Alfonsina y el Mar guitar arrangement by David Franzen. Song by Ariel Ramirez.

Описание: https://www.guitarlessonswithdavidfra...

My friend and music mentor James Kline shared some stunning images in a facebook group called Nature Spirit and Creativity of his beautiful wooden art sculpture piece called Alfonsina la Sirene (the mermaid). This inspired me to think about the sea and the related piece of music I play Alfonsina y el Mar(and the sea). It is a song by Argentine composer Ariel Ramirez made famous by singer Mercedes Sosa.

Some photography by Brian Bennett and Kate Burnett Johnstone, Kristen Waligora, Watercolor painting by Lori Presthus.

Lyrics-
For the soft sand that the sea laps
Por la blanda arena que lame el mar

His little footprint does not come back
Su pequeña huella no vuelve más


A path alone of sorrow and silence came
Un sendero solo de pena y silencio llegó

To deep water
Hasta el agua profunda

A path alone of mute sorrows came
Un sendero solo de penas mudas llegó

Up to the foam
Hasta la espuma

God knows what anguish accompanied you
Sabe Dios qué angustia te acompañó

What old pains your voice silenced
Qué dolores viejos calló tu voz

To lie lulled in the song of the seashells
Para recostarte arrullada en el canto de las caracolas marinas

The song that sings in the dark bottom of the sea
La canción que canta en el fondo oscuro del mar


The conch
La caracola

You're leaving Alfonsina with your loneliness
Te vas Alfonsina con tu soledad

What new poems did you go to look for?
¿Qué poemas nuevos fuiste a buscar?

An ancient voice of wind and salt
Una voz antigua de viento y de sal

It requires your soul and is taking it
Te requiebra el alma y la está llevando

And you go there like in dreams
Y te vas hacia allá como en sueños

Asleep, Alfonsina, dressed in the sea
Dormida, Alfonsina, vestida de mar

Five little mermaids will take you
Cinco sirenitas te llevarán

Along paths of algae and coral
Por caminos de algas y de coral

And phosphorescent sea horses will do
Y fosforescentes caballos marinos harán

A round by your side
Una ronda a tu lado

And the inhabitants of the water are going to play
Y los habitantes del agua van a jugar

Soon by your side
Pronto a tu lado

Lower the lamp a little more
Bájame la lámpara un poco más

Let me sleep nurse, in peace
Déjame que duerma nodriza, en paz

And if he calls, don't tell him I'm
Y si llama él no le digas que estoy

Tell him that Alfonsina does not return
Dile que Alfonsina no vuelve

And if he calls, don't ever tell him I'm
Y si llama él no le digas nunca que estoy

Say i'm gone
Di que me he ido

You're leaving Alfonsina with your loneliness
Te vas Alfonsina con tu soledad

What new poems did you go to look for?
¿Qué poemas nuevos fuiste a buscar?

An ancient voice of wind and salt
Una voz antigua de viento y de sal

It requires your soul and is taking it
Te requiebra el alma y la está llevando

And you go there like in dreams
Y te vas hacia allá como en sueños

Asleep, Alfonsina, dressed in the sea
Dormida, Alfonsina, vestida de mar


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It's sad to think how we mostly think of Alfonsina Storni for the dramatic end to her life in 1938 by her commiting suicide by walking into to sea. It's said she did this because of the news she received from her doctor that her breast cancer had returned. It is a very sad and moving story, but her life was so much more than that sad day.
She was a fine and prolific poet, a journalist in several periodicals, a playwrite, a dancer, a musician and composer, a mother, a feminist, as well as provocateur of sorts. In her time and culture she was very influential, and challenged gender rolls in the arenas of literature and theater that had been completely male dominated until that time. She ruffled feathers in her articles sometimes writing frank pieces from a woman's perspective on life sometimes dealing with sexuality which was received as controversial.

She wrote plays for children illustrating and criticizing the harmful effects of the choices made by grown ups and the powerful in society but she would often finish the story with a happy ending. Says something about her heart and love for children. I wonder what she would think of today's world affairs...

Special thanks to James Kline for providing inspiration to make this video. How cool is it to be inspired to create something new because you saw something related to something you love that your friend made in a group called Nature Spirit and Creativity?

The image of Alfonsina's new chapter in her story encourages me to look toward the mystery behind the veil of mortality with hope.

James Kline's art piece Alfonsina la Sirene through his talent and love for his art makes possible this optimismistic imagining of Alfonsina finding new life through transformation, and ecstatic joy as a mermaid, to explore the vast world of the sea as her new home, in a body free from the pain of death, and sensitive enough to feel the tide pull on the shoreline in the moonlight.