Cantigas do Maio (Song of May) was a José Afonso’s more revolutionary LP, as in its lyrics as in its music. “Zeca” was leaving a little behind the otrhodoxy of the Portuguese traditional song as he saw to the new Portuguese songwriters, more progresive in music, but clearly influenced by him, but he was not leaving the popular feeling anyway. So this progress culminate in 1971, with a record full of optimistic, but revolutionary and realistic songs too; in this album, recorded in Paris, was included his most very famous song: “Grândola vila morena”, anthem of the Portuguese revolution that shall be happened three years later. But other song a little prophetic against the dictatorship of Marcelo Caetano (heir of Oliveira Salazar) was “Coro da Primavera”, which ends the album:
Coro da Primavera
Cobre-te canalha
Na mortalha
Hoje o rei vai nu
Os velhos tiranos
De há mil anos
Morrem como tu
Abre uma trincheira
Companheira
Deita-te no chão
Sempre à tua frente
Viste gente
Doutra condição
Ergue-te ó Sol de Verão
Somos nós os teus cantores
Da matinal canção
Ouvem-se já os rumores
Ouvem-se já os clamores
Ouvem-se já os tambores
Livra-te
do medo
Que bem cedo
Há-de o Sol queimar
E tu camarada
Põe-te em guarda
Que te vão matar
Venham lavradeiras
Mondadeiras
Deste campo em flor
Venham enlaçadas
De mãos dadas
Semear o amor
Ergue-te ó Sol de Verão
Somos nós os teus cantores
Da matinal canção
Ouvem-se já os rumores
Ouvem-se já os clamores
Ouvem-se já os tambores
Venha a maré cheia
Duma ideia
P’ra nos empurrar
Só um pensamento
No momento
P’ra nos despertar
Eia mais um braço
E outro braço
Nos conduz irmão
Sempre a nossa fome
Nos consome
Dá-me a tua mão
Ergue-te ó Sol de Verão
Somos nós os teus cantores
Da matinal canção
Ouvem-se já os rumores
Ouvem-se já os clamores
Ouvem-se já os tambores
José Afonso
And, if this song closes the original LP, in 1976 a cover of the song was opening Vallecas (a popular neighbourhood of Madrid where he lived), the second LP of Spanish songwriter Luis Pastor, one of the songwriters of Spain more influenced by the Portuguese singers, and very specially, by Zeca Afonso. The Portuguese Revolution, the Revolução dos Cravos (Revolution of the Carnations), gave hopes to the Spanish population for the end of Franco’s dictatorship, that still was active even after general Franco’s death. So Luis took the song –accompanied, by the way, by two Portuguese songwriters and musicians: Fausto and Vitorino- in this spirit of ending at once and for all with all those things of repression:
Coro de la primavera
Cúbrete canalla
con la mortaja
el rey desnudo va.
Los viejos tiranos
hace mil años
mueren como tú.
Cava una trinchera
compañera
pon tu cuerpo a tierra.
Siempre en tu frente
viste gente
de otra condición.
LEVÁNTATE, ¡OH! SOL DE VERANO
SOMOS NOSOTROS TUS CANTORES,
DE LA CANCIÓN DE MAÑANA
SE OYEN YA LOS RUMORES
SE OYEN YA LOS CLAMORES
SE OYEN YA LOS TAMBORES.
Líbrate del miedo
que temprano
el sol ha de quemar.
Y tú, camarada,
ponte en guardia
que te matarán.
Vengan labradoras
mondadoras
de este campo en flor.
Vengan enlazadas
manos juntas
a sembrar el amor.
LEVÁNTATE…
Venga la marea
con una idea
nos empujará.
Sólo un pensamiento
en un momento
nos despertará.
Pronto ya tu brazo
y otro brazo
nos conduce, hermano.
Siempre nuestra hambre
nos consume,
dame ya tu mano.
LEVÁNTATE…
As Luis’ cover is very similar to the original lyric, we translate only the Portuguese lyric to English:
Chorus of Springtime
Cover up yourself, swine,/ in a mortise/ the king goes naked today.// A thousand year/ old tyrants/ die just like you.// Open up a trench/ comrade of you/ lay down on the floor.// Always in your front/ you saw people/ of another condition.// Arise, oh Summer Sun,/ we are your singers/ Of the morning song/ it’s listening now the rumors,/ it’s listening now the clamors/ it’s listening now the drums.// Release yourself/ from fear/ For very soon/ Sun musts burn it.// And you comrade/ put yourself on guard/ for they are going to kill you/ Come up wenchs/ peeler girls/ of these fields in bloom.// May come up entwined/ hand in hand/ to seed up love.// Come up the tide full/ of an idea/ to push us.// Just a thought/ in the instant/ to wake us.// Take one more arm/ and another arm/ drive us brother.// Always our hunger/ drains us/ give me your hand.// Arise, oh Summer Sun,/ we are your singers/ Of the morning song/ it’s listening now the rumors,/ it’s listening now the clamors/ it’s listening now the drums.
Zeca’s site: http://www.aja.pt/
Luis Pastor’s site: http://www.luispastor.com/
La Zamarra de Gustavo 