Bertso hauetan esaten dut Amerikara etorri nintzanean zer senti nuen
(In these
bertsos I tell how I felt when I arrived in America)
Gazterik atera ni
jaiotako herritik
ordun partitu nintzan
fameli haunditik
bihotza penarekin
ia lehertu erditik
famelia uztean
malkoak begitik
hainbat pena ez dit eman
sekulan Gorritik.
(When I was young I went away/ from the town where I was born/ I left
a big family/ my heart was sad,/ almost bursting from the middle,/
while I left my family,/ tears were falling from my eyes;/ I have never
felt so sad/ about Gorriti.)
Etxean gurasoak
ta hamar senide
osaba eta izoa
lehengusu ta ahaide
herriyan ezagunak
hainbeste adiskide
utzita Amerikara
etorria laide
ogia irabaztera
horrenbeste bide.
(At home we lived,/ ten brothers and sisters/ and our parents/ our
uncles,/ our cousins and relatives,/ in town so many acquaintances/ and
friends./ I left all of them/ and came to America/ to earn my daily
bread,/ traveling so many paths.)
Pena ateratzea
leku xamurretik
apartera banua
holako lurretik
ezin ahaztua daukat
halako agurretik
ez zaitut ikusiko
ama beldurreti
gaizkiturik jarria
bi astez aurretik.
(It is a pity to leave/ from such a sweet place./ I go far away / from
this land (I said)/ I cannot forget/ in that farewell/ “I won’t see you
again,”/ said my worried mother./ She became sick/ two weeks before I left).
Han utzia ote nun
nik paradisua
penak ezin gordea
gurasoan sua
nunahi zeralakurik
eman abisua
utzitzen zaitugu
semetxo gaixua
itsatsia daukat nik
orduko musua.
(I left there,/ the paradise;/ I could not hide my sorrow/ saying
goodbye to my parents’ fireplace./ “Wherever you are,/ let us know how you
are./ We let you go,/ our beloved son.”/ I have felt/ the kiss they gave
me at that time).
Han utzia ditut nik
oroimen biguna
jaiotako herria
eta ezaguna
baitare famelia
baitare laguna
azken orduak ziran
penaz ta iluna
ez zait neri ahaztutzen
hango azken eguna.
(I kept there/ a very warm memory./ It was my birth-town/ the one I knew,/
also my family/ and my friends./ The last hours were sorrowful and dark,/
and I cannot forget/ the last day I spent there).
Aitak eman azkena
nei laguntasuna
esanez badizugu
guk maitetasuna
izan zazu bakea
eta osasuna
azkenik hau da zuri
eskatzen zaizuna
ez zazu ahaztu herria
ta kristautasuna.
(My Daddy gave me/ good advice./ He said to me,/ “we love you son,/ I wish
you peace and health./ And finally this is what I hope for from you:/ do
not forget your people,/ do not leave your Christian life.”)
Etorri ta gauza hau
pentsan egon nintzan
desertura eraman
basapiztin gisan
gazte batentzat bizi
modua hoi al zan
ez gendun denboik pasa
herrian ta elizan
ordu tristeagorik
ez det inoiz izan.
(When I arrived (in America)/ I was thinking of this:/ they brought us to
a desert/ as if we were beasts./ For a young man / that was the way of
living./ We could not spend time in the town/ nor in the church./ I have
not had such a sad time/ in my whole life).
Honera etorrita
hasera zorrotza
hizketan ere ez jakin
hau leku arrotza
leku handiak eta
ibilera motza
Amerikan bizita
Euskadin bihotza
jaiotako lekuan
nahi det heriotza.
(After coming here/ the beginning was tough./ We did not know how to speak
(English)./ This was a strange land for us;/ the distances were big/ and
our foot-travel short./ We lived in America,/ but our hearts were in the
Basque Country./ I wish I could die/ in the place where I was born).
