La Última Canción del Pueblo
(The Last Song of the Village)
Elena se había mudado al pueblo de Albarracin hacia solo dos semanas, pero ya se arrepentia de su decisión.
Elena had moved to the village of Albarracin only two weeks ago, but she already regretted her decisión.
Había comprado una casa antigua en las afueras porque el precio le había parecido increible.
She had bought an old house on the outskirts because the price had seemed incredible to her.
Sin embargo, los vecinos la miraban de una manera extrana cada vez que salía a la calle.
However, the neighbours looked at her in a strange way every time she went out into the street.
Nadie le hablaba.
Nobody spoke to her.
Nadie le sonreía.
Nobody smiled at her.
Solo la observaban en silencio, como si supieran algo que ella desconocia.
They only watched her in silence, as if they knew something she did not know.
La tercera noche, Elena se despertó a las tres de la madrugada.
On the third night, Elena woke up at three in the morning.
Oia algo.
She could hear something.
Era una melodía lenta y triste que parecía venir de todas partes a la vez.
It was a slow, sad melody that seemed to come from everywhere at once.
Se acercó a la ventana y miró hacia fuera.
She approached the window and looked outside.
En la plaza del pueblo, bajo la luz de la luna, había varias figuras de pie.
In the village square, under the moonlight, there were several figures standing.
No se movian.
They were not moving.
Simplemente estaban allí, inmoviles, con la boca abierta como si cantaran.
They were simply there, motionless, with their mouths open as if they were singing.
Pero la melodía no sonaba como algo humano.
But the melody did not sound like something human.
Era demasiado perfecta, demasiado fria.
It was too perfect, too cold.
A la mañana siguiente, Elena fue a la tienda del pueblo.
The next morning, Elena went to the village shop.
La dependienta, una mujer mayor llamada Pilar, le vendio pan sin decirle una palabra.
The shop assistant, an older woman called Pilar, sold her bread without saying a word to her.
Cuando Elena iba a salir, se atrevio a preguntar. <<Disculpe, anoche oi una canción.
When Elena was about to leave, she dared to ask. <<Excuse me, last night I heard a song.
Había gente en la plaza.
There were people in the square.
<<¿Que era eso?>>, dijo Elena.
What was that?>>, said Elena.
Pilar la miró con ojos vacios. <<Aquí no se canta de noche>>, contestó. <<Nunca>>.
Pilar looked at her with empty eyes. <<Nobody sings here at night>>, she replied. <<Never>>.
Esa noche, la canción volvió.
That night, the song came back.
Esta vez era más fuerte, más cercana.
This time it was louder, closer.
Elena se tapo los oidos con las manos, pero no servia de nada.
Elena covered her ears with her hands, but it was no use.
La melodía le entraba por dentro, como si se metiera directamente en sus pensamientos.
The melody entered her from within, as if it were getting directly into her thoughts.
Se miró en el espejo del baño.
She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror.
Su boca se estaba abriendo sola.
Her mouth was opening on its own.
Intentó cerrarla, pero los musculos no le respondian.
She tried to close it, but her muscles were not responding.
De su garganta empezó a salir un sonido que ella no controlaba.
From her throat, a sound she could not control began to come out.
Era la misma canción.
It was the same song.
A la mañana siguiente, Elena estaba de pie en la plaza con los demas vecinos.
The next morning, Elena was standing in the square with the other neighbours.
Ya no recordaba su nombre.
She no longer remembered her name.
Ya no recordaba que había llegado hacia solo tres semanas.
She no longer remembered that she had arrived only three weeks ago.
Solo sabía la canción.
She only knew the song.
Cuando una furgoneta se detuvo en la calle principal y un hombre joven bajo con una maleta, todos los vecinos se giraron a la vez para mirarlo.
When a van stopped on the main street and a young man got out with a suitcase, all the neighbours turned at the same time to look at him.
Elena también.
Elena too.
El joven les sonrió, sin saber que esa noche oiria la canción por primera vez.
The young man smiled at them, not knowing that that night he would hear the song for the first time.
Key Vocabulary
arrepentirse to regret, to repent
las afueras the outskirts
la madrugada the early hours, dawn
atreverse a to dare to
taparse los oidos to cover one's ears
la garganta the throat
la furgoneta the van
girarse to turn around