Song of The Absent Boga (Canción del Boga Ausente) - Candelario Obeso

The poem Canción del Boga Ausente by the Afrocolombian poet Candelario Obeso.

Canción del Boga Ausente

Song of The Absent Boga

Qué triste que está la noche, La noche qué triste está No hay en el Cielo una estrella… Remá, remá. La negra del alma mía, Mientras yo brego en la mar, Bañado en sudor por ella, ¿Qué hará, qué hará? Tal vez por su zambo amado Doliente suspirará, O tal vez ni me recuerda… ¡Llorá, llorá! Las hembras son como todo Lo de esta tierra desgraciada; Con arte se saca al pez ¡Del mar, del mar…! Con arte se ablanda el hierro, Se doma la mapaná…; Constantes y firmes las penas; ¡No hay más, no hay más!… … Qué oscura que está la noche; La noche qué oscura está; Así de oscura es la ausencia Bogá bogá…

What a sad night The night how sad it is There is not a star in the Sky... I row, I row The black woman of my soul, While I struggle in the sea, Soaked in sweat for her, What is she doing, what is she doing? Perhaps for her beloved zambo*, In pain, she will sigh, Or maybe she doesn't even remember me... I cry, I cry! Females are like everything On this wretched land; With art, we take the fish From the sea, from the sea...! With art, Iron is softened, The mapaná* is tamed…; The pain is constant and firm; There is nothing more, there is nothing more!... … What a dark night ; The night how dark it is; So dark is the absence Boga* boga…

* Bogas - fishermen and boatmen sailing along the banks of the Magdalena River in Colombia

* Zambo - descendant of a black and indigenous family

* Mapaná - In Colombia and Panama, it is the name of a very venomous snake.

Note: The English version available in this post is a loose translation from the original text.

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About The Poet

Candelario Obeso (1849 – 1884) was a Colombian writer, professor and politician. Considered the forerunner of Black Poetry, with his book "Cantos Populares de Mi Tierra" being considered one of the most important books of Colombian poetry in the 19th century. He wrote about Afro-Colombian knowledge and languages, love, social comedy and translated several literary works.