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Blood Wedding: Act 1, Scene 2

Bodas de sangre

Federico Garcia Lorca

Blood Wedding

translated by ZJC

Acto primero, Cuadro segundo

habitación pintada de rosa con cobres y ramos de flores populares. en el centro, una mesa con mantel. es la mañana. suegra de Leonardo con un niño en brazos. lo mece. la mujer, en la otra esquina, hace punto de media.

Act 1, Scene 2

morning. a rose-colored room with wreaths of flowers and gleaming copper pots and pans. in the center, a table with a tablecloth. Leonardo's Mother-in-Law cradles a Boy in her arms, rocking. Leonardo's Wife is mending stockings.

Suegra:

Nana, niño, nana
del caballo grande
que no quiso el agua.
El agua era negra
dentro de las ramas.
Cuando llega el puente
se detiene y canta.
¿Quién dirá, mi niño,
lo que tiene el agua
con su larga cola
por su verde sala?

Mother-in-law:

Hush, baby, hush.
Dream of a great black stallion
that would not drink the water.
Wouldn't drink the water.
The water was black
under the branches.
Under the branches
the water was black.
Under the bridge
it stopped and sang.
Who can say, my baby,
of the water's pain?
Of the water's pain
who can say?
As it draws its long tail
through deep green room …
Mujer: [bajo]

Duérmete, clavel,
que el caballo no quiere beber.

Wife: (quietly singing)

Go to sleep, my carnation,
for the horse will not want to drink deep.

Suegra:

Duérmete, rosal,
que el caballo se pone a llorar.
Las patas heridas,
las crines heladas,
dentro de los ojos
un puñal de plata.
Bajaban al río.
¡Ay, cómo bajaban!
La sangre corría
más fuerte que el agua.

Mother-in-law:

Sleep, sleep my little rose,
for the horse now starts to weep.
The hooves are all red with blood,
and all its horsey hair frozen.
And deep within its eyes
rests a broken silver dagger.
Down they went to the river's edge.
Ai!, how they went down!
And its blood ran faster
than the running water.

Mujer:

Duérmete, clavel,
que el caballo no quiere beber.

Wife:

Go to sleep, my carnation,
for the horse will not want to drink deep.

Suegra:

Duérmete, rosal,
que el caballo se pone a llorar.

Mother-in-law:

Sleep, sleep my little rose,
for the horse now starts to weep.

Mujer:

No quiso tocar
la orilla mojada,
su belfo caliente
con moscas de plata.
A los montes duros
solo relinchaba
con el río muerto
sobre la garganta.
¡Ay caballo grande
que no quiso el agua!
¡Ay dolor de nieve,
caballo del alba!

Wife:

It will not touch
the river's edge,
it will not, no it will not
though its mouth is hot
with silver flies.
O to the hard mountains
it can only whinny
with the dead river
stuck in its throat.
Ai!, the giant horse
that did not want the water!
Ai!, the pain of the snow,
for a horse made of the dawn!

Suegra:

¡No vengas! Detente,
cierra la ventana
con rama de sueños
y sueño de ramas.

Mother-in-law:

Keep away now! Stop it,
and close the windows.
Use branches of dreams
and dream of branches.

Mujer:

Mi niño se duerme.

Wife:

Now my boy sleeps.

Suegra:

Mi niño se calla.

Mother-in-law:

Now my baby is quiet.

Mujer:

Caballo, mi niño
tiene una almohada.

Wife:

Horse, my boy
has his own pillow.

Suegra:

Su cuna de acero.

Mother-in-law:

His cradle is made of steel.

Mujer:

Su colcha de holanda.

Wife:

His blanket is of fine Holland linen.

Suegra:

Nana, niño, nana.

Mother-in-law:

Hush, baby, hush.

Mujer:

¡Ay caballo grande
que no quiso el agua!

Wife:

Ai!, the giant horse
that did not want the water!

Suegra:

¡No vengas, no entres!
Vete a la montaña.
Por los valles grises
donde está la jaca.

Mother-in-law:

Keep away now! Do not enter!
Run to the mountains
down through the gray valleys
to your mare's side.

Mujer: (Mirando)

Mi niño se duerme.

Wife: [looking at sleeping Boy]

Now my boy sleeps.

Suegra:

Mi niño descansa.

Mother-in-law:

Now my baby is quiet.

Mujer: [bajito]

Duérmete, clavel,
que el caballo no quiere beber.

