Durazno y Convención [English translation]

Durazno street

Is born exposed to the weather

An ashgrey screen

Palmtrees in the wind

Open to the brown

And white waves

Of the little beach

That dies at El Gas1

Durazno street

Dies without knowing

When it gets illuminated

All in purple

In the middle of december

At the slowest hour

The obligatory siesta2

Of the Jacaranda tree

Life

Life, hard as always

The night, dark as always

At Convención street

The usual

The usual absorbed clicking of heels

The hookers of short walks

Of Convención street

Life

The life, yanking copper

The shop of the poor jew

Of Convención street

Kids

Kids with their bows3 untied

With their knees quite dirty

At Convención street

Durazno street

Is crossing two neighbourhoods

Of low stature

Of bitter sweetness

They are Sur and Palermo

Rivals and brothers

That cross Durazno

On their way to the sea

Candombe

Candombe, murga and batucada4

Taking a walk down the slope

Of Convención street

Newspaper vendor

Newspaper vendor, Acción, El Plata, Diario5

Bundle under the long arm

On Convención street

The glasses

The glasses of the watchmakers

The eyes of the street vendors of smuggled goods

Of Convención street

And one day

One day I will see you happy

The day the wind takes you

The wind of Durazno and Convención

Candombe

Candombe, Murga and Batucada

Taking a walk down the slope

Of Convención street

The dogs

The dogs of the street bums

Sleeping in the corners

Of Convención street

Tiles

Tiles broken years ago

Memories that have hurt me

On Convención street

And one day

One day I will see you happy

The day the wind hugs you

The wind of Durazno and Convención

1. name of a beach at the Barrio Sur in Montevideo2. afternoon nap3. in Uruguay the kids have to wear a school uniform over their normal clothes: a white tunic with a black bow around the neck4. music styles popular in Uruguay, principally around carnival time, candombe and batucada (samba) consisting of drums being played by large groups of people meeting at one place in the neighbourhood and later parading on the street5. Uruguayan newspapers

• Artist:Jaime Roos
• Album:Mediocampo (1984)