I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail Yes I would If I could I surely would I'd rather be a hammer than an nail Yes I would If I could I surely would Away, I'd rather sail away Like a swan that's here and gone Away, it's tied up to the ground It gives the world its saddest sound Its saddest sound I'd rather be a forest than a street Yes I would If I could I surely would I'd rather feel the earth beneath my feet Yes I would If I could I surely would [Words by Paul Simon, music by Daniel Alomias Robles] Around 1916, Peruvian composer Daniel Alomias Robles notated this popular traditional melody and used it as the basis for an instrumental suite. Many varied lyrics have since been written, but this anonymous version invites the singer to ride on its back high above the earth where, from that vantage point, one sees no borders, no frontiers - "all are equal." After a college concert in South Dakota in the late 70's, I was given these words by a young teacher named Loren Silver, who said he had been living and teaching in Bolivia for several years. James Durst MWW Shirley and I visited Machu Picchu and were awed by the flight of the condors through the entire trip. Bill |
EL CONDOR PASA
El condor al pasar me dijo a mí, A Rough translation: The condor when passing said to me to me, Sígueme, further on, and you will see On the back of the condor I seated, to fly, more and more high, to reach the sky To watch, to watch towards the Earth, So different from which Borders Can not be seen, Everyone, from there, is what I saw The condor to sing listened themselves, Repeated, are brothers, all equals |