Nicaragua
Rubén Darío (1867-1916)
Madre, que dar pudiste de tu vientre pequeño
tantas rubias bellezas y tropical tesoro,
tanto lago de azures, tanta rosa de oro,
tanta paloma dulce, tanto tigre zahareño.
Yo te ofrezco el acero en que forjé mi empeño,
la caja de armonía que guarda mi tesoro,
La peaña de diamantes del Ídolo que adoro
y te ofrezco mi esfuerzo, y mi nombre y mi sueño.
Convulsiones Nicas
Latin Alliance [1991]
De Nicaragua yo vengo directo / vengo en efecto
decilo correcto / contalo que es cierto
Telling the truth about where I come from 
the Lyrical Latin is a Central American
telling the story of the glory of the land
a once beautiful country now free of command
but something went wrong
with a strong form of government—
they tried to give it an adjustment . . .
Así comenzó la guerilla / donde matan a sangre fría
Cold-blooded; not giving it a second thought
the love of freedom was the reason that so many fought
The start of corruption and the destruction
when given an order – you follow that instruction.
This is the place where everyone takes command: no man’s land . . .
No man’s land / meaning no exit or entry: place of no choice / wishing and envy
Force of this kind / brainwashing the mind / families split apart and left behind
todo comenzó con la revolución / gente no estaba satisfecha con la función
that the country had / and the system it was running
plans were now made and war was now coming
tiraron los Somoza y entró el Sandinismo / cuando pasó eso entró el comunismo
my people use their own people
they got greedy with the power to not treat’em as an equal
this is the place where everyone takes command: no man’s land…
♪♫♫ MUSIC ♪♪♫
Niños tirados a la guerra / también mujeres peleaban como fieras
so many people were tortured and killed, so much pain / so much blood spilled
I can’t believe / no lo puedo creer como la gente cambian cuando tienen poder
colors of the flag replaced in fact: the red means blood and death means black
and in the center of the flag: F.S.L.N / la bandera Sandinista se sostiene
hopefully one day we’ll all be at peace
and all of these countries will soon be released
so we won’t sink into the communist quicksand: no man’s land…
Post-Post-Columbiad
Timothy Dwight (1752–1817)
COLUMBIA, Columbia, to glory arise,
The queen of the world, and the child of the skies!
Thy genius commands thee; with rapture behold,
While ages on ages thy splendors unfold.
Thy reign is the last, and the noblest of time,
Most fruitful thy soil, most inviting thy clime;
Let the crimes of the east ne’er encrimson thy name,
Be freedom, and science, and virtue thy fame.
To conquest and slaughter let Europe aspire;
Whelm nations in blood, and wrap cities in fire;
Thy heroes the rights of mankind shall defend,
And triumph pursue them, and glory attend.
A world is thy realm: for a world be thy laws,
Enlarged as thine empire, and just as thy cause;
On freedom’s broad basis, that empire shall rise,
Extend with the main, and dissolve with the skies.
Fair Science her gates to thy sons shall unbar,
And the east see thy morn hide the beams of her star.
New bards, and new sages, unrivall’d shall soar
To fame unextinguish’d, when time is no more;
To thee, the last refuge of virtue designed,
Shall fly from all nations the best of mankind;
Here, grateful to heaven, with transport shall bring
Their incense, more fragrant than odors of spring.
Nor less shall thy fair ones to glory ascend,
And genius and beauty in harmony blend;
The graces of form shall awake pure desire,
And the charms of the soul ever cherish the fire;
Their sweetness unmingled, their manners refined,
And virtue’s bright image, instamp’d on the mind
With peace, and soft rapture, shall teach life to glow,
And light up a smile in the aspect of woe.
Thy fleets to all regions thy power shall display,
The nations admire, and the ocean obey;
Each shore to thy glory its tribute unfold,
And the east and the south yield their spices and gold.
As the day-spring unbounded, thy splendor shall flow,
And earth’s little kingdoms before thee shall bow:
While the ensigns of union, in triumph unfurl’d,
Hush the tumult of war, and give peace to the world.
Thus, as down a lone valley, with cedars o’erspread,
From war’s dread confusion I pensively stray’d—
The gloom from the face of fair heaven retired;
The winds ceased to murmur; the thunders expired;
Perfumes, as of Eden, flow’d sweetly along,
And a voice, as of angels, enchantingly sung:
“Columbia, Columbia, to glory arise,
The queen of the world and the child of the skies.”
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