Els Segadors

Subject: RE: Els Segadors
From: Monique
Date: 22 Sep 17 - 08:44 AM

From Wiki, the modern set of lyrics and an English translation. The song has been the Catalan national anthem since 1993.

Els Segadors (Catalan)

Catalunya triomfant,
tornarà a ser rica i plena.
Endarrera aquesta gent
tan ufana i tan superba.

Tornada:
Bon cop de falç!
Bon cop de falç, defensors de la terra!
Bon cop de falç!

Ara és hora, segadors.
Ara és hora d'estar alerta.
Per quan vingui un altre juny,
esmolem ben bé les eines.

Tornada

Que tremoli l'enemic,
en veient la nostra ensenya.
Com fem caure espigues d'or,
quan convé seguem cadenes.

Tornada

(English translation)

The Reapers

Catalonia triumphant
shall again be rich and bountiful.
Drive away these people,
Who are so conceited and so arrogant.

Chorus:
Strike with your sickle!
Strike with your sickle, defenders of the land!
Strike with your sickle!

Now is the time, reapers.
Now is the time to stand alert.
For when another June comes,
Let us sharpen our tools well.

Chorus

May the enemy tremble,
upon seeing our symbol.
Just as we cut golden ears of wheat,
when the time calls we cut off chains.

Chorus

The song is based on a much older one.

Ai, ditxosa Catalunya qui t'ha vist rica i plena.
Ara el rei nostre senyor declarada ens té la guerra.
Lo gran comte d'Olivar sempre li burxa l'aurella:
"Ara és hora, nostre rei ara és hora que fem guerra".
Contra de los catalans ja ho veieu quina n'han feta:
seguiren viles i llocs fins al lloc de Riudarenes,
n'han cremada una església que Santa Coloma es deia,
cremen albes i casulles los calzes i les patenes.
I el Santíssim Sagrament alabat sigui per sempre.
Mataren un sacerdot mentres que la missa deia.
Mataren un cavaller a la porta de la iglésia,
Don Lluís de Furrià i els àngels i fan gran festa.
El pa que no era blanc deien que era massa negre,
lo davan an als cavalls sols per assolar la terra.
Lo vi que no era bo engegaven les aixetes,
lo tiraven pels carrers sols per a assolar la terra.
A presència dels seus pares deshoraven les donzelles.
En daven part al virrei del mal que aquells soldats feien:
"Llicència els he donat io molta més se'n poden prendre".
A vista de tot això s'és esvalotat la terra.
Entraren a Barcelona mil persones forasteres,
entren com a segadors com eren a temps de sega.
De tres guàrdies que n'hi ha ja n'han morta la primera.
En mataren el virrei a l'entrant de la galera.
Mataren als diputats i als jutges de l'Audiència.
Anaren a la presó donen llibertat als presos.
Lo bisbe els va beneir amb la mà dreta i esquerra:
"On és vostre capellà? A on és la vostra bandera?"
Varen treure el bon Jesús tot cobert amb un vel negre:
"Aquí és nostre capità aquí és nostra bandera.
A les armes catalans que us han declarat la guerra".

English translation (the translation is mine so don't expect a masterpiece of literature!)

Alas, happy Catalonia, who has seen you rich and bountiful!
Now, our lord the king declared war on us.
The great Count of Olivares spurs on his ear:
"Now is the time, our king, now is the time to make war".
Against the Catalan, see what they've done:
they followed towns and places up to the place of Riudarenes
Where they burnt a church that was called Saint Coloma,
They burn albs and chasubles, the chalices and the patens.
And the Blessed Sacrament, be it forever praised.
They killed a priest while he was saying mass.
They killed a gentleman at the church door,
Don Luis de Furrià, and the angels welcome him with a great celebration.
The bread that wasn't white, they said it was too black
They would give it to the horses only to devastate the land.
The wine that wasn't good [= "well bred wine"], they would open the taps,
They would throw it in the streets, only to devastate the land.
In their parents' presence, they would dishonor the maidens.
They informed the viceroy about the harm those soldiers did:
"I gave them license, they can take much more."
Seeing that, the land stirs up.
A thousand of foreigners* entered Barcelona,
they enter as reapers as it was harvest time.
Of the three guards there were, they killed the first one.
They killed the viceroy at the entry of the galley.
They killed the deputies** and the judges of the Court.
They went to the prison, they freed the prisoners.
The bishop blessed them with his right and left hand(s):
"Where is your chaplain? Where is your flag?"
They took the good Jesus out, covered with a black veil:
"Here is our chaplain, here is our flag.
To the arms, Catalans, as they have declared war on you."

*foreigners = from other places, not from the city itself.
** members of local councils

About the Catalan Revolt in the 17th century.

Subject: RE: Els Segadors
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 21 Sep 17 - 08:57 PM

3 versions of the song are included in the BEAR FAMILY 7-CD
box set SPAIN IN MY HEART.

Spain in my Heart

Thomas.

Subject: Els Segadors
From: Jack Campin
Date: 21 Sep 17 - 05:23 PM

Heard this for the first time today, at a Catalan picket of the Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh.

http://www.barcelonas.com/els-segadors.html

Darn fine tune, my assignment for this week.