Translation of the song Cançó De Matinada artist Joan Manuel Serrat
Cançó De Matinada
Dawn song
Ens ho ha de dir la veu tremolosa
Will tell it to us the trembling
Y trista d'un campanar.
and sad voice of a bell tower.
Un cop de llum i el crit de d'una garsa
A shot of light and the yell of a heron
Que ha despertat amb fam i busca
who woke up hungry and is looking
Per entre blats i civades
among wheat and oats
Qualsevol cosa per omplir el pap.
for anything to fill the crop
O potser un gall
Or maybe a rooster
Que dins la cort canta:
that sings in the yard:
La nit és morta i ja es fa clar.
The night is dead and it's getting light.
Mentre jo canto, de matinada,
Meanwhile I sing, in the dawn,
La vila és adormida encara.
The village is still asleep.
S'han despertat mullades les fulles
Woke up wet the leaves
Del camp d'alfals veí.
of the nearby alfalfa field.
S'espolsen l'aigua de la rosada
They shake off the dew water
Mentre que arriba la matinada
while up above the dawn
I el sol que les escalfa
and the sun that heats them
Fins que les tallin d'un cop de falç.
until a sickle cut them.
Alcen la testa
They raise the head
Mullada i fresca.
wet and fresh.
Per a caure a terra massa temps hi ha.
There's too much time to fall to the ground.
Dintre la vila ja plora un nen
Inside the village a boy cries
I pels afores corren els bens.
and lambs are running outside.
Amb el sarró i la bóta a l'esquena,
And with the leather bag and the boot in his back,
Amb un bastó a la mà,
with a cane in his hand,
Se'n va el pastor i el seu gos d'atura,
the shepherd and his guardian dog leave,
Se'n van cap unes altres pastures.
towards another pastures.
Trencant rius i cabanyes
Acrossing rivers and huts
A les muntanyes volen tornar.
they want to returnt to the mountains.
Surt amb l'aurora,
They leave with the sunrise,
Cal sortit d'hora:
they have to leave early:
El camí que han de fer és molt llarg.
The road they'll walk is very long.
Cap a la vila ja ve el pagès,
Towards the village comes the pagés, 1
La bossa buida i el carro ple
the empty bag and the cart full.
De roig tomàquet i de verdures
Of red tomatos and vegetables
Collides del seu hort.
harvested from his patch.
La mula sua i el carro crida
The mule sweats and the car screeches
I l'home tanca els ulls i somnia
and the men closes his eyes and dreams
Mentre el sol es lleva
while the sun gets up
D'un llit d'alzines, enlluernant
from a holm oak bed, dazzling
Les velletes
the old ladies
Que pansidetes,
that withered,
Cap a l'església van caminant.
they walk to the church.
I ara jo canto de matinada,
And now I sing in the dawn,
La vila és adormida encara.
The village is still asleep.