En un pingo pangaré,
con un freno coscojero,
buen herraje y buen apero,
en dirección al Pigüé,
va el paisano Cruz Montiel
orillando una cañada,
con camisa bien planchada,
un clavel rojo retinto,
puñal de plata en el cinto
y bota fuerte lustrada.

Va en procura de un lucero
a quien le ha tendido el ala
y lleva el clavel por gala
en la cinta del sombrero.
Él es un criollo altanero
cuando de su amor se trata
el valor se desbarata
ante el tantísimo antojo,
y el puñal de aquellos ojos
con que la china lo mata.

Por fin, Cruz Montiel divisa
en el verde de la loma
el nido de la paloma
con que sus penas suaviza.
Y como quien muy deprisa
llegar al rancho desea,
al pangaré lo espolea
como diciéndole... vuela,
si estará de centinela
y es hora de que me vea.

Después de un largo tirón,
y al final de la carrera,
se aproximó a la tranquera
donde encontró una ilusión.
'Dios te guarde corazón',
dijo meneando el corcel,
y con palabras de miel
apretándole la mano,
'aunque soy pobre paisano,
toma, guarda este clavel'.

La china se sonrió y luego,
dijo con tono campechano:
'Pa' vos... un mate en la mano,
ya tengo el agua en el fuego'.
'A esto vengo y no lo niego
porque nunca se mentir'.
'Lo que ahora sí va a sentir
que la yerba no sea buena'.
'Eso no me causa pena,
la pena es tenerme que ir'.

Después de haber conversado
Juan Cruz Montiel con su china
se fueron p'a la cocina
a tomar un mate amargo.
Un mate como de encargo
que muy bien lo saborearon
y lo que a solas se hablaron,
y luego lo que allí hiciceron
y lo que se prometieron,
eso a nadie lo contaron.

Lo cierto que Cruz Montiel
como era un criollo jinete,
montó de un salto en su flete
y despacito se fue...
Y cuando ya el pangaré
al galope se tendía,
de cuando en cuando volvía
la cara para mirar
si podía contemplar
a su china todavía.

English translation

In a pangaré pingo,
with a coscojero brake,
good ironwork and good equipment,
heading for the Pigüé,
goes the countryman Cruz Montiel
bordering a ravine,
with a well-ironed shirt,
a red carnation,
silver dagger on his belt
and a polished boot.

He goes in search of a star
to whom he has stretched out his wing
and wears the carnation as a gala
in the ribbon of his hat.
He is a haughty Creole
when it comes to his love
his courage falls apart
in the face of so much desire,
and the dagger in those eyes
with which the Chinese woman kills him.

Finally, Cruz Montiel sees
in the green of the hill
the nest of the dove
with which he soothes his sorrows.
And as one who very quickly
he wishes to reach the ranch,
the pangaré spurs him on
as if telling it... fly,
if you will be on sentry duty
and it is time for him to see me.

After a long pull,
and at the end of the run,
he approached the gate
where he found an illusion.
'God keep you heart!
he said, wagging his steed,
and with words of honey
squeezing his hand,
'though I am a poor countryman,
take, keep this carnation.

The Chinese woman smiled and then,
she said in a folksy tone:
'Pa' vos... a mate in my hand,
I already have the water on the fire'.
This is what I come for and I do not deny it
because I never know how to lie'.
'What you are going to feel now
that the yerba is not good'.
That doesn't make me feel sorry,
the pity is to have to leave'.

After talking to Juan Cruz Montiel
Juan Cruz Montiel with his Chinese
they went to the kitchen
to drink a bitter mate.
A mate as if they had ordered it
that they tasted it very well
and what they talked about alone,
and then what they did there
and what they promised each other,
they told no one about it.

What is certain is that Cruz Montiel
as he was a Creole horseman
he jumped on his freight
and slowly left...
And when the pangaré
at a gallop he stretched out,
from time to time he turned
his face to see
to see if he could still
his china still.