El Abandonado is one of the most popular of all Mexican songs; it is as popular as La Paloma, and is sung wherever Mexicans live. Versions vary somewhat; and the following is given merely as a representative of that large body of Mexican love songs that are to be heard day and night whether in camp or at fiesta.
The love song is by far the most common of all Mexican folk-songs. During the trail driving days many of the cowboys who drove herds from Southern Texas to Kansas and beyond were Mexicans. I have often asked old trail drivers if the vaqueros had any such songs as the Texas cowboys had. Invariably the answer has been that the vaqueros sang little else but love songs. Mr. William B. Krempkau, of San Antonio, organizer and president of The Pioneer Freighters' Association, used to freight with Mexicans far down into Mexico. He informs me that the only songs the men sang were such love songs as Carlota.
These love songs are often gathered together by some printer and sold. Two such Texas collections, each of which contains a version of El Abandonado, are El Trovador Mexicano (La Coleccion Mas Completa de Canciones Populares), published by Libreria de Quiroga, 714 Dolorosa Street, San Antonio, Texas; and El Ruiseñor Mexicano (Coleccion de Canciones Populares), 1924, Casa Editorial Lozano, 118 North Santa Rosa Avenue, San Antonio, Texas. Incidentally, if one has never investigated these Mexican print shops and bookstores of San Antonio, he will be astonished at the number of books they handle and also at the amount of folk-lore in the most popular sellers. I am confident that the Mexican bookstores in San Antonio handle a larger number of books than do the bookstores selling books printed in English.
EL ABANDONADO
Me abandonastes, mujer, porque soy muy pobre Y la desgracia es ser hombre apasionado. Pues ¿qué he de hacer, si yo soy el abandonado? Pues, qué he de hacer, será por el amor de Dios.
Tres vicios tengo, los tres tengo adoptados: El ser borracho. jugador, y enamorado. Pues ¿qué he de hacer, si soy el abandonado? Pues, qué he de hacer, será por el amor de Dios.
Pero ando ingrato si con mi amor no quedo; Tal vez otro hombre con su amor se habrá jugado. Pues ¿qué he de hacer, si soy el abandonado? Pues, qué he de hacer, será por el amor de Dios.
You abandon me, woman, because I am very poor; the misfortune is to be a man of passionate devotion. Then, what am I to do if I am the abandoned one? Well, whatever I am to do will be done by the will of God.
Three vices I have cultivated: drunkenness, gambling, and love. Then what am I to do if I am the abandoned one? Well, whatever I am to do will be done by the will of God.
But I go unhappy if with my love I cannot remain. Perhaps another man has toyed with her love. Then what am I to do if I am the abandoned one? Well, whatever I am to do will be done by the will of God.