III
(For Spanish translation click here)

What time are the grown-ups

getting back?

Blind Santiago strikes six

and already darkness takes hold.

Mother said she wouldn’t delay.

Aguedita, Nativa, Miguel,

be careful of going over there, where

their doubled-up memories just passed

snuggling

toward the silent corral, and whereby

the hens settle for the night

they have frightened a lot.

We’d better just stay here.

Mother said she wouldn’t delay.

Besides, we shouldn’t be sad. Let’s go on seeing

the boats! (mine’s the prettiest of the toy fleet!)

which we’ve played the whole blessed day,

without fighting among ourselves, as it should be:

they stayed behind in the puddle, all ready,

loaded with sweet things for tomorrow.

Let’s obediently wait, there’s no choice but,

for the homecoming, the relief of

the adults, who are always the first

to abandon us small ones in the house,

as if we couldn’t go out on our own!

Aguedita, Nativa, Miguel?

I call to you, feeling around for you in that very same darkness.

Don’t leave me behind by myself,

to be the only recluse locked in all alone.