English Translation from el mojado by Ricardo Arjona
Wetback
He packed a couple of shirts, a hat
His call to adventure
Six pieces of advice, seven photos
A thousand recollections
He packed his desire to remain
His state of transforming himself
Into the man that he dreamed of
And has not achieved
He said good-bye with a grimace disguised as a smile
And supplicated to his crucified God on the mantelpiece
For the protection of his family
And he broke through (lit: perforated) the border
As he could
Chorus:
If the pale moon slips
Through any cornice
Without any permission
Why does the wetback need
To show with visas
That he is not of Neptune?
The wetback has the desire to dry off
The wetback is wet because of the tears that nostalgia evokes
The wetback, the one without documentation
Loads the packages that the legal would not load
Not even when forced
The torment of a piece of paper has turned him into a fugitive
And he is not from here because his name does not appear in the files
Nor is he from there because he went away
{Chorus}
Wetback
He knows your truth through lies
He knows anxiety through sadness
Of seeing a freeway and dreaming of the path
That leads to your house
Wetback
Wet from so much weeping
Knowing that in some place
Waits a kiss taking a break
Since the day on which you left
{Chorus}
If the universal visa is issued
On the day that we are born
And it expires upon death
Why do they persecute you, wetback
If the consul of the heavens
Already gave you permission?
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