Wife: [softly]

Sleep, my carnation, of
the giant horse that
did not want the water.

Mujer: [levantándose, y muy bajito]

Duérmete, rosal.
que el caballo se pone a llorar.

Mother-in-law: [rising softly]

Sleep, sleep my little rose,
for the horse now starts to weep.

[entran al niño. entra Leonardo] [Mother-in-law exits carrying the Boy. pause. Leonardo enters]
Leonardo: ¿Y el niño? Leonardo: Where's the boy?
Mujer: Se durmió. Wife: He fell asleep.
Leonardo: Ayer no estuvo bien. Lloró por la noche. Leonardo: Yesterday he was not well. He cried all night.
Mujer: [alegre] Hoy está como una dalia. ¿Y tú? ¿Fuiste a casa del herrador? Wife: [happily] And today he is fresh like a dahlia. And you? Were you at the blacksmith today?
Leonardo: De allí vengo. ¿Querrás creer? Llevo más de dos meses poniendo herraduras nuevas al caballo y siempre se le caen. Por lo visto se las arranca con las piedras. Leonardo: I've just come from there. Can you believe it? For more than two months he has been putting new horseshoes on our horse and they are always falling off. As far as I can tell he keep tripping on the stones.
Mujer: ¿Y no será que lo usas mucho? Wife: Could it not be that you ride him a bit too much?
Leonardo: No. Casi no lo utilizo. Leonardo: No … what would I being doing out there, in that wasteland?
Mujer: Ayer me dijeron las vecinas que te habían visto al límite de los llanos. Wife: Yesterday the neighbors told me they had seen you out on the other side of the wastelands.
Leonardo: ¿Quién lo dijo? Leonardo: Who told you that?
Mujer: Las mujeres que cogen las alcaparras. Por cierto que me sorprendió. ¿Eras tú? Wife: The women who picks the capers. By all means it did surprise me … was it you?
Leonardo: No. ¿Qué iba a hacer yo allí en aquel secano? Leonardo: No … I say again, what would I being doing out there, in that wasteland?
Mujer: Eso dije. Pero el caballo estaba reventando de sudor. Wife: That is what I said. But they say the horse was burning with sweat.
Leonardo: ¿Lo viste tú? Leonardo: Did you see him?
Mujer: No. Mi madre. Wife: No. But Mother did.
Leonardo: ¿Está con el niño? Leonardo: Is she with the boy?
Mujer: Sí. ¿Quieres un refresco de limón? Wife: Yes. Do you want some lemonade?
Leonardo: Con el agua bien fría. Leonardo: Only with icy water.
Mujer: ¿Cómo no viniste a comer …? Wife: Why did you not come home to eat …?
Leonardo: Estuve con los medidores del trigo. Siempre entretienen. Leonardo: I was busy with the wheat buyers. They always take their time.
Mujer: [haciendo el refresco y muy tierna] ¿Y lo pagan a buen precio? Wife: [very tenderly as she makes the lemonade) And did they give you a good price?
Leonardo: … El justo. Leonardo: It was … fair.
Mujer: Me hace falta un vestido y al niño una gorra con lazos. Wife: I am hoping for a new dress and the boy needs a new cap with ribbons.
Leonardo: [levantándose] Voy a verlo. Leonardo: [rising] I am going to go see him.
Mujer: Ten cuidado, que está dormido. Wife: Please, try not to wake him.
Suegra: [saliendo] Pero ¿quién da esas carreras al caballo? Está abajo, tendido, con los ojos desorbitados, como si llegara del fin del mundo. Mother-in-law: [entering] Who is trying to kill our horse? He is worn down, worn out, lathered in sweat. Look at those crazy, pop-eyes. It looks as if someone has just arrived from the ends of the earth. Who …?
Leonardo: [agrio] Yo. Leonardo: [bitterly] Me.
Suegra: Perdona; tuyo es. Mother-in-law: O! pardon me; of course, it is yours to do as you like.
Mujer: [tímida] Estuvo con los medidores del trigo. Wife: [timidly] He was down with the the wheat buyers.
Suegra: Por mí, que reviente. [se sienta. pausa] Mother-in-law: He can go down to hell, for all I care. [she pauses, sits]
Mujer: El refresco. ¿Está frío? Wife: Your drink, is it cold enough?
Leonardo: Sí. Leonardo: Yes.
Mujer: ¿Sabes que piden a mi prima? Wife: Have you heard? My cousin is getting engaged!
Leonardo: ¿Cuándo? Leonardo: When?
Mujer: Mañana. La boda será dentro de un mes. Espero que vendrán a invitarnos. Wife: Tomorrow. The wedding will be within a month. I hope that they will come to invite to us.
Leonardo: [serio] No sé. Leonardo: [seriously] I do not know.
Suegra: La madre de él creo que no estaba muy satisfecha con el casamiento. Mother-in-law: I hear that his mother was not very happy with the arrangement.
