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Gracias a la vida

Violeta Parra
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INGLESE / ENGLISH / INGLÉS [3] - Nancy White
THANKS TO LIFE

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me two beams of light, that when opened,
Can perfectly distinguish black from white
And in the sky above, her starry backdrop,
And from within the multitude
The one that I love.

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me an ear that, in all of its width
Records— night and day—crickets and canaries,
Hammers and turbines and bricks and storms,
And the tender voice of my beloved.

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me sound and the alphabet.
With them the words that I think and declare:
"Mother," "Friend," "Brother" and the light shining.
The route of the soul from which comes love.

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me the ability to walk with my tired feet.
With them I have traversed cities and puddles
Valleys and deserts, mountains and plains.
And your house, your street and your patio.

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me a heart, that causes my frame to shudder,
When I see the fruit of the human brain,
When I see good so far from bad,
When I see within the clarity of your eyes...

Thanks to life, which has given me so much.
It gave me laughter and it gave me longing.
With them I distinguish happiness and pain—
The two materials from which my songs are formed,
And your song, as well, which is the same song.
And everyone's song, which is my very song.

Thanks to life
GRACIAS A LA VIDA / THANKS TO LIFE

Gracias a la vida, life has given me so much
The large and the small things, two eyes to see all things
To perfectly distinguish the blackness from the whiteness
And in the sky the brightness of the stars above me
And in the crowded streets I can pick out the one who loves me.

Gracias a la vida, life has given me so much
Gave me sounds I can't forget and all the letters of the alphabet
To make the words and the phrases that tell my heart's desires
Like mother, friend and fire and light that shows clearly
The path to the soul of the one I love so dearly.

Gracias a la vida, life has given me so much
Gave me hearing and memory to record nature's melody
I hear crickets and canaries and giant hammers pounding
Thunder resounding and the cry of the starling
And the sweet and tender voice of my own dear darling.

Gracias a la vida, life has given me so much
Tired feet for traveling, and roads for unraveling
I wandered through the cities, the prairies and the mountains
Saw the streams and the fountains, but my sweetest hours
Were spent in your house with your garden flowers.

Gracias a la vida, life has given me so much
Gave me all of the laughter and the weeping that comes after
So I can perfectly distinguish the joy from the sorrow
Two things I borrow, to make melody
I hold the guitar but you gave the song to me.

Es el canto de ustedes que es mi proprio canto,
Es el canto de todos que es el mismo canto,
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto.


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