José Agustín Goytisolo (Barcelona, 1928-1999) is one of the members of the great 50’s Generation. Born in Barcelona, he lost his mother during a Francoist blitz. His mother’s name was Julia. His poetry, besides a protest against Francoist regime, is a projecto of building a new Humanism. Some of his books are El retorno -The return- (1955), Algo sucede -Something is happening- (1968) and Los pasos del cazador -The hunter’s steps- (1980) among others. He also received these awards: Adonais Prize (1954), Boscán Prize (1956) and Ausias March (1959). This poem is his most known poem, dedicated to his daughter.
Palabras para Julia
Tú no puedes volver atrás
porque la vida ya te empuja
como un aullido interminable.
Hija mía es mejor vivir
con la alegría de los hombres
que llorar ante el muro ciego.
Te sentirás acorralada
te sentirás perdida o sola
tal vez querrás no haber nacido.
Yo sé muy bien que te dirán
que la vida no tiene objeto
que es un asunto desgraciado.
Entonces siempre acuérdate
de lo que un día yo escribí
pensando en ti como ahora pienso.
La vida es bella, ya verás
como a pesar de los pesares
tendrás amigos, tendrás amor.
Un hombre solo, una mujer
así tomados, de uno en uno
son como polvo, no son nada.
Pero yo cuando te hablo a ti
cuando te escribo estas palabras
pienso también en otra gente.
Tu destino está en los demás
tu futuro es tu propia vida
tu dignidad es la de todos.
Otros esperan que resistas
que les ayude tu alegría
tu canción entre sus canciones.
Entonces siempre acuérdate
de lo que un día yo escribí
pensando en ti
como ahora pienso.
Nunca te entregues ni te apartes
junto al camino, nunca digas
no puedo más y aquí me quedo.
La vida es bella, tú verás
como a pesar de los pesares
tendrás amor, tendrás amigos.
Por lo demás no hay elección
y este mundo tal como es
será todo tu patrimonio.
Perdóname no sé decirte
nada más pero tú comprende
que yo aún estoy en el camino.
Y siempre siempre acuérdate
de lo que un día yo escribí
pensando en ti como ahora pienso.
Words for Julia
You cannot get back/ because life is pushing you/ like an endless howl.// My daughter, it’s better to live/ with the joy of men/ than to cry in front of the blind wall.// You will feel cornered/ you will feel lost or alone/ maybe you’d want not to be born.// I know so well they shall tell you/ life has no object/ that is a unfortunate subject.// Then remember always/ that what I wrote a day/ thinking about you as now I’m thinking.// Life is beautiful, you’ll see/ despite the sorrows how/ you shall have friends, you shall have love.// Only a man, a woman/ so, taken one by one/ are like dust, they are nothing.// But when I talk to you/ when I write this words for you/ I also think in other people.// Your destiny is in everyone else/ your future is your own life/ you dignity is everybody’s.// Others hope you resist/ your joy help them/ your song between their songs.// Then remember always/ of that I wrote a day/ thinking about you as now I’m thinking.// You never surrender nor part/ by the wayside, never say/ I can’t anymore and I stay here.// Life is beautiful, you’ll see/ despite the sorrows how/ you shall have friends, you shall have love.// In fact there’s no choice/ and this world as it is/ is all your patrimony.// Excuse me I don’t know/ how to tell you something more but you understand/ I’m still on the way.// And remember always always/ that what I wrote a day/ thinking about you as now I’m thinking.
José Agustín Goitysolo
In many ways, Paco Ibáñez is almost the father of the Spanish songwriters movement, beside Chicho Sánchez Ferlosio and Raimon. Born during the Spanish Civil War, and went with his family as exiliated to France. In France he mets the work of the great French songwriters, specially that who will be his inspiration: Georges Brassens. In 1959 he starts to put music on the great Spanish poems: from Spanish literature Golden Age, as Quevedo, Luis de Góngora, Jorge Manrique; passing by the 27’s Generation, as Lorca, Alberti, Miguel Hernández; to the most contemporary and compromised poets: Blas de Otero, Gabriel Celaya, José Agustín Goytisolo… But also Latin-Americans poets like Jorge Guillén and Pablo Neruda. He tried to live in Spain at the 60’s, but his so known anti-francoism makes that the authorities are always following him; so he returned to France for singing in freedom. Finally returned when generals Franco was dead. Many songwriters took example from him, as in Castilian as in the others language from Spain: Catalonian, Basque and Galician. His version of this Goytisolo’s poem is one of his best and more reminded songs:
La Zamarra de Gustavo 