Leonardo: Y quizá tenga razón. Ella es de cuidado. Leonardo: And … perhaps she is right. She is a girl that needs constant watching.
Mujer: No me gusta que penséis mal de una buena muchacha. Wife: I do not like that you think bad things about a good girl.
Suegra: Pero cuando dice eso es porque la conoce. ¿No ves que fue tres años novia suya? [con intención.] Mother-in-law: [with malice] Bah! when he says that it is because he knows all about it. Don't you remember that she was his fiancee three years?
Leonardo: Pero la dejé. [a su mujer] ¿Vas a llorar ahora? ¡Quita! [la aparta bruscamente las manos de la cara.] Vamos a ver al niño. [entran abrazados.] Leonardo: But I left her. (to Wife.) What? Are you going to cry now? Stop it! [he roughly pulls her hands from her face] Come! we are going to see the boy. [they exist]
[aparece la muchacha, alegre. entra corriendo] [a Girl appears in the doorway. she runs in cheerfully]
Muchacha: Señora. Girl: Señora.
Suegra: ¿Qué pasa? Mother-in-law: What is it?
Muchacha: Llegó el novio a la tienda y ha comprado todo lo mejor que había. Girl: The young man arrived at the store and bought all the best things we had.
Suegra: ¿Vino solo? Mother-in-law: Was he alone?
Muchacha: No, con su madre. Seria, alta. (La imita) Pero ¡qué lujo! Girl: No, he came with his mother. Serious, tall. [she strikes a pose to immitate her] But very proud!
Suegra: Ellos tienen dinero. Mother-in-law: They have money.
Muchacha: ¡Y compraron unas medias caladas!… ¡Ay, qué medias! ¡El sueño de las mujeres en medias! Mire usted: una golondrina aquí [señala el tobillo], un barco aquí [señala la pantorrilla] y aquí una rosa. [señala el muslo.] Girl: And they bought some open-work stockings! … Ai!, what stockings! The sort you can only dream about! Look: a swallow here [she indicates the ankle], and a boat here [she indicates the thigh] and a rose here. [she indicates her hip] …
Suegra: ¡Niña! Mother-in-law: Child!
Muchacha: ¡Una rosa con las semillas y el tallo! ¡Ay! ¡Todo en seda! Girl: A rose with seeds and stem! Ai! Everything in silk!
Suegra: Se van a juntar dos buenos capitales. Mother-in-law: Two rich families are being brought together.
[aparecen Leonardo y su mujer] (Leonardo and Wife enter)
Muchacha: Vengo a deciros lo que están comprando. Girl: I came to tell you what they are buying.
Leonardo: [fuerte] No nos importa. Leonardo: [harshly] We don't care.
Mujer: Déjala. Wife: Leave her alone.
Suegra: Leonardo, no es para tanto. Mother-in-law: Leonardo, it is not important.
Muchacha: Usted dispense. [se va llorando] Girl: Please … excuse me [she exits, weeping]
Suegra: ¿Qué necesidad tienes de ponerte a mal con las gentes? Mother-in-law: Why is it a necessity for you to act badly with everyone?
Leonardo: No le he preguntado su opinión. [se sienta] Leonardo: I did not ask your opinion. [he sits]
Suegra: Está bien. Mother-in-law: Very well.
[pausa] [she slows sits down, pause]
Mujer: [a Leonardo] ¿Qué te pasa? ¿Qué idea te bulle por dentro de cabeza? No me dejes así, sin saber nada … Wife: [to Leonardo] What has happened to you? What ideas do you have going on the inside of your head? Do not leave me like this, without knowing what is going on …
Leonardo: Quita. Leonardo: Stop this.
Mujer: No. Quiero que me mires y me lo digas. Wife: No, I will not. Look me in the eye and me and tell me.
Leonardo: Déjame. [se levanta] Leonardo: Leave me alone. [he rises]
Mujer: ¿Adónde vas, hijo? Wife: Where are you going?
Leonardo: [agrio] ¿Te puedes callar? Leonardo: [bitterly] Why won't you shut up?
Suegra: [enérgica, a su hija] ¡Cállate! [sale Leonardo] ¡El niño! [entra y vuelve a salir con él en brazos. la mujer ha permanecido de pie, inmóvil] Mother-in-law: [grimly, to Wife] Shhhh! [Leonardo exists] The baby! [she exists. returns with Boy in her arms. the Wife remains standing, immovable]
Las patas heridas,
las crines heladas,
dentro de los ojos
un puñal de plata.
Bajaban al río.
La sangre corría
más fuerte que el agua. 		The hooves are all red with blood,
and all its horsey hair frozen.
And deep within its eyes
rests a broken silver dagger.
Down they went to the river's edge.
Ai!, how they went down!
And its blood ran faster
than the running water.
Mujer: (Volviéndose lentamente y como soñando)

