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| English Version by Gustavo Sierra Fernandez
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| LETANÍA | LITANY |
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| Todo cambia, nada cambia. | Everything changes, nothing changes, |
| Mira el tren, mira la vía. | look at the train, look at the railway. |
| Si lo piensas y bien observas, | If you think about it and you watch well, |
| ya sabrás filosofía. | you shall know philosophy. |
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| Mil discursos, pocos recursos, | A thousand of speeches, little resources, |
| es el pan de cada día. | that’s our daily bread. |
| Solo España, quien lo diría, | Only Spain, who would have thought, |
| quiere estar sola y no cambia. | wants to be alone and is not changing (1). |
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| Monarquía, oligarquía, | Monarchy, oligarchy, |
| dictadura, caradura. | dictatorship, cheeky, |
| Gorro frigio sin prestigio | Phrygian cap (2) without prestige |
| y después venga el prodigio. | and later came the prodigy (3). |
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| Una guerra que lo estropea | A war that spoil it, |
| y un caudillo que adopta un hijo: | a chieftain (4) that adopted a child: |
| un joven con mucho empuje | a young man with a lot of spirit |
| al que le faltaba un tornillo. | who had a crew loose. |
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| Hay fascistas y papistas, | There are Fascists and Papists, |
| y un puñado de largas listas, | and a bunch of large lists, |
| propietarios, mercenarios | landlords (5), mercenaries |
| y gente que reza rosarios. | and folks who say the rosary. |
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| Hay carlistas y marxistas, | There are Carlists and Marxists, |
| y también algunos optimistas, | and also some optimistists, |
| policías y espías, | policemen and spies, |
| y gente que no tiene manías. | and people that has no shame. |
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| Y la "No intervención", | And the “Non Intervention” |
| y los del Real Perdón. | and those of the “Royal Pardon”. |
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| Y sigue la larga curva, | And continues the large curve, |
| que se alarga y que se acorta, | lenghtening and shortening, |
| de corsarios y falsarios, | of corsairs and forgers, |
| y visitas a otros barrios. | and visits to other neighbourhoods. |
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| Los que pasan la frontera | Those that cross the border |
| haciendo el salto de la pantera, | do the panther’s jump, |
| bien forrada la cartera, | the wallet well covered, |
| pegan tiros por detrás. | *fuck the shooting behind*. |
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| Las ratas de sacristía, | The sacristy rats, |
| considerada gente pía, | considered as pious folks, |
| y, ¡ay, ves quién los diría!, | and, you see who would have thought!, |
| está hasta mi tía. | even my aunt. |
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| Y sigue la letanía | And continues the litany |
| del amor, la muerte y los días. | of the love, the death and the days. |
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(1) After the defeated of the Axis countries in the II World War, Franco’s was the only standing “allie” of Germany. During a time, Franco wished to be in peace with the winners, but in front of the threats of some democratic and socialist countries, and, in the other side, the demanding of a change into a more democratic regime, the dictator summoned to great shows of patriotism against foreigner intereferences, although at the same time, he made a little changes… Later, with the US president Eisenhower’s visit to Spain, the Francoist regime was, finally, recognized by the Nations Society.
(2) As in other countries, the Phrygian cap was the symbol of Republican and, also, Catalanists.
(3) These lines describes the last days of Alphons XIII’s reign, that, due to the national troubles, took place to the General Miguel Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship (1923-1930), and finally the advent of the II Spanish Republic.
(4) It’s not casual that the word used is cabdill, “caudillo” in Spanish: that was Franco’s sobriquet, equivalent to German Führer and Italian Duce.
(5) The Catalan landlords, cat. rabassaires, were opnely conservatives.