The Empty Bed Brokenhearted Translation by Don Jibaro
From
a sad and eerie hospital where he was being treated, a friend of mine wrote me a
letter. Almost in agony and surrounded by a sepulchrous silence, with the
habitual tenderness which he always displayed... perhaps with painful effort,
perhaps not; but from his dark bed and consumed by a deteriorating pulmonary
tuberculosis, he writes...
"My dear friend, I wish
that as you receive this letter, you'd be fine and good fortune may be with
you wherever you go. As for me, I could mistakenly tell you that I'm better
each day but on the contrary, in my pain... laying on this dark bed, I'm just
a poor skeleton at horror by my own sight.
The letter is to convey that if you can, maybe someday... you, who always
loved me so much, can come keep me some company. I'm so lonely and sad that I
cry almost non-stop. Nobody loves me anymore; everyone turns out to be without
the slightest piety and from so many friends that I once had, none has
bothered to come see me.
Today I agree with that which I see... that in my solitude, that which is
called friendship is nothing but an illusion. When you're doing well there are
more friends than you'd ever need. But if the cruel destiny throws you into an
abyss, we see that it was all a lie, and there's no such a thing as a true
friend.
Well, let me say farewell and place a period here. Receive a faithful hug from
he who has always loved you dearly. And to your mom, whom I can never forget,
give my best regards, show her much devotion and smother her with love. You,
who have a mother... take care of her. You don't know how precious that is."
Well,
come Sunday and anxious to see my faithful old
friend,
I go into the hospital saddened and
burdened. I walked into the room where he was supposed
to be... but alas! I was astonished to find the bed... e m p t y .
“Live in such a way that no one blames the rest of us
nor finds fault with our work.” --(2 Corinthians 6:3)
"No son todos los que están, ni están todos los que son."
—Tio Genaro
LA
CAMA VACÍA
(Oscar Agudelo)
Desde un tétrico
hospital
donde se hallaba internado,
casi agónico y rodeado
de un silencio sepulcral,
con su ternura habitual,
la que siempre demostró,
quizá con esfuerzo o no
desde su lecho sombrío,
un tísico amigo mío
esta carta me escribió.
"Querido amigo quisiera,
que al recibir la presente,
te halles bien, y que la suerte
te acompañe por doquiera.
Por mi parte, mal pudiera
decirte que estoy mejor,
si al contrario, en mi dolor,
postrado en mi lecho abjecto
ya soy un pobre esqueleto
que a mi mismo me da horror.
"La carta es para decirte
que si podés algún día,
vení a hacerme compañía
vos que tanto me quisiste;
estoy tan solo y tan triste
que lloro sin contenerme,
ya nadie suele quererme,
todos se muestran impíos,
de tantos amigos míos
ninguno ha venido a verme.
"Hoy yo te doy la razón
pues veo en mi soledad,
que esa llamada amistad
es tan sólo una ilusión.
Cuando uno está en condición
tiene amigos a granel.
pero si el destino cruel
hacia un abismo nos tira,
vemos que todo es mentira
y que no hay amigo fiel.
"Bueno, aquí ya me despido,
y al poner punto final
recibe un abrazo leal
de quien siempre te ha querido.
A tu mamá, que no olvido,
también mis recuerdos dale,
mucha devoción mostrale
y de cariños colmala...
Vos que la tenés cuidala.
¡Si supieras cuánto vale!"
Llegó el domingo, y ansioso
por aquel amigo leal,
penetré en el hospital
angustiado y pesaroso,
me dirigí silencioso
al lugar donde sabía
que su lecho encontraría.
mas...¡ay!... no bien lo encontré,
asombrado me quedé
al ver la cama vacía.
The Empty Bed
friend,
I go into the hospital saddened and
burdened. I walked into the room where he was supposed
to be... but alas! I was astonished to find the bed... e m p t y .
