El Barzón – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Maldita Vecindad Y los Hijos Del 5to Patio
• Album: Mostros

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of Mexican rock with Maldita Vecindad's 'El Barzón'. Learning Spanish through this track allows you to explore traditional Mexican working-class idioms, historical agrarian vocabulary, and the colloquial storytelling style embedded in Mexican folklore.

[English]

Those lands in the back corner

I plowed them with an ox.

My harness strap snapped

And the team keeps walking.

When I reached the middle of the field

The plow was buried deep,

Even the crossbar went under,

The beam slipped off,

The yoke was bending,

The harness was dragging,

The sower was talking to me,

I told the sower:

"Don't talk to me while I'm plowing."

My harness strap snapped

And the team keeps walking.

When I finished harvesting

The rich man came and divided it.

He took all my corn,

He didn't even leave me anything to eat.

He hands me the bill here:

"Here you owe 20 pesos

For the rent of some oxen,

5 pesos for maguey plants,

One fanega and three quarters

Of the beans we lent you,

One fanega and three quarters

Of the corn we rationed you.

5 pesos for some holsters,

7 pesos for cigarettes,

6 pesos for I don't know what,

But it's all on the bill,

On top of the 20 reales

You took from the store.

Since the corn that's your share

Doesn't cover what you owe the estate,

Well, you still have my land

To keep on planting it.

Now go get to work

So you can keep paying off your debt."

I just stood there thinking,

Dusting off my blanket,

Rolling my corn-husk cigarette:

"What a shameless boss,

He took all my corn

For his damn granary."

My harness strap snapped

And the team keeps walking.

When I got to my little house

My beloved treasure said to me:

"Where's the corn that was your share?"

I answered her very sadly:

"The boss took it

For what I owed the estate,

But the boss told me

I can count on the land

To keep on planting it.

Now I'm going to work

To keep paying off my debt,

20 pesos and 10 centavos

Plus whatever I come up short."

My beloved treasure said to me:

"Don't work for that man,

He's just robbing us blind,

Go to the meeting hall,

Let my godfather take you,

Don't listen to the priest anymore,

Him and his excommunications,

Don't you see your family

Doesn't even have drawers to wear,

Nor do I have a skirt left

Nor do you have pants."

I just stood there thinking,

Maybe I'll leave my boss—

My beloved treasure said to me:

"To hell with the boss,

Hungry is what we've been,

If you keep on believing

What they say in the media,

Pure manipulation

And government lies.

In the countryside are the boss,

The landowners and associates,

White guards and hitmen,

Just exploiting towns,

They are drying up our land.

And back in the cities

Corrupt police officers,

Gangsters and bankers,

Just sucking the blood

From the people, from the workers.

That is why Zapata

Is riding again now:

The civil revolution,

Long live self-governance."

My harness strap snapped

And the team keeps walking

...

[Spanish]

Esas tierras del rincón

Las sembré con un buey pando.

Se me reventó el barzón

Y sigue la yunta andando.

Cuando llegué a media tierra

El arado iba enterrado,

Se enteró hasta la telera,

El timón se le zafó,

El yugo se iba pandeando,

El barzón iba rozando,

El sembrador me iba hablando,

Yo le dije al sembrador:

"No me hable cuando ande arando".

Se me reventó el barzón

Y sigue la yunta andando.

Cuando acabé de pizcar

Vino el rico y lo partió.

Todo mi maíz se llevó,

Ni pa'comer me dejó.

Me presenta aquí la cuenta:

"Aquí debes 20 pesos

De la renta de unos bueyes,

5 pesos de magueyes,

Una nega tres cuartillas

Del frijol que te prestamos,

Una nega tres cuartillas

Del maíz que te limitamos.

5 pesos de unas fundas,

7 pesos de cigarros,

6 pesos no se de qué,

Pero todo está en la cuenta,

A más de los 20 reales

Que sacaste de la tienda.

Cuanto del maíz que te toca

No le pagas a la Hacienda,

Pero cuentas con mi tierra

Para seguirla sembrando.

Ora vete a trabajar

Pa'que sigas abonando"

Nomás me quede pensando,

Sacudiendo mi cobija,

Haciendo mi cigarro de hoja:

"Que patrón tan sinvergüenza

Todo mi maíz se llevó

Para su maldita troje".

Se me reventó el barzón

Y sigue la yunta andando.

Cuando llegué a mi casita

Me decía mi prenda amada:

"¿ontá el maíz que te tocó?".

Le contesté yo muy triste:

"El patrón se lo llevó

Por lo que debía en la Hacienda,

Pero me dijo el patrón

Que contará con la tierra

Para seguirla sembrando.

Ora voy a trabajar

Para seguirle abonando

20 pesos 10 centavos

Más lo que salgo restando".

Me decía mi prenda amada:

"No trabajes con ese hombre,

Nomás nostá robando,

Anda al salón de sesiones,

Que te lleve mi compadre,

Ya no le hagas caso al padre,

él y sus excomuniones,

Qué no ves a tu familia

Que ya no tiene calzones,

Ni yo tengo ya faldilla

Ni tu tienes pantalones".

Nomás me quede pensando

Pue' que deje a mi patrón

Me decía mi prenda amada:

"Que vaya el patrón al cuerno,

Como estuviéramos de hambre,

Si te has de seguir creyendo

Lo que dicen en los medios,

Pura manipulación

Y mentiras del gobierno.

En el campo está el patrón,

Los finqueros y asociados,

Guardias blancas y matones,

Nomás explotando pueblos,

Van secando nuestra tierra.

Y allá en las ciudades

Los policías corruptos,

Los mafiosos y banqueros,

Nomás chupando la sange

A la gente, a los obreros.

Es por eso que Zapata

Ahora cabalga de nuevo:

La revolución civil,

Viva el autogobierno".

Se me reventó el barzón

Y sigue la yunta andando

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
tierra /ˈtjera/ A1	noun - land, earth, soil
sembrar /semˈbɾaɾ/ B1	verb - to sow, to plant
buey /bwej/ B2	noun - ox
yunta /ˈʝunta/ C1	noun - pair of draft animals (oxen/mules)
arado /aˈɾaðo/ B2	noun - plow
pizcar /pisˈkaɾ/ C1	verb - to harvest, to pick crops
maíz /maˈis/ A2	noun - corn, maize
renta /ˈrenta/ A2	noun - rent
maguey /maˈɣej/ B2	noun - agave, maguey plant
frijol /fɾiˈxol/ A2	noun - bean
tienda /ˈtjenda/ A1	noun - store, shop
patrón /paˈtɾon/ B1	noun - boss, owner, master
cobija /koˈbixa/ B2	noun - blanket
cigarro /siˈgaɾo/ A2	noun - cigarette
troje /ˈtɾoxe/ C2	noun - granary
revolución /reβoluˈsjon/ B1	noun - revolution
gobierno /ɡoˈbjeɾno/ A2	noun - government
obrero /oˈbɾeɾo/ B1	noun - worker, laborer