On this day, 17 years ago, Manuel María (Outeiro de Rei, October 6, 1929, A Coruña, September 8, 2004), a poet from Terra Chá, died, to whom I paid tribute to the album “A voz do vento” ( The voice of the wind) in 2016, the year in which the Galician Literature Day was dedicated to him.
Versatile, in addition to being a teacher and attorney, Manuel María was editor (Xistral editions), politician, playwright, poet and storyteller, also being one of the first to publish in Galician for children with the book of children’s poems “Os soños da gaiola”(The dreams of the cage).
Poet of the land, combative, necessary and with a strong political commitment in favor of Galician and Galicia (he was active in the clandestine UPG, and already in democracy he was a councilor in Monforte de Lemos with the BNG), Manuel María sharpened his word around any subject, encompassing a worldview that delved into the idea that our language is and speaks of universal things.
| TENRURA | TENDERNESS |
| Pouco importa que a ave da esperanza | It matters little that the bird of hope |
| ou a chispa amarela do desexo | or the yellow spark of desire |
| crucen por nós como un salouco | cross us like a sob |
| para converterse en néboa | to become mist |
| ou sombra esvaída na lembranza. | or shadow faded into memory. |
| O que de verdade importa, | What really matters, |
| amada e irrenunciábel compañeira, | beloved and inalienable companion, |
| é a chama delicada da tenrura | is the delicate flame of tenderness |
| coa que alcendemos o lume | with which we light the fire |
| no que queimamos a monótona | in which we burn the monotonous |
| tristeza dos días e onde arde, | sadness of the days and where it burns, |
| serea e mansamente, a árbore | serenely and meekly, the tree |
| fidel e rumorosa da nosa propia vida. | faithful and noisy of our own life. |
“Aínda teño a esperanza” (I still have hope), extracted from the collection of poems “Versos de lume e do vagalume” (Verses of fire and firefly) published in 1982, it seems that it was written thinking about the route that I myself was going to start in this year 2021 in March, in the company of my brother Carlos, touring the Galician parishes to present my new album “Popsía Vol. I”.
- Ainda teno a esperanza Fran Amil e a tribo incompren 3:07
| Aínda teño a esperanza de poder | I still have hope that I can |
| percorrer unha por unha | walk one by one |
| todas as parroquias de Galiza, | all the parishes of Galicia, |
| lugares e casais, | places and manor houses, |
| andar porta por porta, | go door to door, |
| dialogar persoa a persoa | talk person to person |
| face a face, | face to face, |
| pois non hai tarefa máis urxente, | because there is no more urgent task, |
| fermosa, nidia e necesaria. | beautiful, clear and necessary. |
| Gastarei o meu corpo nos camiños | I will spend my body and the paths |
| ata ser po, seixo e silveira. | to be dust, pebble and briar. |
| A miña voz, de tan usada, será | My voice, so used, will be |
| o levísimo eco dun rumor: | the slightest echo of a rumor: |
| só fundamento de semente | seed foundation only |
| que apenas poderá rozar | that it can barely touch |
| a intimidade choída dos galegos, | the closed intimacy of the Galicians, |
| estraña tribo incomprensíbel | strange incomprehensible tribe |
| feita de tebra, vento e cantería. | made of darkness, wind and stonework. |
Going through all the parishes of Galicia one by one, talking person to person, is one of the greatest satisfactions that my albums “A Voz do vento” and “Popsía Vol. I” bring me. There is no more urgent, beautiful, clear and necessary task. I will waste my body on the roads until I am dust, pebble and bush. And I’m not alone, great friends and musicians like Richi Casás and Fernando Román always accompany me. This time, we met at Casa Lourán, in As Restrebas in Val de Xestoso, a parish of the Monfero municipality in A Coruña, where Anabel González welcomed us with love. The excuse for making a visit to such a beautiful and welcoming place was to get together to pay tribute to Manuel María, playing an acoustic version of “Aínda teño esperanza” (I Still Have Hope), I scratching the rhythmic guitar, Richi the alto sax, and Fernando the cavaquinho. Enjoy it.
To see the video, click on the photo.
If you want to know more about the poet from Terra Chá, you can visit the Manuel María House-Museum.
If you want to see more events related to the album “A voz do vento” click HERE.