Duérmete, clavel,
que el caballo se pone a beber.

Wife: [turning slowly around as if dreaming]

Go to sleep, my carnation,
for the horse will not want to drink deep.

Suegra:

Duérmete, rosal,
que el caballo se pone a llorar.

Mother-in-law:

Sleep, sleep my little rose,
for the horse now starts to weep.

Mujer:

Nana, niño, nana.

Wife:

Hush, baby, hush.

Suegra:

Ay, caballo grande,
que no quiso el agua!

Mother-in-law:

Sleep, my carnation, of
the giant horse that
did not want the water.

Mujer: (Dramática)

¡No vengas, no entres!
¡Vete a la montaña!
¡Ay dolor de nieve,
caballo del alba!

Wife: [dramatically]

Keep away now! Do not enter!
Run to the mountains
Ai!, the pain of the snow,
for a horse made of the dawn!

Suegra: [llorando]

Mi niño se duerme…

Mother-in-law: [weeping]

Now my boy sleeps …

Mujer: [llorando y acercándose lentamente]

Mi niño descansa…

Wife: [weeping, slowly moving near]

Now my baby is quiet …

Suegra:

Duérmete, clavel,
que el caballo no quiere beber.

Mother-in-law:

Sleep, my carnation, of
the giant horse that
did not want the water.

Mujer: [llorando y apoyándose sobre la mesa]

Duérmete, rosal,
que el caballo se pone a llorar.

Woman: [crying and leaning on the table]

Sleep, sleep my little rose,
for the horse now starts to weep.

Telón Curtain

***

Notes

Dream of a great black stallion/ that would not drink the water. … Again, this is not the direct translation of the original Spanish song, but rather my interpretation of what would sound agreeable to an English audience (which explains the repeated refrains). The theme of the play can be said to be found in the imagery of this song. Beyond the blood/ water dualism is the motif of the Black horse as life unwilling to drink almost as if it were fated to do so.

Run to the mountains/ down through the gray valleys/ to your mare's side. … This image of a horse running madly through the valleys to its mates side will later be acted out by Leonardo (perhaps another name for "lion"?) with his animistic nature running off on his horse to the Bride.

Only with icy water. … Johnston suggests that Garcia Lorca is indirectly "telling the audience that Leonardo is 'a man on fire' … the fact that he is drinking lemonade is, therefore, an image of the bitterness of his life" (ff 14, 109)

***

Bibliography

Dewell, Michael and Carmen Zapata. Three plays: Blood wedding, Yerma, The house of Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca. Introduction by Christopher Maurer. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux. (1993)

Edwards, Gwynne and Peter Luke. Three plays/ Lorca. London; New York, NY: Methuen. (1987)

Gassner, John (ed.) "Blood Wedding: by Federico García Lorca; translated by Richard L. O'Connell and James Graham-Luján." from A treasury of the theatre: volume two. modern European drama from Henrik Ibsen to Jean-Paul Sartre. New York: Simon and Schuster. (1967)

Hughes, Ted. Federico Garcá Lorca's Blood wedding (Bodas de Sangre) in a new version. London; Boston: Faber and Faber. (1996)

Johnston, David. Blood wedding/ Federico García Lorca. London: Hodder and Stoughton Educational. (1989)

Kennelly, Brendan. Blood wedding (Bodas de sangre) by Federico García Lorca. Newcastle upon Tyne: Bloodaxe. (1996)

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