Segunda Versión

“Corrido de Ezequiel Rodríguez”

Meme (Manuel Elizondo) y Lupe (Guadalupe Cárdenas) con el Conjunto de los Hermanos Cárdenas

Comp. Concepción Perales

Rec. Discos Falcon A79, Mission, TX, 6 de julio de 1950

 

 

 


Texto en español

Texto en inglés

Para que salga el lucero

primero sale en el día,

ya murió Ezequiel Rodríguez,

lo mató Anselmo García.

 

Ezequiel en sus borracheras

tenía muy mala tomada,

--¡Respétenme, soy tu padre,

agraristas de Lozada.—

 

Cuando Ezequiel llegó al baile

llegó con una risita:

--Yo me cargo una cabeza,

aquí la traigo en mi lista.—

 

Empezaron a pelear

y ahí los desapartaron

porque Isabel Casanova

y unos amigos le hablaron.

 

Anselmo arrendó el caballo,

dice: --Que tú eres valiente

así nos vemos ahorita,

sabes que estamos pendientes.—

 

Cuando Anselmo regresó

le clava la vista al pecho,

así se matan los hombres,

hablándoles por derecho.

 

Anselmo fue el malhechor

y para el monte arrancó,

derecho a la cañadona

y en ese punto murió..

 

Como a las ocho de la noche

pasaron para Linares

con Ezequiel mal herido

sin saber sus familiares.

 

Y ese caballo alazán

se paseaba y relinchaba

de ver a Ezequiel tirado

en su sangre que lo ahogaba.

 

Ezequiel tenía un caballo

y desde que se miraba,

educado por su mano,

nomás hablar le faltaba.

 

Cuando pasaron por León

Ezequiel agua pedía,

y también él preguntaba:

--¡Dónde está Anselmo García?—

 

Adiós mi pistola escuadra,

adiós caballo alazán,

me llevaron más al llano,

ya se murió el gavilán.

In order for the star to come out

it first must come out in the day,

Ezequiel Rodríguez has already died,

Anselmo Garcia killed him.

 

Ezequiel in his drunkenness

Having been very badly taken,

--¡Respect me, I am your father,

agraristas of Lozada.--

 

When Ezequiel arrived at the dance

he arrived with a laughter:

--I will choose someone’s head,

I have it here in my list.--

 

They started to fight

and there they separated them

because Isabel Casanova

and some friends spoke to him.

 

Anselmo hitched the horse,

he says:--that you were brave

so we will see for ourselves right now,

you know that we are pending.--

 

When Anselmo returned

he put his sight on his chest,

so this is how they kill men,

talking to them directly.

 

Anselmo was the wrongdoer

and for the mount he went,

directly to the canadona

and at that point he died.

 

Around eight at night

they passed through Linares

with Ezequiel badly wounded

without his family knowing.

 

And that chestnut colored horse

passed by and neighed

from seeing Ezequiel laid

in his blood that drowned him.

 

Ezequiel had a horse

and since he looked at it,

educated by his own hand,

the only thing it lacked was for it to talk.

 

When they passed through Leon

Ezequiel asked for water,

and he also asked:

--¡Where is Anselmo Garcia?--

 

Goodbye my square pistol,

goodbye chestnut colored horse.

they took me more to the plain,

the gavilan has already died.

 

This version is a typical corrido as far as its form is concerned as well.  For example, it has 12 stanzas total unlike the 1st and 3rd version that are shorter by 4/5 stanzas.  This makes it the longest of the 3.  Also, each stanza has 4 verses in it with the rhyme in each verse being consonantal.  There are also 3 formulaic motifs present in this version.  First, there is the place (stanza 2 & 8) and the name of the protagonist (1).  Second, there is the formula that precedes the arguments (2-3, 5, & 11).  Third, there is the farewell of the protagonist (12).  In addition, verse dyads and formulas are present.  For example, it mentions a horse of a certain color (5, 9-10, 12), a pistol (5, 12), travel (8, 11), and a farewell (12).  Furthermore, there is the formula of the insult and boast present as well.  In stanza 2 there is an insult by Ezequiel directed towards the agraristas.   This is in the corrido of Jacinto Trevino as well.  He says that he is their father which implies that he had sexual relations with their mothers.  In stanza 3 there is a boast by Ezequiel that he is going to kill one of the agraristas.  Moreover, this version is propositional in my opinion on neither the part of Ezequiel or the agraristas.  For example, it says that Anselmo was the wrongdoer (1, 6-7).  But it does not present Ezequiel in a positive light (2).  It places some of the blame for his death on his own drunkenness while at the same time showing he had some redeeming qualities by showing the grief of the horse at his death (9-10).  There are a few things that makes this version interesting.  First, it has material that is not present in either of the 2 other versions.  For example, it has a character not in the other 2.  Her name is Isabel Casanova (4).  Also, stanzas 5-7 and 9-12 are new.  Second, this version had a lot more success and is better known than the 1st version.  Third, stanza 6 is very similar to one in the corrido of Arnulfo Gonzales.  Also, the phrase “sin saber sus familiars” is important because his family was very powerful.

 

Tercera versión

Contexto histórico del corrido

Bibliografía

 

Corridos Agraristas homepage

 

Profesor Nicolopulos’s homepage