Pablo Neruda stands up to lend his voice for the Blacks...

Si de pronto no existes, (If of a sudden you were no more,)
si de pronto no vives,(if of a sudden you live no more,)
yo seguiré viviendo. (I'll continue to live.)

No me atrevo,(I do not dare,)
no me atrevo a escribirlo, (hardly will I find the courage to write this)
si te mueres.(if you were to die.)

Yo seguiré viviendo. (I'll go on living.)

Porque donde no tiene voz un hombre(Since there where a man be not invested with a voice)
allí, mi voz. (there, my voice will be heard.)

Donde los negros sean apaleados, (There where Negros be skinned,)
yo no puedo estar muerto.(I cannot be counted among the dead.)
Cuando entren en la cárcel mis hermanos(When my brothers are put in prison)
entraré yo con ellos.(I'll be in their ranks.)

Cuando la victoria,(When victory,)
no mi victoria,(not my triumph,)
sino la gran Victoria llegue,(when the great Victory is attained,)
aunque esté mudo debo hablar:(even if I were dumb, I'll open my mouth to speak :)
yo la veré llegar aunque esté ciego.(yes, I'll see it arrive even if I were blind.)

No, perdóname. (No, do pardon me.)
Si tú no vives,(If you are no longer of this earth,)
si tú, querida, amor mío, si tú(if you, sweetheart, My Love, if you)
te has muerto,(were dead,)
todas las hojas caerán en mi pecho, (all the leaves will fall on my chest,)
lloverá sobre mi alma noche y día, (they will rain on my soul day and night,)
la nieve quemará mi corazón, (snow will consume my heart,)
andaré con frío y fuego(through the cold and fire, I'll continue to walk)
y muerte y nieve, (and through death and snow,)
mis pies querrán marchar hacia donde tú duermes, pero(my feet will want to walk on towards the place where you sleep, but)
seguiré vivo, (I'll go on living,)
porque tú me quisiste sobre(because you wished that I were)
todas las cosas indomable, (over all things not to be trampled upon,)
y, amor, porque tú sabes que soy no sólo un hombre (and, My Love, because you know that I am not just a/one man)
sino todos los hombres(but he who stands with/for/among all men)

Pablo Neruda

(c)T. Wignesan - Paris, April 10,2019