Euskal Herrian euskaraz - Oskorri
Here I am with another song. The name of the song is Euskal Herrian euskaraz - En el País Vasco en euskera - In the Basque Country in Basque
The name of the group singing it is Oskorri (that would be 'red sky' or 'twilight' in basque :P). This group has done something incredible. They've been singing popular/traditional songs in basque for more than 30 years! If it wasn't for them many songs would have been 'forgotten' and lost. Besides singing traditional songs they also released some of their own. This is one of them. It was included in an album they released in 1983 ('long' before I was even born). The name of the album was Alemanian euskaraz - En Alemania en euskera - In Germany in Basque, which was released as a summary of their tour in Germany (drbillbongo , where were you??? XDD).
Before you read the lyrics, just a bit of information/history so that you understand the meaning behind those words.
Don't know whether you know about this or not, but during Franco's dictatorship in Spain (1939-1975) it was forbidden/prohibited/was ilegal to speak basque. This is one of the reasons why not that many people speak basque nowadays. Note that I siad ONE of the reasons, not the only one nor the main.
I was lucky (and was born long after Franco) and I studied in basque, that's why I do have a good command of the language.
Anyway, Franco's dictatorship ended in 1975 and the song was released in 1983, just so that you know.
Lyrics in Basque (Euskera):
Euskal Herrian euskaraz
nahi dugu hitz eta jolas
lan eta bizi euskaraz
eta hortara goaz,
bada garaia noizbait dezagun
guda hori gal edo irabaz.
Zabal bideak eta aireak
gure hizkuntzak har dezan arnas,
bada garaia noizbait dezagun
guda hori gal edo irabaz.
Euskal Herrian euskara
hitz egiterik ez bada
bota dezagun demokrazia
zerri azkara
geure arima hiltzen uzteko
bezain odolgalduak ez gara.
Hizkuntza gabe esaidazue
nola irtengo naizen plazara,
geure arima hiltzen uzteko
bezain odolgalduak ez gara.
Euskal Herri euskalduna
irabazteko eguna
pazientzia erre aurretik behar duguna,
ez al dakizu euskara dela
euskaldun egiten gaituena?
Zer euskal herri litzake
bere hizkuntza ere galtzen duena.
Ez al dakizu euskara dela
euskaldun egiten gaituena?
Translation into Spanish:
En el Pais Vasco queremos
hablar y jugar en euskara
trabajar y vivir en euskara
y vamos a eso,
ya es hora de que alguna vez
ganemos o perdamos esta lucha.
Abrir los caminos y los aires
para que nuestra lengua respire
ya es hora de que alguna vez
ganemos o perdamos esta lucha.
Si en el Pais Vasco
no se puede hablar en euskara
tiremos la democracia a la pocilga
no somos tan tontos
como para dejar morir nuestro alma.
Sin una lengua, decidme
cómo saldremos a la calle?
no somos tan tontos
como para dejar morir nuestro alma.
Pais Vasco vasco
dia para la victoria
lo que necesitamos
antes de quemar la paciencia
¿No sabes que es el euskara
lo que nos hace vascos?
Qué pueblo vasco sería (*)
el que pierde hasta su lengua
¿No sabes que es el euskara
lo que nos hace vascos?
(*) La palabra herri significa pueblo, pais, territorio, pero también puede hacer referencia a la gente que vive en esos sitios. Al añadirle la palabra euskal (vasco) delante se entiende que se hace referencia al 'país vasco'. En este caso particular (Qué pais vasco sería el que pierde hasta su lengua), tiene un significado más genérico y hace referencia al 'pueblo vasco', de ahí que esté en minúscula ;)
Translation into English:
In the Basque Country
in basque we want to talk and play,
work and live
and we're getting there,
it's time for once
to win or lose this fight.
Open roads and the air
let our language breathe
it's time for once
to win or lose this fight.
If basque can't be spoken
in the Basque Country
let's throw democracy
to a pigsty.
We are not so dumb
as to let our soul die.
Without a language, do tell me
how are we supposed to go out to the street?
we are not so dumb
as to let our soul die.
Basque Basque Country,
a day for a victory
that's what we need
before burning the patience
Don't you know it's basque
what makes us Basques?
What kind of basque country would be (*)
one which even loses its language
Don't you know it's basque
what makes us Basques?
