XXI

 

Ingelesak maite dute bere aberria

Maitasun sendo ta zintzoarekin,

Itz gutxikoa ta bear bezelakoa;

Beste guztien gañetik jartzen dutela

Bere aberritasuna uste det.

Gu, Amerikatarrak, aundikeria daukagu—

Gure aberriaren ipui-berri motzez

Arrotu ta onez artu. Prantzesak,

Azken keiñua iristean, Prantziaren alde

Bizia eman, bizitu ziran gisara.

Bañan Ingelesak, egunez egun serbitu,

Legeari men egin, eta erria indartzeko

Eginkizun astunak bete.

Gogoratzen zait, bein, London’en

Jende beartsu ta motel, zutik errenkara luzean,

Illuntzean eta euri ezean,

Bere zergak ordaintzeko zai.

Orduan izan nuen Ingeleterraren uste garbia.

 

 

 

XXI

The English love their country with a love / Steady, and simple, wordless, dignified; / I think it sets their patriotism above / All others. We Americans have pride— / We glory in our country’s short romance. / We boast of it and love it. Frenchmen when / The ultimate menace comes, will die for France / Logically as they lived. But Englishmen / Will serve day after day, obey the law, / And do dull tasks that keep a nation strong. / Once I remember in London how I saw / Pale shabby people standing in a long / Line in the twilight and the misty rain / To pay their tax. I then saw England plain.