Sunday, July 24, 2016

*The Abraham Lincoln Battalion of the International Brigades

Click On Title To Link To YouTube's Film Clip Of Pete Seeger Performing, Appropriately in Barcelona, "Viva La Quince Brigada".

Commentary

I have just added a link to the Abraham Lincoln Battalion of the 15th International Brigade Archives. That battalion fought heroically on the Jarama and the Ebro in the Spanish Civil War 1936-38. Readers on this site know of my devotion to the memory(and lessons) of the Spanish Revolution. I would note that the last commander (of nine) of the Lincolns, Milton Wolff, has just dies at age 92. Read his story on the site. Those who fought in Spain, despite our political differences, will always be kindred spirits. Viva la Quince Brigada!

3 comments:

  1. Salud, Mr Markin,
    El "cabron" Franco, may have thought he won the war, but in the end, it turned out to be just a battle.
    Now the elected government of Spain is quietly removing all staues and pictures of Franco from public sight.
    Another fascist turns to dust in the breeze.

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  2. Perhaps history has not been kind to Franco, at least visually. But I make this point- Franco should never had been allowed to die in his bed. That is the great lesson that still needs to be learned from the Spanish Civil War. He could have been defeated with a decent unified revolutionary strategy.

    Historical progress, to be sure, has been made on a road of bones. However this is not a political program for the need to get rid of the bad guys right in front of you in a fight to the finish. Too many of our people died in the Civil War and in the oppressive aftermath to take any comfort from not having to see Franco's ugly face on the plazas of Spain. Salud.

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  3. Here is a guest for lyrics.

    Two Songs Of The Spanish Civil War: "Viva La Quince Brigada" And "El Paso Del Ebro"


    By Thomas Keyes
    Apr. 16, 2005

    “¡Viva La Quince Brigada!” (Long Live the Fifteenth Brigade!) and “El Paso del Ebro” (Crossing the Ebro) are two songs of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) sung to the same melody. The original version of the song goes back to the time of the Napoleonic Wars, but I haven’t found the lyrics for that version. The lyrics of these two songs both pertain to the later war, since both mention aircraft. “¡Viva La Quince Brigada!” is also called “¡Ay, Manuela!”, while “El Paso del Ebro” is also called “¡Ay, Carmela!” “Manuela” and “Carmela” are women’s names.

    Unfortunately, the two audible versions that I was able to find on the Web are somewhat different from the song as I know it, and not as good in my opinion, but perhaps they are more authentic. I have known “¡Viva La Quince Brigada!” since the 1960’s, but to date have not learned “El Paso del Ebro”. I just like the music for its own sake and for its value as a souvenir of Spanish culture. I don’t take sides on the Spanish Civil War, because I don’t know much about it. Incidentally, the Ebro is a major river in the north of Spain. The Jarama, mentioned in the first song, is another river.

    I have provided my own translations, for those who cannot manage the very easy Spanish lyrics. Below are the URL’s for the music:

    http://idd003x0.eresmas.net/mp3/El%20Paso%20Del%20Ebro.mp3

    http://personales.ya.com/altavoz/midis/elpasodelebro.mid

    VIVA LA QUINCE BRIGADA (Spanish Lyrics)

    Viva la quince brigada,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Viva la quince brigada,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Que se ha cubierto de gloria.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    Que se ha cubierto de gloria.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    Luchamos contra los moros,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Luchamos contra los moros,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Mercenarios y fascistas.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    Mercenarios y fascistas.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    Solo es nuestro deseo,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Solo es nuestro deseo,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Acabar con el fascismo.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    Acabar con el fascismo.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    En los frentes de Jarama,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    En los frentes de Jarama,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    No tenemos ni aviones,
    Ni tanques, ti cañones.
    No tenemos ni aviones,
    Ni tanques, ti cañones.

    Ya salimos de España,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Ya salimos de España,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    A luchar en otros frentes,
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    A luchar en otros frentes,
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    EL PASO DEL EBRO (Spanish Lyrics)

    El ejército del Ebro,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    El ejército del Ebro,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Una noche el río paso.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Una noche el río paso.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    Y a las tropas invasoras,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Y a las tropas invasoras,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Buena paliza les dio,
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Buena paliza les dio,
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    El furor de los traidores,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    El furor de los traidores,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Lo descarga su aviación.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Lo descarga su aviación.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    Pero nada pueden bombas,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Pero nada pueden bombas,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Donde sobra corazón.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Donde sobra corazón.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    Contraataques muy rabiosos,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Contraataques muy rabiosos,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Deberemos resistir.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Deberemos resistir.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    Pero igual que combatimos,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Pero igual que combatimos,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Prometemos combatir.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Prometemos combatir.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    VIVA LA QUINCE BRIGADA (English Translation)
    Long live the fifteenth brigade,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Long live the fifteenth brigade,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Which has covered itself with glory.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    Which has covered itself with glory.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    We are fighting against the Moors,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    We are fighting against the Moors,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Mercenaries and fascists.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    Mercenaries and fascists.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    It’s our sole desire,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    It’s our sole desire,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    To be done with fascism.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    To be done with fascism.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    On the front lines of the Jarama,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    On the front lines of the Jarama,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    We have neither airplanes,
    Tanks nor cannon.
    We have neither airplanes,
    Tanks nor cannon.

    We’re already leaving Spain,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    We’re already leaving Spain,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    To fight on other fronts.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!
    To fight on other fronts.
    ¡Ay, Manuela! ¡Ay, Manuela!

    EL PASO DEL EBRO (English Lyrics)

    The army of the Ebro,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    The army of the Ebro,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Crossed the river one night.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Crossed the river one night.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    And to the invading troops.
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    And to the invading troops.
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    It gave a sound beating.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    It gave a sound beating.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    The fury of the traitors,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    The fury of the traitors,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    They discharge with their airplanes.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    They discharge with their airplanes.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    But bombs can do nothing,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    But bombs can do nothing,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Where there’s a lot of heart.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    Where there’s a lot of heart.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    Very rabid counterattacks,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    Very rabid counterattacks,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    We will owe it to resist.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    We will owe it to resist.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

    But as we have fought,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    But as we have fought,
    Rumba la, rumba la, rumba la,
    We promise to fight.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!
    We promise to fight.
    ¡Ay, Carmela! ¡Ay, Carmela!

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