Joan Baez - Gracias a la vida

Live at Festival des Vieilles Charrues, Carhaix, Bretagne, FRANCE, 2000.

This is one of Joan Baez's classics, although it's a cover of a song written by a Chilean folk singer and visual artist: Violeta Parra, who committed suicide in 1967. Her song "Gracias a la vida", composed one year before her death, is one of the most covered latin american songs.

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Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me dio dos luceros que cuando los abro
perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco
y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado
y en las multitudes el hombre que yo amo.

Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado el oido que en todo su ancho
graba noche y dia grillos y canarios
martillos, turbinas, ladridos, chubascos
y la voz tan tierna de mi bien amado.

Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado el sonido y el abedecedario
con él las palabras que pienso y declaro
madre amigo hermano y luz alumbrando,
la ruta del alma del que estoy amando.

Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansados
con ellos anduve ciudades y charcos,
playas y desiertos montañas y llanos
y la casa tuya, tu calle y tu patio.

Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me dio el corazón que agita su marco
cuando miro el fruto del cerebro humano,
cuando miro el bueno tan lejos del malo,
cuando miro el fondo de tus ojos claros.

Gracias a la Vida que me ha dado tanto
me ha dado la risa y me ha dado el llanto,
así yo distingo dicha de quebranto
los dos materiales que forman mi canto
y el canto de ustedes que es el mismo canto
y el canto de todos que es mi propio canto.


TRANSLATION (source: www.williammorin.com)

Thank you to life, which has given me so much
It gave me two beams of light, that when opened
Can perfectly distinguish black from white
And in the sky above, her starry backdrop
And from within the multitude
The one that I love

Thank you to life, which has given me so much
It gave me an ear that, in all of its width
Records— night and day—crickets and canaries
Hammers and turbines and bricks and storms
And the tender voice of my beloved

Thank you to life, which has given me so much
It gave me sound and the alphabet
With them the words that I think and declare
Mother, Friend, Brother and the light shining
The route of the soul from which comes love

Thank you to life, which has given me so much
It gave me the ability to walk with my tired feet
With them I have traversed cities and puddles
Valleys and deserts, mountains and plains
And your house, your street and your patio

Thank you to life, which has given me so much
It gave me a heart, that causes my frame to shudder
When I see the fruit of the human brain
When I see good so far from bad
When I see within the clarity of your eyes

Thank you to life, which has given me so muc
It gave me laughter and it gave me longing
With them I distinguish happiness and pain
The two materials from which my songs are formed
And your song, as well, which is the same song
And everyones song, which is my very song

Category:

Music

Tags:

• joan
• baez
• gracias
• la
• vida
• violeta
• parra
• chile
• folk
• vieilles
• charrues

[jackolsd]

Qué bella canción de la Chilena Violeta Parra!!!!

[wagnar]

I don't like Joan Baez's version. She gaves the song a mexican/spaniard feeling. It's too different from the original song that was humble song from chilean folklore.

[SantiaguitoDesideri]

@wagnar Si ! Tienes razon pero hay mas que una belleza !

[MsMaydole]

¡Magnifica!



[venusiano]

@ladylenahc Me lembro bem deste dia. Foi no Aterro do Flamengo, no Rio de Janeiro. Ela foi proibida de cantar pelo ministro da Justiça, se não me engano, Ibrahin Abi Ackel, por ordem do regime militar. Uma vergonha!

[francis5783]

MUY BELLA VERSIÒN.....



[aripic91]

does anyone know who is the first musician that appears?

[domdomcollin]

elle chantait avec Bob Dylan il y a longntemps !!!

[mightymissk]

Once again, Joan shows us how it's done. How to turn an audience into hamburger. And the band was AWESOME. I usually hate the big instrumental, the "guitar solo" in the middle of a good song. It usually feels wrong, somehow, but these guys were amazing. The fiddle player alone was glorious.What a wonderful, wonderful song. Somewhere in heaven, Violeta Parra must be smiling. Awesome. This lovely song lifted my spirits all day.

[ladylenahc]

lembro-me que na decada de 80 esta cantora veio ao Brasil e foi

proibida de cantar,ela voltou ao seu país sem fazer seu show aqui.

era a ditadura, a sensura!

Ah a sensura , as vezes acho que ela nos privou de muitas coisas boas!

Mas bem que ela poderia existir hoje, mais flexivel, pois não teriamos que ver, e ouvir tantas porcarias ,que toca nas rádios

[rudymartinez]

My favorite Joan Baez song of em all! LOVE IT

[MrDLOC11]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOAN!!

LOVE FROM L.A.