Translation of the song Xalbadorren heriotzean artist Anne Etchegoyen
Xalbadorren heriotzean
When Xalbador Died
Adiskide bat bazen
There was a friend,
orotan bihotz-bera,
Who's endearing and sensitive
poesiaren hegoek
Transfigured by the wings of poetry
sentimentuzko bertsoek
Of verses that arose
antzaldatzen zutena.
From a deep inner feeling
Plazetako kantari
A singer who roamed the town square
bakardadez josia,
Burdened with loneliness
hiltzen lihoa iruten
Who had learned from pain to weave words
Bere barnean irauten
To express himself in contention
oinazez ikasia...
From the incorruptible truth of his being
ikasia.
His being...
Nun hago, zer larretan
Where are you, from which meadows?
Urepeleko artzaina,
The shepherd of Urepele,
Mendi hegaletan gora
You who have fled to the mountains,
oroitzapen den gerora
Towards tomorrow
ihesetan joan hintzana.
That lingers within memory
Hesia urraturik
By breaking barriers,
libratu huen kanta,
You released your song
lotura guztietatik
Finding ardently
gorputzaren mugetatik
For freedom, beyond the ties,
aske senditu nahirik.
And the limits of your body
Azken hatsa huela
With your last breath,
bertsorik sakonena,
In the deepest verse,
inoiz esan ezin diren
You turned it into a violent cry,
estalitako egien
Of hidden truths,
oihurik bortitzena...
That can never be expressed...
bortitzena.
Never be expressed
Nun hago, zer larretan
Where are you, from which meadows?
Urepeleko artzaina,
The shepherd of Urepele,
Mendi hegaletan gora
You who fled towards the mountains,
oroitzapen den gerora
Towards tomorrow ,
ihesetan joan hintzana.
That lingers within memory.