Lyrics: I will leave slowly at dawn As the sun will come looking for me early I will leave naked, as I arrived What you gave me fits in my hand While you sleep, I will unravel In yours and mine what was ours And by scratching the wall with my nails I will leave my last verse written And on the back Of the hot wind, my little boat With white sail will comb the sea What loneliness will come to find you? When I'm gone When I'm gone Moon after moon, calling me You will descend where the blue breaks The wind will embrace you standing Digging into the belly of the horizon A smile will vanish Brushing against the edge of the eaves Your bitter mouth will ask For whom do the stars shine today? And the waves Will sow seashells Sand and seaweed between your feet They will kiss them and then leave Towards another beach When I'm gone I will leave whistling that song That was sung to me when I was a child A sailor full of rum In case I felt cold in the summer I will leave slowly and I know that maybe It will evoke sadness folding the lighthouse Then the village will stay behind Then the day will be clearer And on that day Sweet melancholy You will have to huddle by the fireplace Without a splinter to burn When I'm gone When I'm gone Translation: The song "Cuando Me Vaya" by Joan Manuel Serrat is about a person's departure from a loved one. The lyrics depict the speaker's intentions to leave slowly at dawn, stripped of all possessions, and with a sense of finality. They reflect on the past and how what they once had together now fits in their hand. The speaker plans to unravel their shared memories while the other person sleeps and leave behind a message on the wall. The song mentions the image of a boat with a white sail combing the sea at the mercy of the wind, symbolizing the speaker's departure and the unknown future ahead. It questions what loneliness will come to find the person left behind. As the moon calls the speaker, it describes how the wind will embrace them and the person remaining will search for answers in the vastness of the horizon. The lyrics suggest that the person left behind will experience a sense of loss and emptiness, wondering for whom the stars shine now. The waves, symbolizing the passage of time, will sow seashells, sand, and seaweed on the beach, representing the fleeting nature of relationships. The speaker plans to leave while humming a song from their childhood, reminiscing about simpler times. They acknowledge that their departure may invoke sadness and nostalgia in the person they are leaving behind. The song ends by alluding to the village and the day becoming brighter once the speaker is gone. It speaks of the sweet melancholy that the person left behind will experience, reflecting on their shared memories and warmth by the fireplace, yet unable to move forward without them. The lyrics convey a bittersweet farewell, acknowledging the pain of leaving while acknowledging the inevitable change that comes with it.
