Song of the Seed and the Plant (Canción de la semilla y la planta)

Music piece by:
Sergio Vesely
Testimony by:
Sergio Vesely
Experience in:
Campamento de Prisioneros Melinka, Puchuncaví, 1975

The history of the seed and the plant, of which this song forms part, was performed as a play to entertain our audience of children during a family visit to the prison. Imagination had no limits when it came to kindling a small flame of hope in our hearts.

With the scarce resources available to us, we made costumes and dressed up as a jester, a gardener, a sun, and clowns, and thus attired we came out to meet our loved ones that day, much to the surprise of the soldiers, who watched us from a distance not understanding what was going on.

This children’s song was one of three in this genre I composed during my imprisonment. 


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Published on: 23 September 2015

I was walking in the woods one day,
looking for a little seed.
A little bird told me
“dig, dig, and you will find it”.

In the little hole that I made
I found the little seed
seated and drinking water
and its belly was nice and fat.

It grew, it grew and it got as far as the moon,
the seed became a plant.
Its legs grew, its arms too.
It became lovely with flowers that opened.
I gave it my affection, it gave me her love.

It grew, it grew and got as far as the moon,
looking for other worlds it found the sun.
Then I was waiting for it pleased and happy.
Fed by love and tenderness.
I gave it my affection, it gave me her love.

Related testimonies:

  • The Black King (El rey negro)  Sergio Vesely, Campamento de Prisioneros Melinka, Puchuncaví, 1975

    One cold winter night of 1975, the small clinic of Melinka, in the Puchuncaví Detention Camp, became the setting for a touching story.

  • National Anthem of Chile  Boris Chornik Aberbuch, Campamento de Prisioneros Melinka, Puchuncaví, March 1975

    The Puchuncaví detention camp’s daily routine included mandatory participation in the ceremonies of raising and taking down the Chilean flag on the flagpole at the entrance to the camp.

  • Dreams of my Imprisonment (Sueños de mi encierro)  Mario Patricio Cordero Cedraschi, Cárcel de Valparaíso, Winter of 1975

    I’d spent two years in prison and there was no end in sight for my time in jail. I observed during visiting hours that many prisoners had children, a wife, family.

  • Ode to Joy (Himno a la alegría)  Luis Madariaga, Cárcel de Valparaíso, 1974 - 1976

    In prison, we would sing the 'Ode to Joy' when a comrade was released or sent to exile.

  • To Sing by Improvising (Pa’ cantar de un improviso)  Claudio Enrique Durán Pardo (Kila Chico), Campamento de Prisioneros Melinka, Puchuncaví, June 1975

    We made a Venezuelan cuatro from a large plank of wood attached to one of the walls of the "ranch" where we ate.

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