La Barca de Guaymas

Mexico Bob's most recent post ("Learn Spanish by Singing") is about a Guanajuato song, with video and translated lyrics. So I'll take the ball and run with it.

"Barco de Guaymas," (Boat from Guaymas) as I promised Bob, is also a tearjerker. It was one of the first Spanish songs I learned and my maestra Lolita has led a choir doing it in four voices, so beautiful! In the video Roldolfo Coronel sings, and the visuals are scenes of Guaymas and its "burb," San Carlos. The church in the last frame is where I sing with the choir.

It's a rare public musical event in Guaymas that doesn't include the singing of this tune.

My translation in the first verse is a little rough — If you have a better one, pass it on! Note: they use the feminine "barca" here for poetic license, but it's usually "barco." Also, the point of view of the singer changes from "I" to "you" so it may have been written to be sung call-and-response style by two voices.

Al golpe de remo se agitan las olas ligera la barca
As the stroke of oars that agitate the waves lightens the boat.

Al ruido del agua se ahonda mi pena solloza mi alma.
The sound of the water deepens my woe, my heart grieves

Por tantos pesares, mi amor angustiado
llorando te llama
From so much heartache, my anguished love,
crying, calls you

Y te hallas muy lejos... y sola, muy sola
And finds you very far, and alone, very alone

Se encuentra mi alma.
Finding my soul

Alegre viajero que tornas al puerto
Happy voyager who comes back to port

De tierras lejanas
From faraway lands

Qué extraño piloto condujo tu barca
Such a strange pilot, steering your boat

Sin vela y sin ancla
Without sail and without anchor

De qué región vienes,
From what region do you come

que has hecho pedazos
What has made pieces of

Tus velas tan blancas.
your sails so white?

Y fuiste cantando
You left singing

Y vuelves trayendo, la muerte en el alma
And return bringing death in the soul

Yo soy el marino
I am the sailor

Que alegre de Guaymas,
Who, happy, from Guaymas

salió una mañana
Left one morning

Llevando en mi barca como ave piloto
Carrying in my boat like a pilot bird

Mi dulce esperanza.
My sweet hope

Por mares ignotos
In unknown seas

Mis santos anhelos
My blessed yearnings

hundió en la borrasca
foundered in the tempest

Por eso están rotas mis alas
Because of this my wings are broken

Y traigo la muerte en el alma.
and I bring the death of the spirit

Te fuiste cantando
You left singing

Y hoy vuelves trayendo la muerte en el alma.
And today return bringing death in the spirit.