Of the same author:
IF FOR TELLING THE TRUTH...
(1963)
POESIA
(1963)
MY FATHER'S HOUSE
(1963)
SHOUTING ON ZORROTZA WHARF
(1963)
Gabriel Aresti (1933-1975) Born into a nationalist non-Basque-speaking family in Bilbao. At fourteen he began to study Basque on his own, reading the classics in the City Library and listening to popular verse improvisers. His poetry evolved from the symbolism of his youth to the social criticism of his later years. He exerted an enormous influence of the youth of the 60s and 70s. His work Harri eta Herri (Stone and Country, 1964) is the foundational book of Basque modern civil poetry. He was critical, indulged in controversy and broke the myth of the «Basque believer». He openly stated his left-wing ideas, and also contributed to the updating of song-singing and drama... His death, which coincided with the end of the Franco regime, closed a period of Basque literature.
LET'S BREAK THE CHAIN
Gabriel Aresti , 1963
Let's break the chain
Let's sing together
This is a «fandango»
Long live Berango
Like many others in the world
I'm a corn on the cob
Yesterday I got bored
With teachers and schools.
Because I am a poet,
I don't expect any heaven.
I have nine songs,
Four serious and five crazy.
The horns of the moon
And the twigs that from it hang.
I cannot forget
Your clear eyes.
Hail comes form heaven.
But where does light come from?
In this dark night
I see you clean face.
Red cockrel of March
Spreung up from nowhere,
Sent by a Jew
To alleviate hunger.
The sun, at dawn,
Has dampened rays.
The opinions of a Basque
Are sold at bargain price.
My granny said to me:
Your father is drinking.
Go to the pub
And fetch him back here.
The future of Basque
Is not at all certain.
The Jews walk the world
With much greater calm.
And if this is not the case
May they seal me in a pumpkin.
Laughable are the tales
I have told in the square.
Translation: Toni Strubell
Original version: APUR DEZAGUN KATEA
© Gabriel Aresti © Translation: Toni Strubell
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