#carles dènia

[nofatclips]

Live version of Ell no vol que el món s'acabi (Mov.1: La Flor) by Sílvia Pérez Cruz

[guillemelgat]

This song is so good! I haven’t been able to get it out of my head for the past few days, and so I thought I’d share it with the world. I’m not an expert on Valencian music, but from what I do know it combines traditional and modern music really well, with Carles Dènia singing in a very traditional style at the beginning (and of course the mandatory dolçaina line in the main body of the song – this is Valencia after all). The lyrics are really well-written and my translation doesn’t do them justice, but I was hoping to reflect more of their poetic value than translate literally. It’s also interesting to compare them with the words to “La nostra sort,” another song from the album which you can listen to here, since they both use the dust cloud as a metaphor for societal problems and both address inequality in the system (the dust cloud also gives the entire album it’s name).

Here are the words (the chorus is in brackets and labeled TORNADA, then I just repeated that because it’s long and comes back too much):

S'acosta segura la pols, The dust approaches steadily, ocupa els carrers i s'eleva, occupying streets and growing higher, i puja terrats i balcons climbing up to terraces and balconies i es fa més gran la polseguera. and the dust cloud gets bigger.

Tempesta covada pel temps, A storm nursed by time, en dies de calor i d'espera. on endless hot days. Poder desbocat d'un present Untamed power of a present que a les fosques encara batega. which still beat in the darkness.

TORNADA: [La polseguera va creixent, The dust cloud is growing, va creixent la polseguera. growing, the dust cloud comes. La pedra contra el mur Stone against walls, i el mur contra la carn. walls against flesh. Eixam de crits, martell de seda. A swarm of cries, a hammer of silk.

La Polseguera va creixent, The Dust Cloud is growing, va creixent la polseguera. growing, the dust cloud comes. Sagetes de foc que apunten al sol. Arrows of fire that shoot at the sun. La vida és una merda, Life is shit, no hi ha una altra manera, there’s no way out, ja ve la polseguera the dust cloud is already coming]

Tragèdia cantada pel vent, Tragedy sung by the wind, plorada per boscos de cendra. cried over by forests of ashes. Les llàgrimes pugen al cel Tears ascend to heaven i es fa més gran la polseguera. and the dust cloud gets bigger.

La guerra dels quatre elements, War between the four elements, la pluja de foc en la terra. a rain of fire upon the earth. Per l’aire s’escolta una veu, Through the air, a voice is heard, que desperta l'instint de la fera. awaking a primal instinct.

TORNADA

Vas fugint i així no podràs, You are fleeing but you can’t, i se t’oblida and you forget quin és el preu que hem de pagar. the price we have to pay.

Limitant les veus, Restricting voices, provocant el caos. causing chaos. Homes que demanen menjar, Men begging for food, dones que demanen menjar. women begging for food.

Limitant les veus, Restricting voices, provocant el caos. causing chaos. La mentida no mata la fam, Lies don’t kill hunger, l’apatia no apaga la fam. apathy can’t alleviate hunger.

TORNADA

Que s'escampe la pols, Let the dust clear, que s'escampe la pols de la terra, let the dust clear from the earth, que s'escampe la pols de la terra pels pobles. let the dust clear from the earth for all peoples.