the macetas13,

of molasses14, of honey,

of live chichicuilotes15

mezcal16 in penca17

and aguamiel18.

As the soldiers passed by

the people would come out

to watch with unease

even the donkey-led trams

would stop at the sound of the trumpet.

The larks would only stop

for an old loyal man

who would sell sweets

with an improvised verse that went:

"Sweets19 for

half a real and one real,

for the children

who wish to buy".

These things were lovely

because that's how I saw them,

they're not in my homeland anymore,

they're not here anymore.

Today, my Mexico is beautiful

like never before,

but when I was a boy

my Mexico had an appeal.

1. a piece of flat cookware, similar to a hotplate.2. a traditional Mesoamerican and South American dish, made of masa or dough (starchy, and usually corn-based), which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tamales can be filled with meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, chilies or any preparation according to taste, and both the filling and the cooking liquid may be seasoned.3. a pastry made with masa and stuffed with cheese, meat, or other fillings. It is similar to a pasty and to the Colombian and Venezuelan arepa. Gordita means "chubby" in Spanish.4. a maize dough that comes from ground nixtamalized corn. It is used for making corn tortillas, gorditas, tamales, pupusas, and many other Native American dishes.5. unrefined brown sugar6. In Mexico, Natillas are also found and resemble a thicker version of the dessert drink called "Atole".7. Made with milk, cinnamon, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, orange peel, raisins (soaked in sherry, rum or tequila); chocolate, butter, nutmeg, or lime zest may also be added.8. a traditional Mexican food similar to a bread pudding that is usually eaten during the Lenten period (comida de cuaresma). It is one of the dishes served on Good Friday.9. also known as the 'Mexican hawthorn' is a species of hawthorn native to the mountains of Mexico and parts of Guatemala, and has been introduced in the Andes. The fruit of this species is one of the most useful among hawthorns.10. a traditional hot corn- and masa-based beverage of Mesoamerican origin. Chocolate atole is known as champurrado or atole.11. a chocolate-based atole, a warm and thick Mexican beverage, prepared with either masa de maíz (lime-treated corn dough), masa harina (a dried version of this dough), or corn flour (simply very finely ground dried corn, especially local varieties grown for atole); piloncillo; water or milk; and occasionally containing cinnamon, anise seed, or vanilla.12. of the sellers13. a type of sweet that is basically a marshmallow circled around a stick, see image here.14. 'melcocha' is a type of hard candy15. a coastal wader which breeds on both coasts of the Americas from the equator northwards. Its range extends north to include much of the U.S. eastern seaboard, and the Pacific coast of Mexico on the west.16. is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave, and is the national spirit of Mexico.17. lit. 'leaf' or 'fleshy leaf of an agave or cactus', similar to the head of a pineapple. See image here.18. lit. 'honey water' is the sap of the Mexican maguey plant which is believed to have therapeutic qualities.19. specifically 'sugar lumps', little confections made from sugar.