#so i have had dinner with pau alabajos

[guillemelgat]

This is originally a song by the legendary Ovidi Montllor (with words by the equally legendary Vicent Andrés Estellés). However, I chose to put Pau Alabajos’s version here because it’s thanks to him that I found out about this song, which he performed when he came to my university. The words are a beautiful ode to a destroyed homeland with a bright future; my translation is a little less literal in the hopes of conveying their eloquence.

M’aclame a tu, mare de terra sola, I extol you, mother of a lonely land arrape els teus genolls amb ungles brutes. I cling to your knees with dirty nails Invoque un nom o secreta consigna, I call upon a name or a secret sign mare de pols, segrestada esperan��a. Mother of dust, stolen hope

Mentre el gran foc o la ferocitat While a great fire or brutality segueix camins, segueix foscos camins, Follows roads, follows dark roads, m’agafe a tu, os que més estimava I hold myself to you, bone most beloved i cante el jorn del matí il·limitat. And sing of a day with a limitless morning

El clar camí, el pregon idioma, The bright road, the deepest language, un alfabet fosforescent de pedres, A phosphorescent alphabet of stones un alfabet sempre amb la clau al pany, An alphabet with the key always in the lock el net destí, la sendera de llum, The clean destiny, the path of light, sempre, a la nit, il·luminant, enterc, Always, in the night, illuminating, determined, un bell futur, una augusta contrada! A beautiful future, exalted lands!

Seràs el rent que fa pujar el pa, You will be the yeast that makes the bread rise seràs el solc i seràs la collita, You will be the furrow and you will be the harvest seràs la fe i la medalla oculta, You will be the faith and the hidden medallion seràs l’amor i la ferocitat. You will be love and brutality

Seràs la clau que obre tots els panys, You will be the key that opens all the locks seràs la llum, la llum il·limitada, You will be the light, the limitless light seràs confí on l’aurora comença, You will be the border where dawn begins seràs forment, escala il·luminada! You will be wheat, a brilliant stairway!

Seràs l’ocell i seràs la bandera, You will be a bird and you will be a flag l’himne fecund del retorn de la pàtria, The fertile hymn of homecoming tros esquinçat de l’emblema que puja. A torn piece of the rising emblem

Jo pujaré piament els graons I will piously climb the steps i en arribar al terme entonaré And arriving at the top, I will begin to sing el prec dels bens que em retornaves sempre. A praise to the riches you always returned to me