Jul 13 2008
Mercedes Sosa: Gracias a la Vida
Gracias a la Vida is the best known song by Chilean artist Violeta Parra. Parra, a poet, visual artist and folklorist, revived the popular tradition of the Peña, a kind of coffeehouse/artists collective/socialist political club, during the era of Salvador Allende in Chile. Peñas sprang up all over Chile at that time but were suppressed by the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
Mercedes Sosa is a popular singer of Nueva canción, new song, from Argentina. Nueva canción is a combination of Latin American folk music, rock and roll and socialist politics which arose in the 1950s and 60s. Sosa made Parra’s song popular throughout Latin America. Gracias a la Vida is known in the United States as the title song of Joan Baez’ 1974 Spanish language album.
Gracias a la vida (Violeta Parra)
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto,
Thanks to life which has given me so much,
Me dio dos luceros que cuando los abro,
It gave me two eyes that when I open them,
Perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco,
I can distinguish perfectly black from white,
Y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado,
And in the high heaven its starry background,
Y en la multitudes el hombre que yo amo.
And in the multitudes the man I love.
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto,
Thanks to life which has given me so much,
Me ha dado el sonido y el abecedario,
It’s given me sound and the alphabet,
Y con el las palabras que pienso y declaro,
And with it the words that I think and declare,
Madre, amigo, hermano y luz alumbrando,
Mother, friend, brother, and burning light,
La ruta del alma de el que estoy amando.
The route of the soul of the one I am loving.
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto,
Thanks to life which has given me so much,
Me ha dado el oído que en todo su ancho,
It’s given me sound that in all its magnitude,
Graba noche y día grillos y canarios,
Records night and day crickets and canaries,
Martillos, turbinas, ladridos, chubascos,
Hammers, turbines, dogs’ barks, storms,
Y la voz tan tierna de mi buen amado.
And the voice so tender of my good beloved.
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto,
Thanks to life which has given me so much,
Me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansados,
It’s given me the steps of my tired feet,
Con ellos anduve ciudades y charcos,
With them I walked though cities and puddles,
Playas y desiertos, montañas y llanos,
Beaches and deserts, mountains and plains,
Y la casa tuya, tu calle y tu patio.
And your house, your street, and your patio.
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto,
Thanks to life which has given me so much,
Me ha dado la risa, me ha dado el llanto,
It’s given me laughter, it’s given me tears,
Así yo distingo dicha de quebranto,
Thereby I distinguish good fortune from ruin,
Los dos materiales que forman mi canto
`The two materials that make up my song,
Y el canto de ustedes que es mi propio canto.
And the song of all of you that is my own song.
¡Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto!
Thanks to life which has given me so much!
