¡Viva viernes! (Long live Friday! In other words, TGIF!)
La fecha es el veintiocho (28) de enero del año dos mil veintidós. (The date is January 28, 2022.)
It’s so hard to say goodbye to a friend who lives in a different city or a different country.
The classic sevillana (a song from Andalusia—southern Spain) El adiós (Algo se muere en el alma) was gifted to me by a dear friend in Madrid. The lyrics and passionate guitar of the song bring tears to my eyes every time I listen to it.
The original song, written by the late Sevillan composer Manuel Garrido, is called El adiós, which means “the goodbye.” Many refer to the song as Algo se muere en el alma (Something dies in the soul), because that is a key line in the song.
The song opens up, “Algo se muere en el alma cuando un amigo se va.” (Something dies in the soul when a friend goes away.)
No te vayas todavía is a petition for your friend to not leave yet.
My favorite line is: “Un pañuelo de silencio a la hora de partir.” (A handkerchief of silence when it’s time to part.)
Hasta la guitarra mía llora cuando dice adiós—“even my guitar cries when it says goodbye.”
Get your flamenco shoes and a handkerchief. ¡Bailemos y cantemos! (Let’s dance and sing!) Go to this link for la letra (the lyrics).
¡Que tengas un viernes vivaz! (May you have a lively Friday!)
L. A. Feliz