Girl, Locked Away – from El alba del alhelí or Wallflower’s Dawn (1925-1926)

1.

Your father,
they say, locks you away.
Your mother grips the key.
Neither wants 
that I see you,
that I speak with you
that I say to you I am dying 
to get married.

2.

Because you’ve olive trees
and bulls fighting brave afield—
the cattlemen’s blistering rumor
that I do not come for you
but for the taste of honey.

3. 

The whole town already knows it.
The artisans are singing it,
the barber conspires 
to embellish the story,
and oh! giggling the saddle maker, 
and the horse master makes 
cool comment over cream sherries
in the corners with the muleteer.
The tale is told,
by the carpenter to the gravedigger.
The dead already know the story!
And you without knowing how.

4.

Someone sweeps 
and sings
and sweeps
(clogs at daybreak). 
Someone
shoots at the outer doors.
But what a fear
my dear Mother!
(Oh! those who ride the wind,
on a sailboat today
go charging the seas!)
Someone sweeps
and sings
and sweeps.
There was a horse, backing off
of the print of the echo
of his foot in the street.
But what fear Mami
were someone to answer the door! 
If Father appeared in his long
tunic, dripping!—
What a horror Mother!
Someone sweeps
and sings
and sweeps.

Author: Rafael Alberti
Translator: Manny Grimaldi