Lagun bat

Bada gorroto dudan lagun bat.
Zuhaitzean gora egin nahi dudanean
“ez, ez, ez, hobeto ez,” esaten dit,
“laprast eroriko zara lurrera”.

Bada gorroto dudan lagun bat.
Futbolean jolastu nahi dudanean
“ez, ez, ez, hobeto ez,” esaten dit,
“ipurdi azpitik sartuko dizute gola”.

Bada gorroto dudan lagun bat.
Gustuko neskarengana hurreratzean
“ez, ez, ez, hobeto ez,” esaten dit,
“ez du zurekin nahiko berak”.

Bada gorroto dudan lagun bat.
Anaia txikiari musu eman nahi diodanean
“ez, ez, ez, hobeto ez” esaten dit
“esnatu egingo da berehala”.

Bada gorroto dudan lagun bat.
Lagun horren izena Lotsa da.
“Ez, ez, ez, inola ez” esaten diot gauero
“bihar ez dizut kasurik egingo bada”.

© Kirmen Uribe
De: Zaharregia, txikiegia agian
Soraluze: Gaztelupeko hotsak, 2003
ISBN: Gaztelupeko hotsak
Producción de Audio: 2005, M.Mechner / Literaturwerkstatt Berlin

One friend

Children’s Song

There’s a friend I hate.
Whenever I want to climb a tree
‘No, no, no, better not,’ he says,
you’ll slip and fall to the ground.

There’s a friend I hate.
Whenever I want to play ball
‘No, no, no, better not,’ he says,
‘they’ll get a goal in right under your butt.’

There’s a friend I hate.
When I go up to the girl I like
‘No, no, no, better not,’ he says,
‘she won’t want to be with you.’

There’s a friend I hate.
When I want to kiss my little brother
‘No, no, no, better not,’ he says,
‘he’ll wake right up if you do.’

There’s a friend I hate.
The name of this friend is Shame.
‘No, no, no, no way,’ I tell him nightly,
‘come tomorrow, I will ignore you.’

Translated from the Basque by Elizabeth Macklin