Bío Bío, sueño azul
(Elicura Chihuailaf and Roberto Márquez. On "Morena esperanza", Illapu, 1998)
Written by Mapuche poet Elicura Chihuailaf, with the music by Roberto Márquez, Chilean composer and Illapu's musical director, "Bío Bío, sueño azul" ["Bío Bío, blue dream"] is a song in defence of the earth which quickly became a hit after its release in 1998. The title refers to the Bío Bío River (VIII Region of Chile), the northern border of the Mapuche territories after the Spanish conquest.
Event though the music is performed by a duet of mohoceños and several other Bolivian instruments, it also includes trutrukas, kultrun, kaskawilla and pifilkas. In addition, the song features the recitation of some verses in Mapudungu, the Mapuche's language.
- La luna es el ave que va alumbrando mis palabras.
Su canto, memorias del sol sobre mis aguas.
¿De dónde, si no, el brillo de mis peces?
¿De dónde el verde de mis araucarias?
[The moon is the bird that gives off light to my words.
Her song, the sun's memories on my waters.
Where else does the bright of my fish come from?
Where else does the green of my araucaria tress come from?]
Esta es mi madre tierra. De todos mis antepasados.
¿Se quedará sin sombra el valle en que florece
el pensamiento, el aire que sembramos?
Somos danza de amor cuando amanece.
[This is my land mother. [The mother] of all my ancestors.
Will be left without shade the valley where
the thought sprouts, the air that we sow?
[We] are love dance at dawn].
Bío Bío, sueño azul de mis antiguos.
Y soy quien viene a tocar
tu corazón, a ver si crece
la lucha total a nuestros enemigos.
[Bío Bío, blue dream of my elders.
And I am who comes to touch
your heart, let's see if it encourages
the final offensive against our enemies].
Elel mu kechi malall! Kalli amulepe ñi ko!
Elel mu kechi malall! Wiño petu ñi kuyfimogen!
Feypi willi kürüf ñi püllü mogeley ta ti,
iñchiñ ñi kom pu che, ñi pu wenüy, mülfen ñi mogen.
[No dams! Let my waters flow!
No dams! Let flowered freedom return!
This is what the undying south wind says,
for they are my people, my friends, the dew of life].
Que mis raudales sigan. Que vuelva en flor la vida, libre.
Espíritu del viento, aliento de llovizna
que solo bese el lecho de mis piedras.
Yo no seré laguna de tristezas.
[That my waters flow. That life returns in bloom, free.
Spirit of the wind, breath of drizzle
[if only you] kiss the bed where my stones lie
I will not become a lake of sorrows].
Link CD "Morena esperanza" [Solomusicaandina.foroes.net].
Video 01. "Bío Bío, sueño azul", by Illapu.
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