Pablo Pueblo
Rubén Blades Lyrics

Muchas gracias, thank you very much
Expressing gratitude for the audience's attention

Ahora, now
Transitioning into performing the song

Le vamos a interpretar, we are going to play
Announcing the performance of the song

Una canción, a song
Clarifying the form of the performance

Titled, titulada
Introducing the title of the song

Pablo Pueblo
The title of the song, representing a common person

En ingles Pablo Pueblo
Translation of the title into English, 'Paul the Common Man'

Regresa un hombre en silencio
A man returns home silently

De su trabajo cansado
From his tiring job

Su paso no lleva prisa
He doesn't hurry in his steps

Su sombra nunca le alcanza
His shadow never catches up to him

Le espera el barrio de siempre
He returns to his same old neighborhood

Con el farol en la esquina
With a streetlamp on the corner

Con la basura allá en frente
With trash in front of him

Y el ruido de la cantina
And noise from a bar

Pablo pueblo
Introducing the character of the song

Llega hasta el zaguán oscuro
He arrives at a dark entrance

Y vuelve a ver las paredes
And looks again at the walls

Con las viejas papeletas
With old campaign posters

Que prometían futuros
That promised better futures

En lides politiqueras
In political struggles

Y en su cara se dibuja
And disappointment is etched on his face

La decepción de la espera
Disappointment from waiting

Hijo del grito y la calle
Son of shouting and the street

De la miseria, del hambre
Of misery, of hunger

Del callejón y la pena
Of alleys and sorrow

Su alimento es la esperanza
His sustenance is hope

Llega al patio
He reaches the courtyard

Pensativo y cabizbajo
Thoughtful and downcast

Con el silencio de pobre
With poverty's silence

Con los gritos por abajo
With shouting from below

La ropa allá en los balcones
Clothing hanging from balconies

El viento la va secando
The wind drying them

Escucha un trueno en el cielo
He hears a thunderclap from the sky

Tiempo de lluvia avisando
Signaling rain to come

Entra al cuarto y se queda mirando
He enters the room and watches

A su mujer y a los niños
His wife and children

Y se pregunta hasta cuándo
And wonders how long this will continue

Toma sus sueños raídos
He takes his threadbare dreams

Los parcha con esperanzas
He patches them with hope

Hace del hambre una almohada
He makes hunger his pillow

Y se acuesta triste de alma
And lays down in a sad state of mind

Trabajó hasta jubilarse
He worked until his retirement

Y nunca sobra un centavo
And never has a penny to spare

Votando en las elecciones
Voting in elections

Pa' después comerse un clavo
To then go without

Con el silencio del pobre
With the silence of poverty

Buscando suerte en caballos
Looking for luck in horses

Y comprando lotería
And buying lottery tickets

Gastándose un dinerito en dominó
Spending a little money on dominoes

Y tomándose un par de tragos
And having a couple of drinks

A un crucifijo rezando
Praying to a crucifix

Y el cambio esperando, ay dios
And waiting for change, oh God

Ay Pablo pueblo
Expressing sympathy for Pablo and people like him

Ay Pablo hermano
Addressing Pablo as a brother in solidarity