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Gernika 37-87
Kortatu Lyrics
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Hogeita hamazazpigarren urtea,
Oroitzapen batzu ez ezik
Beste urte bat, ez besterrik.
"Hil ezinak dira hitzak
Izan arren zaurituak"
Bere jaioterritik urrun
Gogora ezak alberti moskun.
Haritz zaharrak zutik dirau,
Nahiz eta usteltzen egon
Gaur, paktu faltsuen ikusle.
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, gure buruan!
Urte latza hura
Txina-japoniarrak elkar joka
Ingelesek palestinan sortu zuten
Buka ezinezko guda,
Gaur dakusat egunkarian
Heriotz bonbak palestinarren gain.
Gaur dakusat egunkarian
Heriotz bonbak palestinarren gain.
Mila ta bederatzirehun
Hogeita hamazazpigarren urtea,
Oroitzapen batzu ez ezik
Beste urte bat, ez besterrik.
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, gure buruan!
"Detroiteko bonba beltza"
Ez zen u.s.a.-ko hegazkin bat
Boxeo munduko garailea baizik.
Galde ezaiok joe louis-i:
Bonba batzuk dezaketen
Sowetoko garraisia isilarazi.
Bonba batzuk dezaketen
Sowetoko garraisia isilarazi.
Mila ta bederatzirehun
Hogeita hamazazpigarren urtea,
Oroitzapen batzu ez ezik
Beste urte bat, ez besterrik.
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, gure buruan!
Hogeita hamazazpi beste urte bat
Larogeita zazpiaren antza, besterrik ez.
Galduko dutela badakite
Ikusi nahi ez izan arren.
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, gure buruan!
The lyrics of Kortatu's "Gernika 37-87" are a call to remember the bombing of Gernika, a town in the Basque Country of Spain, that took place on April 26, 1937. The song starts with lines in Basque and references the year 1937 and then 1987. The lines "Mila ta bederatzirehun, Hogeita hamazazpigarren urtea" translate to "One thousand three hundred and eighty-seven, the seventy-fourth year." The song goes on to call for not only the remembrance of the past but also the recognition of the present. The repeated chorus, "Gernika, gure buruan!" emphasizes the importance of Gernika as a symbol of Basque identity and the need for the Basque people to hold onto their strength and heritage.
The lyrics also reference other instances of bombing and violence, such as the bombings in Palestine and the use of the "black bomb of Detroit" (a popular term for the atomic bomb). These references serve to connect the tragedy of Gernika to other acts of violence and to remind listeners that these acts must not be forgotten or repeated.
Overall, the song is a powerful tribute to the strength and resilience of the Basque people and a call to action to honor and remember their history.
Line by Line Meaning
Mila ta bederatzirehun
One thousand, four hundred and eighty-seven
Hogeita hamazazpigarren urtea,
The year nineteen eighty-seven
Oroitzapen batzu ez ezik
Not just memories
Beste urte bat, ez besterrik.
But not just another year either.
"Hil ezinak dira hitzak
"Words cannot kill,
Izan arren zaurituak"
Although they can hurt."
Bere jaioterritik urrun
From its birthplace far away,
Gogora ezak alberti moskun.
Memories lost and buried in the past.
Gernika errea, bonbaketatua
Gernika, bombed,
Haritz zaharrak zutik dirau,
Carrying on despite the ancient oaks,
Nahiz eta usteltzen egon
Even though it may appear deserted
Gaur, paktu faltsuen ikusle.
Today, witness to false agreements.
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, in our hearts!
Urte latza hura
That tough year
Txina-japoniarrak elkar joka
When China and Japan played against each other
Ingelesek palestinan sortu zuten
The English created Palestine
Buka ezinezko guda,
A seemingly endless war,
Gaur dakusat egunkarian
Today I saw in the newspaper,
Heriotz bonbak palestinarren gain.
Death by Palestinian bombings.
"Detroiteko bonba beltza"
"The black bomb of Detroit"
Ez zen u.s.a.-ko hegazkin bat
Not a US plane
Boxeo munduko garailea baizik.
Only the world champion boxer.
Galde ezaiok joe louis-i:
You shouldn't ask Joe Louis:
Bonba batzuk dezaketen
Whether some bombs might silence
Sowetoko garraisia isilarazi.
The Russian threat.
Hogeita hamazazpi beste urte bat
Another year, nineteen seventy-seven
Larogeita zazpiaren antza, besterrik ez.
Looks like seventy-eight, not much else to say.
Galduko dutela badakite
They know they'll lose
Ikusi nahi ez izan arren.
Even if they don't want to see it.
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, in our hearts!
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, in our hearts!
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, in our hearts!
Gernika, gure buruan!
Gernika, in our hearts!
Contributed by London V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.