Thursday, January 24, 2008

Healing The Spanish Civil War


Synchronicitously (sic?) with all of my latest obsession with the Lincoln Brigade there was an article the other week in the Times about Spain's memories of their Civil War and the long, despotic reign of Franco that followed it. The slide show I put together consists of images of the article along with these songs
GALLO ROJO (LOS DOS GALLOS)
Cuando canta el gallo negro
Es que ya se acaba el dia
Si cantara el gallo rojoOtro gallo cantaria

Ay! si es que yo miento
Qu'el cantar qué yo canto
Lo borre el viento
Ay! qué desencanto
Si me borrara el viento
Lo que yo canto.

Se encontraron en la arena
Los dos gallos frente a frente
El gallo negro era grande
Pero el rojo era valiente

Se miraron a la cara
Y ataco el negro primero
El gallo rojo es valiente
Pero el negro es traicionero

Gallo negro, gallo negro
Gallo negro, te lo advierto
No se rinde un gallo rojo
Mas que cuando està ya muerto


and
AY CARMELA
(el ejercito del ebro)
El ejército del Ebro
rumba la rumba la rumba la
una noche el rio paso
Ay Carmela, Ay Carmela.

Pero nada pueden bombas
rumba la rumba la rumba la
donde sobra corazon,
Ay Carmela, Ay Carmela.

Contraataques muy rabiosos
rumba la rumba la rumba la
deberemos resistir
Ay Carmela, ay Carmela

Pero igual que combatimos,
rumba la rumba la rumba la
prometemos resistir.
Ay Carmela, Ay Carmela.

a translation:
EL PASO DEL EBRO (English Lyrics)

The army of the Ebro,
Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
The army of the Ebro,
Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
Crossed the river one night.
¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
Crossed the river one night.
¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

And to the invading troops.
Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
And to the invading troops.
Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
It gave a sound beating.
¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
It gave a sound beating.
¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

The fury of the traitors,
Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
The fury of the traitors,
Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
They discharge with their airplanes.
¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
They discharge with their airplanes.
¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

But bombs can do nothing,
Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
But bombs can do nothing,
Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
Where there’s a lot of heart.
¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
Where there’s a lot of heart.
¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

Very rabid counterattacks,
Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
Very rabid counterattacks,
Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
We will owe it to resist.
¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
We will owe it to resist.
¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

But as we have fought,
Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
But as we have fought,
Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
We promise to fight.
¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
We promise to fight.
¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

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2 comments:

Margaret said...

Los dos gallos, my Uruguayan boyfriend used to play and sing that song for me, more than 25 years ago. Both songs actually... aaaaah, memories! Gerardo, presente.

Tafadzwa Soko Mukanya said...

Took part in short film titled Gallo rojo,and there's a part where one of the character had to sing the song.I am not a Spanish speaker but I really felt its spirit,it's a beautiful piece of music..