Paciencia Y Fe

Calor, calor, calor Calor, calor, calor Ay Mamá The summer's hottest day Paciencia y fe Paciencia y fe It was hotter at home in La Víbora The Washington Heights of Havana A crowded city of faces the same as mine Back as a child in La Víbora I chased the birds in the plaza Praying, mamá, you would find work Combing the stars in the sky for some sort of sign Ay, mamá, so many stars in Cuba En Nueva York we can't see beyond our streetlights To reach the roof you gotta bribe the supa Ain't no Cassiopeia in Washington Heights But ain't no food in La Víbora I remember nights Anger in the streets Hunger at the windows Women folding clothes Playing with my friends in the summer rain Mamá needs a job Mamá says we're poor One day you say, "Vamos a Nueva York" And Nueva York was far But Nueva York had work and so we came And now, I'm wide awake A million years too late I talk to you, imagining what you'd do Remembering what we went through ¡Nueva York! ¡Ay Mamá! It wasn't like today, you'd say "Paciencia y fe" ("Paciencia y fe") "Paciencia y fe" ("Paciencia y") Fresh off the boat in America Freezing in early December A crowded city in 1943! Learning the ropes in America En español, I remember Dancing with Mayor La Guardia All of society welcoming mami and me! Ha! You better clean this mess! Paciencia y fe You better learn inglés! Paciencia y fe You better not be late You better pull your weight Are you better off than you were With the birds of La Víbora? Sharing double beds Trying to catch a break Struggling with English Listening to friends Finally got a job working as a maid So we cleaned some homes Polishing with pride Scrubbing the whole of the Upper East Side The days into weeks The weeks into years And here I stayed (Paciencia y fe) (Paciencia y fe) (Paciencia y fe) And as I feed these birds My hands begin to shake And as I say these words My heart's about to break (and ay mamá) And ay mamá What do you do when Your dreams come true? (And ay mamá) I've spent my life Inheriting dreams from you I made it through I survived, I did it Now do I leave or stay? Alright, mamá Okay Paciencia y fe ¡Calor, calor, calor!