Viento, amárranos...

Five weeks ago, on May 22 my daughter was born. I used to sing “Viento” by Jaguares to my nephew, Jacob, when he was an infant. Being one his primary caregivers, I found the lyrics sweet and appropriate for the purity of baby-love. Now I find myself singing the same song to my daughter and not being able to even get through it (ah, those postpartum hormones). And I’m thinking, was Saúl Hernández ever a nursing mother? Because a more perfect expression of motherly love/obsession I have yet to encounter. I’d like my daughter to remember this song as her earliest lullaby, that is, if I can ever stay dry-eyed enough to sing her the entire thing in key.

Nayáhuari Meza-Martinez

"Viento" - Jaguares

Préstame tu peine, y péiname el alma /lend me your comb and comb out my soul
Desenrédame, fuera de este mundo /unwind me far away from this world
Dime que no estoy soñándote /tell me that I’m not dreaming you
Enséñame, de que estamos hechos /teach me what we are made of
Que quiero brincar planetas, hasta ver uno vacío/ I want to jump between planets until I see an empty one
Que quiero irme a vivir, pero que sea contigo /I want to go live there, but only if it’s with you

Viento, amárranos /Wind, tie us together
Tiempo, detente muchos años /Time, hold still for many years

Préstame tu peine, y péiname el alma /lend me your comb and comb out my soul
Purifícame, no me abandones /purify me, don’t abandon me
Préstame tu sueño, y duérmeme /lend me your dream and help me sleep
Embrújame, volvámonos eternos /bewitch me, let’s become eternal
Que quiero brincar planetas, hasta ver uno vacío /I want to jump between planets until I see an empty one
Que quiero irme a vivir, pero que sea contigo /I want to go live there, but only if it’s with you

Viento, amárranos /Wind, tie us together
Tiempo, detente muchos años /Time, hold still for many years
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