El Gato Negro

Norteno Folk Song

A mi me llama,

el gato negro.

Todas las leyes

me buscan ya.

It calls on me,

the black cat.

All of the lawmen

are looking for me now.

Soy peligroso,

segun lo dicen,

un desalmado,

y un criminal.

I am dangerous,

according to what they say,

a wicked, cruel criminal.

Desde muy chico

me di a los vicios,

todo lo malo

conozco yo.

Since I was very young

I have dealt

all of the bad vices

I’ve known.

Conozco a todos

los traficantes

y criminales

de la region

I know all of

the dealers

and criminals

of the region.

Desde la sierra

haya en Chihuahua

con carga blanca

viajaba yo

From the mountain ranges

in Chihuahua

I have traveled

with the white cargo.

Enfrente de las barbas

de los sherifes

cruzaba aduanas

de emigracion

Right in front of the beards

of the sheriffs

it passed through

emigration customs.

Cargas enteras

de yerba buena

lleve a Chicago

y a Nueva York

Whole loads

of good weed

are carried to Chicago

and to New York

Y varias veces

por mala suerte

cai en la celda

de la prision

And several times,

due to bad luck,

I’ve ended up in the cell

of a prison.

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Haya en Laredo

en una emboscada

con los sherifes

me la rife

Now I’m in Laredo,

in an ambush

with the sheriffs.

I’ll take my chances.

Me fui por Alice

viajaran al norte

ni de la muerte

yo me acorde

I went by Alice,

traveled to the north

nor of the death

did I agree

Por San Antonio

pase de noche

yegan a Houston

no se porque

By San Antonio,

passing in the night

then on to Houston,

I don’t know why.

Los patrulleros

tienen aviso

?y del corralme?

les escape

The patrols

have a warning

???

to those trying to escape.

Terrible carcel

de Kansas City

vamos a carcel

de San Quinti'n

Terrible prison

in Kansas City

now we’re going to the prison

in San Quinti’n (Chiapas)

De San Antonio

su carcel nueva

?bel quin tam? piso

me le salir

From San Antonio

your new prison

??? floor

to leave to him???

El gato negro

no se despide

desaparece

de la region

The black cat

does not take a break

or disappear

from the region

Cuando me miren

todo de negro

de ojos borrados

ese soy yo

Whenever I look

everything is black

from the erased eyes

that now define me.