Un Par de Botas
Argentino Luna Lyrics

Sentado en su despacho, el comisario estaba hojeando expedientes,
The commissioner was sitting in his office going through files.

Cuando el cabo se presento trayendo al detenido.
The officer walked in with a detainee.

Un mozo de treinta años a lo sumo,
The young man was no more than thirty years old.

Vestia bombacha gris y corralera, vinchas que a juzgar por la vejes daban prueba de la miseria de su dueño.
He was dressed in grey bombacha and corralera, with aged vinchas indicating his poverty.

- me lo entrego el sargento, este es el que antiayer robo unas botas del bolichero paz.
The sergeant handed him over to me. He is the one who stole a pair of boots from Bolichero Paz.

- unas botas? aha.
Boots? Okay.

- ladron barato...
Cheap thief...

- como te llamas vos?
What's your name?

- orencio nievas
Orencio Nievas.

- y de ande sos?
And where are you from?

- de aca mesmo señor
From around here, sir.

- trabajas?
Do you work?

- no señor, no hallo trabajo...
No, sir. I can't find work.

Estuve conchabao pa la cosecha en la chacra e barcala, pero en cuanto termino la juntada e maiz me echaron.
I was hired for harvesting at the Barcala farm, but they fired me as soon as the corn harvest was over.

Ahora hago algunas changas y asi vivo.
Now I do odd jobs to make a living.

-y a que le llamas changas, a andar robando?
And what do you call odd jobs? Stealing?

El paisano bajo la vista al suelo...
The rural man looked down at the ground.

- ande tenes las botas?
Where are the boots?

- en el rancho.
At my ranch.

- cabo, mande a buscarlas y paselo nomas al calavoso que ya vamos a ver lo que le damos.
Officer, go and get them and bring them to the criminal. We'll see what we do with him.

Salio el cabo llevandose al detenido y el comisario se quedo pensando.
The officer took the detainee away and the commissioner stayed behind, thinking.

- un par de botas...
A pair of boots...

Ni pa robar sirven estos paisanos vagos...
These lazy rural folks can't even steal properly...

No habian pasado dos horas que un melico se le cuadro en la puerta con lisensia aca tiene las botas comisario
Not even two hours later, a police officer came to the door with the boots, saying 'Commissioner, here are the boots with permission'.

Me las dio la mujer del detenido, las tenia puestas el hijo, un chiquilin de unos siete años...
The detainee's wife gave them to me. Her son, a seven-year-old boy, was wearing them.

- con que esas son las botas?
'So those are the boots?'

Son muy chicas pa ensuciarse las manos.
They're too small to get their hands dirty.

y Que decia la mujer?
'And what did the woman say?'

- y nada, lloraba como una magdalena, comisario, y cuando me diba a ir me dio esta carta, pa que se la entregara a ud. en sus propias manos.
'She didn't say anything. She was crying like a Magdalene and when I was leaving she gave me this letter to deliver to you personally, commissioner.'

- aver deame
'Let me see.'

Mujeres que despiden los maridos, nada mas natural, pero lo malo que siempre los hayan angelitos aunque le hagan sombra al mesmo diablo...
Women who leave their husbands, nothing more natural. But unfortunately, they always have innocent angels even if they cast shadows as devilish as the devil himself...

Pero esa carta era distinta a todas, Escrita en un papel de estrasa mugriento y arrugado, Las palabras, eran una hilera torpe de garabatos, que habian estampao la gracia y la inocencia, de aquella criaturita de siete años, ajeno por completo a la desgracia que la miseria echo sobre su rancho...
But that letter was different from all the others. Written on a dirty, crumpled piece of paper, the words were a clumsy row of scribbles that stamped the grace and innocence of that seven-year-old child who was completely unaware of the poverty that afflicted his ranch...

El ceño el comisario se fruncia al tiempo que la iba decifrando...
The commissioner's brow furrowed as he deciphered it...

Y al acabar de leer casi temblaba la hoja de papel entre las manos.
When he finished reading, the paper almost trembled in his hands.

- agente.
'Officer.'

- mande mi comisario
'What can I do for you, commissioner?'

- vaya y devuelva a la mujer de nievas esas botas que ha traido, digale. digale que fue un error que nos disculpe.
'Go and return Nievas' wife the boots she brought. Tell her it was a mistake and apologize for us.'

Despues va y le pregunta al bolichero, cuanto cuestan la botas, se las paga y que se olvide el caso.
Then go and ask Bolichero how much the boots cost. Pay him and forget about the case.

Esperen no se vaya
'Wait, don't go.'

A orencio nievas ya mesmo me lo larga, y que no deje de llegarse asta aca mañana mesmo...
'Release Orencio Nievas immediately and make sure he comes here tomorrow without fail.'

Puede que le haya encontrao algun trabajo.
'Maybe we have found him a job.'

Se retiro el milico tras la orden, y el comisario se acomodo en la silla, y al par que liava un poco de tabaco repaso aquella carta, que aun temblaba como un pajarito hondeao entre sus manos...
The officer left after the order, and the commissioner settled into his chair. As he rolled himself some tobacco, he reread that letter that still trembled like a baby bird in his hands...

- señores reyes magos:
'Ladies and gentlemen, the Three Wise Men:'

Yo les pido que se acuerden este año de traerme las botitas.
'I ask you to remember to bring me the little boots this year.'

Yo soy bueno, y asigun me han contado, si uno se porta bien todito el año, ustedes siempre dejan un regalo.
'I'm a good boy, or that's what I've been told. If one behaves well all year round, you always leave a gift.'

al apartar la mirada de la hoja, sintio como una brasa dentro el pecho, y echo ajuera la rabia murmurando.
As he looked away from the paper, he felt a burning sensation in his chest and murmured his anger out loud.

Mientras que la miseria haga ladrones de estanaya .
'As long as poverty makes petty thieves...'

Yo nunca servire pa comisario...
'I'll never be fit to be a commissioner...'