As a fervent lover of anything vintage and rebellious [lol], I listen to AM radio from my comfy bed in Puerto Rico at night so that I can be serenaded to sleep golden-oldies style. And so it came to happen the other night, that while I was dozing off to slumber land this sweet lady from the countryside of Puerto Rico came on the radio during an open mic session and begun singing this beautiful Puerto Rican folk song. I immediately hit record! I never got her name—but many blessing to her wherever her sweet soul might be. Culture is truly so big and vibrant in Puerto Rico, it pours down with the rain, out every crevice, and you can feel it in the wind. I was lucky enough to capture some of the magic. To my Puerto Rico! Enjoy.

Lamento Borincano (or The Puerto Rican Lament) is a song written by Rafael Hernandez Marin in 1929, which describes de conditions of poverty for the common country folk in the Puerto Rico of that era. After its creation, it became a classic almost instantaneously in Puerto Rico and Latin America.

Lyrics to Lamento Borincano :
Sale loco de contento = He goes out mad with joy
con su cargamento para la ciudad = with his cargo to the city
(ayy) para la cuidad = (lament) to the city

lleva en su pensamiento = he brings in thought
todo un mundo lleno de felicidad, = a whole world filled with happiness,
(ayy) de felicidad = (lament) with happiness,

piensa remediar la situación = he plans to remedy the situation
del hogar que es toda su ilusión, sí = at home where all his illusions live, yes
y alegre, el jibarito va pensando así = and happy, the jibarito (jibarito= PR country folk) goes thinking like this
diciendo así, cantando así por el camino: = saying like this, singing like this along the way:
“si yo vendo la carga, = “If I sell my cargo,
mi Diòs querido = my dear God
un traje a mi viejita voy a comprar” = I’ll buy a dress for my viejita (viejita= little old woman – it is the manner in which PR country folk address their mother)

Y alegre = And happy
También su yegua va = also goes his horse
Al presentir que aquel cantar = As it feels the singing
Es todo un himno de alegría = is a whole hymn of happiness

Y en eso le sorprende la luz del dìa = And in the middle of all this, sunlight catches him by surprise
Y llegan al mercado de la ciudad = And he arrives to the city market

Pasa la mañana entera = Spends the whole morning
sin que nadie quiera = and nobody wants
su carga comprar = to buy his cargo
(ayy) su carga comprar = (lament) to buy his cargo

todo, todo esta desierto, = everything, everything is deserted
y el pueblo esta lleno de necesidad, = and the people are plagued with necessity
(ayy) de necesidad = (lament) with necessity

se oye este lamento por doquier = This lament is heard everywhere
de mi desdichada Borinquen sí = of my Unhappy Borinquen (Borinquen= Original name Taino Indians gave to PR)

Y triste, = And Saddened,
el jibarito va pensando así = the jibarito goes thinking like this
diciendo así, llorando así por el camino: = saying like this, crying along the way:
“que será de Borinquen = “What will be of my Borinquen
mi Diòs querido = my dear God
que será de mis hijos = what will be of my children
y de mi hogar” = and of my home”

oh Borinquen!
La tierra del Edén = Land of Eden
la que al cantar, el gran Gauthier = the one, the great Gauthier called as he sang
llamò la perla de los mares = the pearl of the seas

ahora que tu te mueres = now as you die
con tus pesares = with your woes
déjame que te cante yo también. = let me sing for you as well