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Basque (Modern, Batua)
Original lyrics
Xalbadorren heriotzean
Adiskide bat bazen
orotan bihotz-bera,
poesiaren hegoek
sentimentuzko bertsoek
antzaldatzen zutena.
Plazetako kantari
bakardadez josia,
hiltzen lihoa iruten
Bere barnean irauten
oinazez ikasia...
ikasia.
Nun hago, zer larretan
Urepeleko artzaina,
Mendi hegaletan gora
oroitzapen den gerora
ihesetan joan hintzana.
Hesia urraturik
libratu huen kanta,
lotura guztietatik
gorputzaren mugetatik
aske senditu nahirik.
Azken hatsa huela
bertsorik sakonena,
inoiz esan ezin diren
estalitako egien
oihurik bortitzena...
bortitzena.
Nun hago, zer larretan
Urepeleko artzaina,
Mendi hegaletan gora
oroitzapen den gerora
ihesetan joan hintzana.
English
Translation
When Xalbador Died
There was a friend,
Who's endearing and sensitive
Transfigured by the wings of poetry
Of verses that arose
From a deep inner feeling
A singer who roamed the town square
Burdened with loneliness
Who had learned from pain to weave words
To express himself in contention
From the incorruptible truth of his being
His being...
Where are you, from which meadows?
The shepherd of Urepele,
You who have fled to the mountains,
Towards tomorrow
That lingers within memory
By breaking barriers,
You released your song
Finding ardently
For freedom, beyond the ties,
And the limits of your body
With your last breath,
In the deepest verse,
You turned it into a violent cry,
Of hidden truths,
That can never be expressed...
Never be expressed
Where are you, from which meadows?
The shepherd of Urepele,
You who fled towards the mountains,
Towards tomorrow ,
That lingers within memory.
MrMetaphysical✕
Comments
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About translator
The song is a homage to a famed Basque poet, singer and farmer named Fernando Aire Etxart, who was mostly remembered by his pen name "Xalbador". It was written and composed moments after the death of Xalbador in 1976. Today, it is remembered as one of the most famous folk songs from the Basque Country, alongside Hegoak (Txoria txori) and has been sung by a lot of music artists, including Ane Etxegoyen.