Would have put this in the earlier "Venga Jaleo" thread but it appears closed. Referring to the song as found in the database:
   I'm guessing "Venga Jaleo" as sung during the Spanish Civil War was based on an older song. Anyone know (of) it?
(Same goes for Rumbala, Rumbala, Rumbala refrain to "Vice La Quince Brigada" too, by the way.)
   Also: my Spanish is equal to the the verses, but the refrain is way cryptic. The literal meanings only get you so far. After that it's deep into implied, or colloquial stuff.

Venga jaleo, jaleo
Sueno de 'na metralladora y
Franco se va paseo...

Here's as far as I've gotten:

Vengeance, attack,   or merely    Come on, into the fray, let's rush 'em
Dream of a heavy machine gun / Wish we had a heavy machine gun
(to shoot at Franco?)   /   or is the machine gun a nightmare ?
Franco is taking a walk, literally?
Franco is out there walking and thus is a target?
Franco is on his way out? /   on the brink of defeat or death?

Has anybody ever attempted a serious English translation of this?

Bob

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The other thread had a broken link, which may have frozen the thread for some browsers. I fixed it, and crosslinked it to this thread and to the Digital Tradition entry. But then I closed the thread just now because there was nothing substantial in it.
-Joe Offer-