[Lyric] Elegy for Paola Esperanza Negrón or ¡Ay Madrina ¡Mi madrina (Ibi Aanu Zoboi)

¡Ay Madrina! ¡Mi madrina!
The very last drumbeat has left its mark.
Its pulsing rhythm leaves no sound,
like blown-out candles in the dark.
The singing voices muted,
the quiet prayers unheard,
the orishas have retreated,
your shining light now blurred.
¡Pero mi corazón! ¡Mi corazón!
The only music left
against the melody of my own song,
to my sweet Ochún, of love, bereft.

¡Ay Madrina! ¡Mi madrina!
Who will clear these lovers' paths
to walk these noisy streets
where toppled buildings unearth our wrath?
Newcomers fill thеse spaces
with shiny jewеls and polished stone.
We blacks and browns have surrendered,
while our memory stands alone.
¡Ahora, Madrina! ¡Querida abuela!
This is the greatest theft.
Los antepasados have stolen you
from my sweet Ochún, of love, bereft.