Basque poetry: Bilintx
Bilintx was born in Donostia in 1831 and had a really painful life: being just a child, he suffered a terrible accident that disfigured his face, and being a young man he became lame after an accident with a bull during a fair. During the II Carlist War, a grenade exploded near him and Bilintx had his 2 legs amputated. He died just 6 months later, in 1876.
But despite his dreadful life, Bilintx devoted most of his poems to love, becoming the best romantic poet in Euskara. Here’s one of his most well known works:
Triste bizi naiz eta I live sad and hilko banintz hobe I’d rather die badaukat bihotzian I have in my heart hainbat atsekabe. several sorrows. Maite bat maitatzen det I love a love baina haren jabe but without the hope sekulan izateko of ever being esperantzik gabe. her owner. Bihotz baten lekuan If I had 1000 hearts mila banituzke, instead of one, zuretzako, maitia, they all would be izango lirazke. for you, my love. Baina milan lekuan But since instead of 1000 bat besterik ez det I just have one hartzazu ba, maitia, take this one, my love, bat hau mila bider. and multiply it by 1000. Nere maite polita, My beautiful darling, nola zera bizi? how are you doing? Zortzi egun hauetan In these last 8 days ez zaitut ikusi. I haven’t seen you. Badakit zabiltzala I know you are nigandik ihesi, hiding from me, ez didazu ematen you don’t usually give me atsekabe gutxi. little sorrows.
