Loa loa txuntxurun berde
Loa loa txuntxurun berde
Sleep, Sleep Txuntxurun Berde
Lullaby
Lullaby
(Basque)
(English)
Loa loa txuntxurun berde
Loa loa masusta
Aita gurea Gazteizen da
Ama manduan artuta: lo, lo.
Aita gurea Gazteizen da
Ama manduan artuta
Aita gureak diru asko du
Ama bidean salduta: lo, lo.
Sleep, sleep, txuntxurun berde*
Sleep, sleep blackberry,
Our father's gone to Vitoria,
Carrying his mother on his mule.
Our father's gone to Vitoria,
Carrying his mother on his mule.
Our father has much money,
For he sold his mother on the way.
Notes
*Pronounced: "choonchooroon berdeh"
Comments
When asked the meaning of "txuntxurun berde", Mark answered, "The page you're referring to is a lecture by Manuel Lecuana, highest authority in Basque oral literature. If he doesn't translate it we can do very little. Nobody knew more than he did about Basque oral literature. This word is probably referring to the child, "something" green that he likes, as well as the blackberry. As we don't know what a 'txuntxurun' is, it's absurd to translate 'berde'. I insist on the fact that I would pay attention to Mr. Lecuona."
*****
Bernardo wrote:
"I am Bernardo Atxaga, a writer. I have seen on your page that there was a question about the translation about the Basque lullaby 'Loa loa txuntxurrun berde, loa loa masusta...'
Very recently I deciphered 'txuntxurrun'. Means: little nut ('little nut').
So the translation should read: Sleep, sleep little green nut.
Sleep, sleep mora (fruit of the blackberry)... the rest is quite good."
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Mark Barnés from Eresbil - Basque Archives of Music for contributing this song and for the Spanish translation. Thanks to Bernardo Atxaga for commenting on the vocabulary.
Image: Maria and Baby (1917), Robert Henri.
Milasker!
