Translation of the song El 20 de Març artist Joan Manuel Serrat
El 20 de Març
20th March
M'hauria agradat estar despert
I would have liked to be awake,
aquell matí que amb un vestit verd
That morning when dressed in green clothes,
entre uns bladars
In the middle of wheat fields,
ell va arribar.
It arrived.
Venia xiulant, com un infant.
It came whistling, like a child.
Tenia plenes d'ocells les mans
It had plenty of birds in its hands
i cel amunt
Which, up there,
els anava escampant.
Were flying away.
El voltaven les abelles.
Bees were all around.
Duia un barret de roselles
He wore a beret with poppies
i a la bandolera
And across the shoulder
em duia la primavera
The 20th of March
el vint de Març.
Brought me Spring.
M'hauria agradat estar despert
I would have liked to be awake
o haver deixat els balcons oberts
Or have let the balconies open
i en el meu son
And in my sleep
intuir com...,
Feel how...
teules i branques s'omplen de nius
The tiles and the branches were filled with nests
i el roc eixut torna a mullar-se al riu
The dry rock got soaked again in the river
i el crit agut d'una perdiu.
And a partridge cried out.
I del conill la mirada
And the glance of a rabbit
i olorar la matinada
And in the morning, feeling
que a la bandolera
That across the shoulder
ens va dur la primavera
The 20th of March
el vint de Març.
Brought me Spring.
M'hauria agradat estar despert.
I would have liked to be awake,
Jeure damunt d'un roc com un lluert
Laying on a rock like a lizard,
de panxa al sol
The belly in the sunshine
i amb un flabiol,
And with a flute,
i haver sortit a rebre'l com cal
Welcoming it properly,
i guarnir amb flors de paper els portals
Having decorated the doors with paper flowers.
com si fos temps
As if it was
de carnaval.
Carnaval time.
Però aquell matí jo dormia
But that morning I was sleeping
tranquil, perquè no sabia
Quietly, because I didn't know
que a la bandolera
That across the shoulder
em duia la primavera
The 20th of March
el vint de Març.
Brought me Spring.