VIVA LA 5ª BRIGADA (15ª)

El legendario cantautor irlandés Christy Moore, muy comprometido socialmente, escribió en 1983 esta canción en homenaje a los irlandeses que acudieron a luchar contra el fascismo en la Guerra Civil Española.

‘Viva la Quince Brigada!’ cuenta la historia de la XV Brigada Internacional y se entiende que el título dado originalmente a la canción (‘Viva la Quinta Brigada!’) responde a un lapsus de Moore al confundir Décimoquinta o Quince (XV) con Quinta (V). Suponemos que el castellano, con tanto polisílabo, es una lengua más complicada para escribir canciones que el inglés.

Disfrutad escuchando esta sentida canción en homenaje a aquella generosa generación que lo dio todo por la libertad en cualquier lugar del mundo.

Ten years before I saw the light of morning
A comradeship of heroes was laid.
From every corner of the world came sailing
The Fifteenth International Brigade.
They came to stand beside the Spanish people.
To try and stem the rising Fascist tide
Franco’s allies were the powerful and wealthy,
Frank Ryan’s men came from the other side.
Even the olives were bleeding (1)
As the battle for Madrid it thundered on.
Truth and love against the force af evil,
Brotherhood against the Fascist clan.

(Chorus)
Vive La Quinta Brigada!
“No Pasaran” the pledge that made them fight.
“Adelante” was the cry around the hillside.
Let us all remember them tonight.

Bob Hillard was a Church of Ireland pastor;
From Killarney across the Pyrenees ho came.
From Derry came a brave young Christian Brother.
Side by side they fought and died in Spain.
Tommy Woods, aged seventeen, died in Cordoba.
With Na Fianna he learned to hold his gun.
From Dublin to the Villa del Rio
Where he fought and died beneath the Spanish sun.

(Chorus)

Many Irishmen heard the call of Franco.
Joined Hitler and Mussolini too.
Propaganda from the pulpit and newspapers
Helped O’Duffy to enlist his crew.
The word came from Maynooth: ‘Support the Fascists.’
The men of cloth failed yet again
When the bishops blessed the blueshirts in Dun Laoghaire (2)
As they sailed beneath the swastika to Spain.

(Chorus)

This song is a tribute to Frank Ryan.
Kit Conway and Dinny Coady too.
Peter Daly, Charlie Regan and Hugh Bonar.
Though many died I can but name a few.
Danny Doyle, Blaser-Brown and Charlie Donnelly.
Liam Tumilson and Jim Straney from the Falls.
Jack Nally, Tommy Patton and Frank Conroy,
Jim Foley, Tony Fox and Dick O’Neill

(1) Mención a la última frase del poeta Charlie Donnelly antes de morir en la batalla del Jarama.

(2) Christy Moore ahora canta ‘Galway’ y no ‘Dun Laoghaire’. Reconoce que estaba mal informado cuando escribió la canción.

[Traducción al castellano]

Diez años antes de que viera la luz de la mañana
llegó una camaradería de héroes.
De cada esquina del mundo llegó navegando
la décimoquinta brigada internacional.
Vinieron para respaldar al pueblo español.
Para intentar detener la creciente marea fascista.
Los aliados de Franco eran poderosos y ricos,
los hombres de Frank Ryan vinieron del otro lado.
Hasta los olivos estaban sangrando (1)
cuando la batalla de Madrid tronó.
La verdad y el amor contra las fuerzas del mal,
la fraternidad contra el clan fascista.
¡Viva la Quinta Brigada!
“No pasarán” el compromiso que les hizo luchar.
“Adelante” era el grito alrededor de la ladera.
Recordémosles a todos esta noche.
Bob Hillard era pastor de la Iglesia de Irlanda (2);
desde Killarney vino a través de los Pirineos.
De Derry vino un joven y valiente Hermano Cristiano (3).
Lucharon y murieron juntos en España.
Tommy Woods, de diecisiete años, murió en Córdoba.
Con Na Fianna él aprendió a sostener su arma.
Desde Dublín a Villa del Río
donde luchó y murió bajo el sol de España.
Muchos irlandeses oyeron la llamada de Franco,
junto a Hitler y Mussolini también.
La propaganda del púlpito y de los periódicos
ayudó a O’Duffy a alistar a su banda.
La palabra vino de Maynooth: ‘apoye a fascistas’.
Los hombres del paño fallaron otra vez
cuando los obispos bendijeron a los ‘camisas azules’ en Dun Laoghaire (4)
mientras navegaban bajo la esvástica hacia España.
Esta canción es un tributo para Frank Ryan.
Kit Conway y Dinny Coady también.
Peter Daly, Charlie Regan y Hugh Bonar.
Aunque murieron muchos, sólo puedo nombrar a algunos.
Danny Doyle, Blaser-Brown y Charlie Donnelly.
Liam Tumilson y Jim Straney de Falls.
Jack Nally, Tommy Patton y Frank Conroy,
Jim Foley, Tony Fox y Dick O’Neill.

(1) Mención a la última frase del poeta Charlie Donnelly antes de morir en la batalla del Jarama.
(2) Anglicano.
(3) Católico.
(4) Christy Moore ahora canta ‘Galway’ y no ‘Dun Laoghaire’. Reconoce que estaba mal informado cuando escribió la canción

Viva la Quinta Brigada

The Dubliners

Composición: Christy Moore

Around the time I saw the light of morning
A comradeship of heroes was laid
From every corner of the world came sailing
The Fifty International Brigade.

They came to stand beside the Spanish people
To try and stem the rising fascist tide
Franco's allies were the powerful and wealthy
Frank Ryan's men came from the other side.

Even the olives were bleeding
As the battle for Madrid it thundered on
Truth and love against the force of evil
Brotherhood against the fascist clan.

Chorus:
Viva la Quinta Brigada,
No Pasaran, the pledge that made them fight
Adelante was the cry around the hillside
Let us all remember them tonight.

Bob Hilliard was a Church of Ireland pastor
Form Killarney across the Pyrenees he came
From Derry came a brave young Christian Brother
And side by side they fought and died in Spain.

Tommy Woods age seventeen died in Cordoba
With Na Fianna he learned to hold his gun
From Dublin to the Villa del Rio
He fought and died beneath the Spanish sun.

(Chorus)

Many Irishmen heard the call of Franco
Joined Hitler and Mussolini too
Propaganda from the pulpit and newspapers
Helped O'Duffy to enlist his crew.

The call came from Maynooth, "support the facists"
The men of cloth had failed yet again
When the Bishops blessed the Blueshirts in Dun Laoghaire
As they sailed beneath the swastika to Spain.

(Chorus)

This song is a tribute to Frank Ryan
Kit Conway and Dinny Coady too
Peter Daly, Charlie Regan and Hugh Bonar
Though many died I can but name a few.

Danny Boyle, Blaser-Brown and Charlie Donnelly
Liam Tumilson and Jim Straney from the Falls
Jack Nalty, Tommy Patton and Frank Conroy
Jim Foley, Tony Fox and Dick O'Neill.
(Chorus repeated)