May the lyricist don't forget the verses of Gamero, 1
of drinking some broken glass to his health;
May the lyricist don't forget of buying cigarettes
and drag a couple verses of the glorious Guruyú.2
May the lyricist don't forget the bus ticket cost increase
of taking the window seat and living the reality.
May the lyricist don't forget the Basañez3 fans
that one the journalists call faction.
May the lyricist don't forget the after dark gangs
that go through the dawns covering the city;
May the lyricist don't forget the thousand sticker men
who spent more than a night in a police station.
May the lyricist don't forget the monday mornings
when the true worker gets up in silence;
May the lyricist don't forget the men with necktie
who wanted to be murguistas and didn't go to rehearse.
May the lyricist don't forget the Pereira4 mothers,
may he remember the sadness of the madmen of Millán. 5
May the lyricist don't forget the verses of Gagliardi, 6
the balls at the IASA7 and the style of Roldán.8
May the lyricist don't forget of gambling the three numbers9
to see if he sorts out and can dedicate himself
to write murga verses in front of a buseca plate10
and buy a round in honor of the carnival.
May the lyricist don't forget of taking off the mask
of looking at himself in the mirror and paint a tear
May the lyricist don't forget the cheap branded dogs
the yells at the market and the Durandeau park;
May the lyricist don't forget the heroic miniskirt,
of the flirtatious comment it harvests at the curb.
May the lyricist don't forget on the fifth day of the year
to put grass and water to the Melchior's camel;
May the lyricist don't forget the fusses of the Extra,11
the nights of La Vasca12, the tangos of Clarín;13
the march of la vuelta,14 the voice of Pepe Guerra15
it bounces with poison when it touches the pavement.
Don't forget to sing to the cracks16 who didn't come,
to dedicate a stanza to the drunk and his friendship,
and don't forget that instead of lots of words
many times the silence is the voice of truth.
May the lyricist don't forget of holding to the old,
of listening the rebelliousness, of refusing to obey;
may not remain in the ink-pot, may not remain in the ink-pot,
may not remain in the ink-pot what is left to do.
may not remain in the ink-pot what is left to do.
1. Eduardo "Tornillo" Gamero, carnival lyricist2. An old neighbourhood. Now it's part of Ciudad Vieja3. A football club4. Pereira Rossell, a hospital in Montevideo.
It was the first pediatric hospital, and shortly afterwards the first maternity hospital 5. A reference to the Vilardebó Hospital (the only psychiatric hospital) which is at the street Millan6. Hector Gagliardi, argentinian poet7. Institución Atlética Sud América, a football club. Their headquarters had a ballroom for organizing parties.8. Carlos Roldán, uruguayan tango singer9. The lottery10. thick stew11. The football's third division12. an old tango house13. Radio Clarin14. the march of the uruguay's cycling race15. a member of Los Olimareños16. great football players