Corrido de Juan Reyna

Los Hermanos Bañuelos; Los Angeles, Ca. ca. November 1930

Voy a cantar un corrido

Aunque con bastante pena,

Es todo lo sucedido

Al compatriota Juan Reyna.

 

Dicen Que el once de mayo

Apenas obscurecía,

Cuando en el carro de Reyna

Chocó él de la policía.

 

Un fuerte llegón le dieron

Enchuecando las defensas.

Luego dos chotas bajaron

Diciendo a Reyna insolencias.

 

Querían bajarlo del coche

Y allí empezó la alegata,

Y luego uno de las chotas

Lo estiró de la corbata.

 

“Díganme quíen son ustedes?”

les dijo ya estando en tierra.

Le respondieron con golpes,

Llamándolo “hijo de perra.”

 

Como iban sin uniformes

Y haciendo mil tonterías

Reyna no estaba seguro

De que fueran policias.

 

Querían subirlo por fuerza

Al carro en que lo llevaron.

Como Reyna se opusiera

Entonces más golpearon.

 

Eran cuatro los gendarmes

Que al Mexicano estrujaron,

Y al subirlo al otro carro

Con un negro lo esposaron.

 

Luego el detective Brindley

Buscando cosa sencilla,

Le dió una fuerte patada

Sangrándole la espinilla.

 

Y como en esos momentos

El auto empezaba a andar

Sobre el pobre mexicano,

Brindley se vino a sentar

 

Entonces el mexicano

Con valor y con destreza,

Le arrebató la pistola

Y le clavó la cabeza

 

Pero el detective Miller

Y el negro lo sujetaron.

Disparándole otros tiros

Mientras que lo desarmaron.

 

Patadas, palos, moquetes,

Le dieron a granizar.

Por lo que tuvo Juan Reyna,

Que ir a dar al hospital.

 

El consul de la colinda

Y el vice-cónsul Quiñones

Hablaron luegopor radio

Mostrando sus opinions.

 

Explicaron bien el caso

Y la colonia atendió,

Porque al insultar a Reyna,

A México se insultó.

 

Mandaron toda su ayuda

Como Buenos mexicanos,

Probando lo que nos duele,

El maltrato a los paisanos.

 

Muy pronto juntó dinero

El cónsul digno y argente,

Y a la defensa de Reyna

Puso a un hombre competente.

 

Ya lo que el fiscal pedía

Que ahorcaran al delincuente.

El defensor luego dijo,

“Abranse que ahí va la mía.”

 

Algo dijo Mr. Rude,

Con que al fiscal le dío tos,

Y dicen por ahí las gentes

Que hubo un encuentro de voz.

 

Se le hicieron dos jurados

Y con toda claridad,

Unos pedían su castigo

Los otros su libertidad.

 

Por fin fallaron las damas,

Las de Segundo jurado,

Por homicidio de culpa

Juan Reyna fué sentenciado.

 

De un año a diez,

El juez Hardy a Reyna le sentenció,

Salvándolo de la horca,

Que el Mr. Blalock los pidió.

 

Adiós Juan Reyna,

Supiste defender tu dignidad,

Y hasta tu vida expusiste

Por su nacionalidad.

 

I will sing a ballad

Although is pains me much,

About all that happened

To my countryman Juan Reyna

 

They say that on the 11 th of May

It was just getting dark,

When Reyna’s car

collided with the car of the police

 

It was a head-on collision

The bumpers were dented.

Then two cops got out of the car

Saying insolences to Reyna.

 

They wanted to get him out of the car,

And that’s when the flap started,

And then one of the cops

Pulled him out by his tie.

 

“Tell me, who are you?”

he asked them being on firm ground.

They answered him with blows,

Calling him a “son of a bitch.”

 

Since they were without uniforms

And they were just fooling around,

Reyna was not sure

If they were policemen.

 

They wanted to put him by force

Inside the car that would take him.

Since Reyna opposed

They gave him more blows.

 

There were four policemen

who mistreated the Mexican,

And as they put him in the other car

He was handcuffed to a Negro.

 

Then detective Brindley

Looking for a simple thing (to do)

Gave him a bloody kick

Which connected with his shin.

 

Since about this time

The car began to run,

Up against the Mexican,

Brindley came to take a seat.

 

Then the Mexican

With bravery and agility,

Snatched the gun from him

And hit him in the head.

 

But the detective Miller

And the Negro caught him.

Other shots were fired

While trying to disarm him.

 

Kicks, blows, and more blows,

They gave him like a hailstorm.

And because of what Juan Reyna got,

He had to go to the hospital.

 

The consul from the area

And vice-consul Quiñones

Talked over the radio

Expressing their opinions.

 

The case was carefully explained

And the colony attended,

Because by insulting Reyna,

Mexico was insulted.

 

They sent all their help

Like good fellow Mexicans,

Proving the hurt to us all,

The mistreatment of our countrymen.

 

Right away money was collected

By the worthy consul

And to defend Reyna

He picked a competent man.

 

They had many witnesses

Who were police agents,

And the defense attorney said

“It is now my turn.”

 

Mr. Rude said something,

The prosecutor coughed,

And now people are saying

that their voices were raised.

 

Two juries were picked

And with all clarity,

Some asked for his punishment

And others for his freedom.

 

At last the ladies decided,

The ones on the second jury,

For intentional homicide

Juan Reyna was sentenced.

 

One year to ten,

Judge Hardy sentenced Reyna,

Saving him from hanging,

Which was what Mr. Blalock wanted.

 

Goodbye Juan Reyna,

You knew how to defend your dignity,

You even risked your life

Because of your nationality.

 

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