Victor Jara of
Chile
Lived like a shooting star
He fought for the people of Chile
With
his songs and his guitar
His hands were gentle, his hands were
strong
Victor Jara was a peasant
He worked from a few years old
He
sat upon his father’s plow
And watched the earth unfold
His hands were
gentle, his hands were strong
Now when the neighbors had a wedding
Or
one of their children died
His mother sang all night for them
With Victor
by her side
His hands were gentle, his hands were strong
He grew up to
be a fighter
Against the people’s wrongs
He listened to their grief and
joy
And turned them into songs
His hands were gentle, his hands were
strongHe sang about the copper miners
And those who worked the
land
He sang about the factory workers
And they knew he was their
man
His hands were gentle, his hands were strong
He campaigned for
Allende
Working night and day
He sang "Take hold of your brothers
hand
You know the future begins today"
His hands were gentle, his hands
were strong
Then the generals seized Chile
They arrested Victor
then
They caged him in a stadium
With five-thousand frightened men
His
hands were gentle, his hands were strong
Victor stood in the
stadium
His voice was brave and strong
And he sang for his fellow
prisoners
Till the guards cut short his song
His hands were gentle, his
hands were strong
They broke the bones in both his hands
They beat him
on the head
They tore him with electric shocks
And then they shot him
dead
His hands were gentle, his hands were strong
Now the Generals they rule Chile
and the British have their thanks
For they rule with Hawker Hunters
And they rule with Chieftain tanks
His hands were gentle, his hands were strong
Víctor Jara de Chile/ vivió como una estrella fugaz./ Luchó por el pueblo de Chile/ con sus canciones y su guitarra./ Sus manos eran suaves, sus manos eran fuertes.// Víctor Jara fue un campesino,/ trabajó desde pequeño,/ se sentó sobre el arado de su padre/ y vio revelarse la tierra./ Sus manos eran suaves, sus manos eran fuertes.// Cuando los vecinos celebraron una boda/ o uno de sus hijos murió,/ su madre pasó toda la noche cantando para ellos/ con Víctor a su lado./ Sus manos eran…// Creció para ser un luchador/ contra los males del pueblo,/ escuchó sus penas y alegrías/ y las convirtió en canciones. Sus manos eran…// Cantó sobre los mineros del cobre/ y sobre aquellos que trabajaban la tierra;/ cantó sobre los obreros industriales/ y ellos supieron que él era su hombre./ Sus manos eran suaves. Sus manos eran fuertes.// Hizo campaña por Allende,/ trabajando día y noche;/ cantó "Coge la mano de tu hermano;/ sabes que el futuro comienza hoy"./ Sus manos eran suaves, sus manos eran fuertes.// Entonces los generales apresaron a Víctor,/ arrestaron a Víctor y después/ le enjaularon en un estadio/ con cinco mil hombres asustados./ Sus manos eran… // Víctor permaneció en el estadio,/ su voz era valiente fuerte/ y cantó por sus compañeros de prisión/ hasta que los guardias cortaron su canción./ Sus manos eran… // Le rompieron los huesos de ambas manos,/ le golpearon la cabeza,/ le rasgaron con descargas eléctricas,/ y después le mataron de un disparo./ Sus manos eran… // Ahora los generales gobiernan Chile/ y los británicos se lo agradecen/ porque gobiernan con halconeros/ y gobiernan con los tanques del cacique./ Sus manos eran suaves,/ sus manos eran fuertes.
Chisty Moore:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lvRc9R2Fdk
Texto en inglés extraído de Trev Teasdel’s
La Zamarra de Gustavo 