Al pie de la montaña
By Marisol Sandoval
Al pie de la montaña queda Tangamandapio
(At the foot of the mountain is Tangamandapio)
At the foot of the mountain sits San Bernardino
Los frijolitos se cozen para toda la familia
(The beans are cooked for the whole family)
I cook my canned beans for one
La ropita se lava, y se tiende afuera
(Our clothes are washed and hung outside)
I venture to the laundromat and return with dry, clean, clothes
Mi nana le gusta su estufa limpia
(My nana likes her stove clean)
My stove waits until I have time after work
A todos se saluda con beso y abrazo
(Everyone is greeted with a kiss and a hug)
We wave hello to each other from a distance
My green, sweet, matcha mornings help me wake up
Y el cafe con pan me arruya en la noche
(And coffee with bread rocks me to sleep at night)
Pero en Santiago Tangamandapio me siento que pertenezco
(But in Santiago Tangamandapio I feel like I belong)
And San Bernardino makes me feel at home
The mountains with the arrowhead remind me where I am
Y las montañas en la distancia me recuradan a mis tatas
(And the mountains in the distance remind me of my tatas)
The concrete, the asphalt of our warehouse city
Los ladrillos, y el olor del humo en el aire, en el pueblito de mi niñez
(The bricks, the smell of smoke in the air, the little village of my childhood)
They divide me in half
Me parten en medio
I hug myself tight, I let myself cry
Me subo al coche para ya no llorar
(I board the car to stop crying)
I think of my family, all the arms that have held me and the kisses that have graced my cheek
Los veo en la distancia entre mis lagrimas, y me acuerdo de mi cuarto, mi carrera, mi coche, y mis cositas... esperándome
(I see them in the distance through my tears, and I remember my room, my career, my car, and my things...waiting for me)
Al pie de la montaña queda San Bernardino
At the foot of the mountain sits Santiago Tangamandapio
And in both my heart hurts a little for the other
Y en ambos, me duele el corazón.