(*) The word Herri means village, country, territory, but also the people living there. Adding the word Euskal (basque) in front of it everyone can guess that we refer to the 'basque country'. In this case in particular (What kind of basque country would be one which even loses its language), it has a more generic meaning. We'd be talking about 'the Basque people', that's why I wrote it in lowercase ;)
The name of the group singing it is Oskorri (that would be 'red sky' or 'twilight' in basque :P). This group has done something incredible. They've been singing popular/traditional songs in basque for more than 30 years! If it wasn't for them many songs would have been 'forgotten' and lost. Besides singing traditional songs they also released some of their own. This is one of them. It was included in an album they released in 1983 ('long' before I was even born). The name of the album was Alemanian euskaraz - En Alemania en euskera - In Germany in Basque, which was released as a summary of their tour in Germany (drbillbongo , where were you??? XDD).
Before you read the lyrics, just a bit of information/history so that you understand the meaning behind those words.
Don't know whether you know about this or not, but during Franco's dictatorship in Spain (1939-1975) it was forbidden/prohibited/was ilegal to speak basque. This is one of the reasons why not that many people speak basque nowadays. Note that I siad ONE of the reasons, not the only one nor the main.
I was lucky (and was born long after Franco) and I studied in basque, that's why I do have a good command of the language.
Anyway, Franco's dictatorship ended in 1975 and the song was released in 1983, just so that you know.
Click to viewLyrics in Basque (Euskera):
Euskal Herrian euskaraz
nahi dugu hitz eta jolas
lan eta bizi euskaraz
eta hortara goaz,
bada garaia noizbait dezagun
guda hori gal edo irabaz.
Zabal bideak eta aireak
gure hizkuntzak har dezan arnas,
bada garaia noizbait dezagun
guda hori gal edo irabaz.
Euskal Herrian euskara
hitz egiterik ez bada
bota dezagun demokrazia
zerri azkara
geure arima hiltzen uzteko
bezain odolgalduak ez gara.
Hizkuntza gabe esaidazue
nola irtengo naizen plazara,
geure arima hiltzen uzteko
bezain odolgalduak ez gara.
Euskal Herri euskalduna
irabazteko eguna
pazientzia erre aurretik behar duguna,
ez al dakizu euskara dela
euskaldun egiten gaituena?
Zer euskal herri litzake
bere hizkuntza ere galtzen duena.
Ez al dakizu euskara dela
euskaldun egiten gaituena?
Translation into Spanish:
En el Pais Vasco queremos
hablar y jugar en euskara
trabajar y vivir en euskara
y vamos a eso,
ya es hora de que alguna vez
ganemos o perdamos esta lucha.
Abrir los caminos y los aires
para que nuestra lengua respire
ya es hora de que alguna vez
ganemos o perdamos esta lucha.
Si en el Pais Vasco
no se puede hablar en euskara
tiremos la democracia a la pocilga
no somos tan tontos
como para dejar morir nuestro alma.
Sin una lengua, decidme
cómo saldremos a la calle?
no somos tan tontos
como para dejar morir nuestro alma.
Pais Vasco vasco
dia para la victoria
lo que necesitamos
antes de quemar la paciencia
¿No sabes que es el euskara
lo que nos hace vascos?
Qué pueblo vasco sería (*)
el que pierde hasta su lengua
¿No sabes que es el euskara
lo que nos hace vascos?
(*) La palabra herri significa pueblo, pais, territorio, pero también puede hacer referencia a la gente que vive en esos sitios. Al añadirle la palabra euskal (vasco) delante se entiende que se hace referencia al 'país vasco'. En este caso particular (Qué pais vasco sería el que pierde hasta su lengua), tiene un significado más genérico y hace referencia al 'pueblo vasco', de ahí que esté en minúscula ;)
Translation into English:
In the Basque Country
in basque we want to talk and play,
work and live
and we're getting there,
it's time for once
to win or lose this fight.
Open roads and the air
let our language breathe
it's time for once
to win or lose this fight.
If basque can't be spoken
in the Basque Country
let's throw democracy
to a pigsty.
We are not so dumb
as to let our soul die.
Without a language, do tell me
how are we supposed to go out to the street?
we are not so dumb
as to let our soul die.
Basque Basque Country,
a day for a victory
that's what we need
before burning the patience
Don't you know it's basque
what makes us Basques?
What kind of basque country would be (*)
one which even loses its language
Don't you know it's basque
what makes us Basques?
(*) The word Herri means village, country, territory, but also the people living there. Adding the word Euskal (basque) in front of it everyone can guess that we refer to the 'basque country'. In this case in particular (What kind of basque country would be one which even loses its language), it has a more generic meaning. We'd be talking about 'the Basque people', that's why I wrote it in lowercase ;)