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Gregorio Cortez

Ramón Delgado

Jacinto Treviño

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Gregorio Cortez

As Written by Americó Paredes

 

 

          Espanol

          English

En el condado de El Carmen
Miren lo que ha sucedido,
Murió el Cherife Mayor,

Quedando Román herido.
 

In the county of El Carmen,
look what has happened;
The Mayor Sheriff is dead,
leaving Román badly wounded.
 

En el condado de El Carmen
Tal desgracia sucedió,
Murió el Cherife Mayor,

No saben quien lo mató.
 

In the county of El Carmen
such a tragedy took place:
The Mayor Sheriff is dead;
no one knows who killed him.
 

Se anduvieron informando
Como media hora después,
Supieron que el malhechor
Era Gregorio Cortez.
 

They went around asking
questions about half an hour afterward;
They found out that the wrongdoer
had been Gregorio Cortez.
 

Ya insortaron a Cortez
Por toditito el estado,
Que vivo o muerto se aprehenda

Porque a varios ha matado.
 

Now they have outlawed Cortez
throughout the whole of the state;
Let him be taken, dead or alive,
for he has killed several men.
 

Decía Gregorio Cortez
Con su pistola en la mano:
-No siento haberlo matado,
lo que siento es a mi hermano.-
 

Then said Gregorio Cortez,
with his pistol in his hand,
"I don't regret having killed him;
what I regret is my brother's death."
 

Decía Gregorio Cortez
Con su alma muy encendida:
-No siento haberlo matado,
la defensa es permitida.-
 

Then said Gregorio Cortez,
with his soul aflame,
"I don't regret having killed him;
self defense is permitted."
 

Venían los americanos
Más blancos que una amapola,
De miedo que le tenían
A Cortez con su pistola.
 

The Americans were coming;
they were whiter that a poppy
From the fear that they had
from Cortez and his pistol.
 

Decían los americanos
Decían con timidez:
-Vamos a seguir la huella
que el malhechor es Cortez.-
 

Then the Americans said,
and they said it fearfully,
"Come, let us follow the trail,
for the wrongdoer is Cortez.
 

Soltaron los perros jaunes
Pa'que siguieron la huella,
Pero alcanzar a Cortez
Era seguir a una estrella.
 

They let loose the bloodhound
so they could follow the trail;
But trying to overtake Cortez
was like following a star.
 

Tiró con rumbo a Gonzales
Sin ninguna timidez:
-Síganme, rinches cobardes,
yo soy Gregorio Cortez.-
 

He struck out for Gonzales,
without showing any fear:
"Follow me, cowardly rinches;
I am Gregorio Cortez."
 

Se fue de Belmont al rancho,
Lo alcanzaron a rodear,
Poquitos más de trescientos,
Y allí le brincó el corral.
 

From Belmont he went to the ranch,
where they succeeded in surrounding him,
Quite a few more that three hundred,
but he jumped out of their corral.
 

Cuando les brincó el corral,
Según lo que aquí se dice,
Se agarraron a balazos
Y les mató otro cherife.
 

When he jumped out of their corral,
according to what is said here,
They got into a gunfight,
and he killed them another sheriff.
 

Decía Gregorio Cortez
Con su pistola en la mano:
-No corran, rinches cobardes,
con un solo mexicano.-
 

Then said Gregorio Cortez,
with his pistol in his hand,
"Don't run, you cowardly rinches,
from a single Mexican."
 

Salió Gregorio Cortez,
Salió con rumbo a Laredo,
No lo quisieron seguir
Porque le tuvieron miedo.
 

Gregorio Cortez went out,
he went out toward Laredo;
They would not follow him
because they were afraid of him.
 

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Decía Gregorio Cortez:
-¿Pa'que se valen de planes?
No me pueden agarrar
Ni con esos perros jaunes.-
 

Then said Gregorio Cortez,
"What is the use of your scheming?
You cannot catch me,
even with those bloodhounds."
 

Decían los americanos:
-Si lo alcanzamos ¿qué hacemos?
Si le entramos por derecho
Muy poquitos volveremos.-
 

Then said the Americans,
"If we catch up with him, what shall we do?
If we fight him man to man,
very few of us will return."
 

Allá por El Encinal,
Según lo que aquí se dices,
Le formaron un corral
Y les mató otro cherife.
 

Way over near El Encinal,
according to what is said here,
They made him a corral,
and he killed them another sheriff.
 

Decía Gregorio Cortez
Echando muchos balazos:
-Me he escapado de aguaceros,
contimás de nublinazos.-
 

Then said Gregorio Cortez,
shooting out a lot of bullets,
"I have weathered thunderstorms;
this little mist doesn't bother me."
 

Y se encontró a un mexicano,
Le dice con altivez:
-Platícame que hay de nuevo,
yo soy Gregorio Cortez.
 

Now he has met a Mexican;
he says to him haughtily,
"Tell me the news;
I am Gregorio Cortez.
 

-Dicen que por culpa mía
han matado mucha gente,
pues ya me voy a entregar
porque eso no es conveniente.-
 

They say that because of
me many people have been killed;
so now I will surrender,
because such things are not right."
 

Cortez le dice a Jesús:
-Ora sí lo vas a ver,
anda diles a los rinches
que me vengan a aprehender.-
 

Cortez says to Jesus,
"At least you are going to see it;
Go and tell the rinches that
they can come and arrest me."
 

Venían todos los rinches,
Venían que hasta volaban,
Porque se iban a ganar
Diez mil pesos que les daban.
 

All the rinches were coming,
so fast that they almost flew,
Because they were going to get the ten
thousand dollars that were offered.
 

Cuando rodearon la casa
Cortez se les presentó:
-Por la buena sí me llevan
porque de otro modo no.-
 

When they surrounded the house,
Cortez appeared before them:
"You will take me if I'm
willing but not any other way."
 

Decía el Cherife Mayor
Como queriendo llorar:
-Cortez, entrega tus armas,
no te vamos a matar.-
 

Then said the Major Sheriff,
as if he was going to cry,
"Cortez, hand over your weapons;
we do not want to kill you."
 

Decía Gregorio Cortez,
Les gritaba en alta voz:
-Mis armas no las entrego
hasta estar en calaboz.-
 

Then said Gregorio Cortez,
shouting to them in a loud voice,
"I won't surrender my weapons
until I am in a cell."

Decía Gregorio Cortez,
Decía en su voz divina:
-Mis armas no las entrego
hasta estar en bartolina.-
 

Then said Gregorio Cortez,
shouting to them in a loud voice,
"I wonít surrender my weapons
until I'm inside a jail."
 

Ya agarraron a Cortez,
Ya terminó la cuestión,
La pobre de su familia
Lo lleva en el corazón.
 

Now they have taken Cortez,
and now the matter is ended;
His poor family are
keeping him in their hearts.
 

Ya con ésta me despido
A la sombra de un ciprés,
Aquí se acaba el corrido
De don Gregorio Cortez.
 

Now with this I say farewell
in the shade of a cypress;
This is the end of the ballad
of Don Gregorio Cortez.
 

 

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Last Updated: 5/7/01