Saint Patrick Battalion
David Rovics| Original | Transalted by Luis Angel Sanchez de Lachina “Txino” |
| SAINT PATRICK BATTALION My name is John Riley I'll have your ear only a while I left my dear home in Ireland It was death, starvation or exile And when I got to America It was my duty to go Enter the Army and slog across Texas To join in the war against Mexico It was there in the pueblos and hillsides That I saw the mistake I had made Part of a conquering army With the morals of a bayonet blade So in the midst of these poor, dying Catholics Screaming children, the burning stench of it all Myself and two hundred Irishmen Decided to rise to the call From Dublin City to San Diego We witnessed freedom denied So we formed the Saint Patrick Battalion And we fought on the Mexican side We marched 'neath the green flag of Saint Patrick Emblazoned with "Erin Go Bragh" Bright with the harp and the shamrock And "Libertad para Mexicana" Just fifty years after Wolftone Five thousand miles away The Yanks called us a Legion of Strangers And they can talk as they may From Dublin City to San Diego We witnessed freedom denied So we formed the Saint Patrick Battalion And we fought on the Mexican side We fought them in Matamoros While their volunteers were raping the nuns In Monterey and Cerro Gordo We fought on as Ireland's sons We were the red-headed fighters for freedom Amidst these brown-skinned women and men Side by side we fought against tyranny And I daresay we'd do it again From Dublin City to San Diego We witnessed freedom denied So we formed the Saint Patrick Battalion And we fought on the Mexican side We fought them in five major battles Churobusco was the last Overwhelmed by the cannons from Boston We fell after each mortar blast Most of us died on that hillside In the service of the Mexican state So far from our occupied homeland We were heroes and victims of fate From Dublin City to San Diego We witnessed freedom denied So we formed the Saint Patrick Battalion And we fought on the Mexican side | Saint Patrick Batailoi Nire izena John Riley da Zuek minutu bat baino ez didazue entzungo Nire etxe gozoa Irlandan utzi nuen Heriotza, goze edo atzeri zen aukera Ta Amerikara heldu nintzenean Nire obligazio zen Ejerzitoan sartu eta Texas zehar herreztatu Mexikoren aurkako gudara lotzeko Hor zen, herri eta muinoetan Konturatu nintzen erru egin nuela Ejerzito konkistatzaile baten parte izatea Baioneta aho moralaz Orduan hiltzear zeuden katoliko huts guztien artean Umeak negarrez eta erre usaina leku guztietatik Berrehun irlandar eta biok Gure obligaziorekin burutzeko, esnatzea erabaki genuen Dublín hiritik San Diegora Askatasuna nola ezetzen zen ikusi genuen Horregatik Saint Patrick Batailoia sortu genuen Eta mexikarren aldean borrokatu ginen. Saint Patrick ikurrapean abiatu ginen Erin Go Bragh-ekin banderapetuak Dirdiratsu shamrock eta harparekin Ta “Libertad para la Republica Mexicana” Wolfstone berrogeita hamar urte geroago Bost mila miliatara Yankiek regio arrotza deitu zitzaigun Eta nahi dutena esan dezakete Matamorosen borrokatu genuen Beraien boluntarioek mojak bortxatzen zuten artean Monterrey eta Cerro Gordon Irlandaren semeak bezala borrokatu ginen Askatasunaren aldeko gudari ilegorriak ginen Beltazaran azal gizon-emakumen hauen artean Albo batetik bestera tiraniaren aurka borroka egin genuen Eta berriro egingo genukela esatera ausartzen naiz Bost borroka garrantsitsuetan borrokatu genuen Chorobusco azkena izan zen Bostongo kanoiez zapaldauta Mortairu bakoitzeko eztandaz erori ginen Ea guztiok hil ginen muino horretan Medicar estatuaren serbitzuan Gure okupatutako lurratik hain urrun Zoriaren heroi ta biktimak izan ginen |
