¡Ay Carmela! (song)
¡Ay Carmela! is one of the most famous songs of the Spanish Republican troops during the Spanish Civil War.[1]
"¡Ay Carmela!" | |
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Military flag of the Spanish Republic | |
Song | |
Language | Spanish |
English title | "Ay Carmela!" |
Genre | Topical song |
Songwriter(s) | Unknown |
Variants
The most popular lyrics to this Republican song have two variants known as El Paso del Ebro and Viva la XV Brigada. The first one is related to the Battle of the Ebro and the second mentions the Battle of Jarama, two of the main confrontations of the Civil War. The melody, however, is a folk tune of far greater antiquity, dating back to the Peninsular War in the early 19th century.[2]
The sentence Luchamos contra los moros (We fight against the Moors) refers to the Regulares, the feared Moroccan units fighting as the shock troops of the Nationalists.
Lyrics
El Ejército del EbroEl Ejército del Ebro,
Y a las tropas invasoras,
El furor de los traidores,
Pero nada pueden bombas,
Contraataques muy rabiosos,
Pero igual que combatimos,
|
TranslationThe army of the Ebro,
And the invading forces,
The fury of the traitors,
But their bombs can do nothing,
[Their] counterattacks are fierce,
Even as we fight,
|
Viva la Quince Brigada
Viva la Quince Brigada,
Luchamos contra los moros,
En los frentes de Jarama,
Ya salimos de España,
|
TranslationLong live the Fifteenth Brigade,
We fight against the Moors,
Our only desire,
On the Jarama front,
We're now leaving Spain,
|
Viva la Quinta Brigada
Poema de Federico García Lorca (Granada, 5 de junio de 1898 - 18 de agosto de 1936)
Viva la quinta brigada,
Luchamos contra los moros,
El ejército del Ebro,
Ya las fuerzas invasoras,
En los frentes de Granada,
Ni tenemos días martes,
|
See also
- Si me quieres escribir, another Republican song mentioning the crossing of the Ebro River
- Songs of the Spanish Civil War