The décima is a poetic form that has been used for many years as a tool of protest by Afro-Ecuadorians, who keep this cultural traditional alive while denouncing the trampling of their rights by greedy and powerful interests like the shrimp farming industry and others that are destroying the mangroves.
Linver Nazareno dedicates this décima to the women who live in the mangroves, as a tribute to the hard work they endure every day.
Mangrove Woman
by Linver Nazareno
| Mangrove firewood is your coal The seashell will wait for you An oar is your rudder Your dear friend, the mangroveAn open fire is your kitchen Your children, your entertainment The forest, your medicine The shade, your protection A good fish, your food Chillangua [1], your seasoning The mangrove, barrier of life Protecting it is your reason To obtain your food Mangrove firewood, your coalSkin weathered by hope And by rising so early Your mind gives you your strength You will walk through the mud Tobacco is your passion Smoke to chase away the flies The wind is your song Tapao [2] is your feast To nourish you The seashell will wait for youYou heat up the lemon grass Before breakfast Your way of life is so simple You work so hard The sun is your faithful timekeeper The waves, your heart The moon is your calendar Your gas, a sack of coal To reach the estuary An oar is your rudderSmoke from burning coconut fibre To chase the flies away You have drained the milk from the coconut The tonga [3] must be prepared My little mangrove tree You have given me so much food I have waged a thousand battles When I go out to work Life has gifted me with My dear friend the mangrove |
(original version in Spanish)Leña e mangle es tu carbón La concha te va a esperar Canalete [1] es tu timón Tu gran amigo el manglarEl fogón es tu cocina Tus hijos tu diversión Los montes tu medicina La sombra tu protección Un buen pescao tu comida La chillangua [2] tu sazón Mangle barrera de vida Protegerlo es tu razón Para apurar la comida Leña e mangle tu carbónPiel curtida de esperanza Y de tanto madrugar Tu mente te da la fuerza En el lodo vas andar El tabaco es tu pasión Humo pa`l mosco espantar El viento es tu gran canción El tapao [3] es tu manjar Pa darte alimentación La concha te va a esperar Calientas el limoncillo Estopa botando humo
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(1) An aromatic herb, similar to cilantro
(2) A traditional dish from the province of Esmeraldas, made with fish, green plantain and chillangua.
(3) A snack or meal that people take with them when they work far from home, typical of the province of Manabí: rice and fish or meat wrapped in the leaves of a plant known as bijao. Women usually prepare it in the morning and then eat it later, in the middle of the work day.