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Editor's Note:
35 years ago this April 25th a small group of army officers and soldiers rose up against a totalitarian fascist regime that has ruled for half a century and practically without spilling any blood, destabilized and took control of the European nation of Portugal. That coup d’etat, referred to since as the 'Carnation Revolution' handed to the populace a new governing structure that heralded democratic principles that still endure.
The soldiers marked ‘zero hour’ for the commencement of hostilities, through a previously agreed to signal: it would be the radio broadcast, over the national radio station, of a song, ‘Grândola Vila Morena’ recorded by the widely known rebel troubadour Jose “Zeca” Afonso.
The Vampires, is another of his
compositions. You can listen to Zeca Afonso performing these very
lyrics (in Portuguese), on YouTube (see below).
The Vampires, by Zeca Afonso
In the
gray sky below muted stars
Beating
wings in a quieted night
Arrive
bands with velvet feet
To suck fresh blood from the herds
They
take everything, they eat everything
They
take everything and leave behind nothing
They
eat everything, they take everything
They eat everything and leave behind nothing
To all
parts arrive the vampires
Landing
on parapets and causeways
Bearing
within them ancient spoils
But nothing binds them to those lives destroyed
They
take everything, they eat everything
They
take everything and leave behind nothing
They
eat everything, they take everything
They eat everything and leave behind nothing
If
anyone is mistaken by their air of sincerity
And openly unbars the doors at their arrival
They
take everything, they eat everything
They
take everything and leave behind nothing
They
eat everything, they take everything
They eat everything and leave behind nothing
Upon
the soil of fear befall the vanquished
Hearing
the screams in the hushed night
Lying
in ditches the victims of a credo
While the herd’s blood is not emptied
They
take everything, they eat everything
They
take everything and leave behind nothing
They
eat everything, they take everything
They eat everything and leave behind nothing
They are the stewards of the whole universe
Masters
by force commanders without laws
Befill
their granaries Drink the new wine
Dancing merrily in the King’s pine-grove
They
take everything, they eat everything
They
take everything and leave behind nothing
They
eat everything, they take everything
They eat everything and leave behind nothing
If
anyone is mistaken by their air of sincerity
And openly unbars the doors at their arrival
They
take everything, they eat everything
They
take everything and leave behind nothing
They
eat everything, they take everything
They eat everything and leave behind nothing
They
take everything, they eat everything
They eat everything and leave behind nothing
Translated from the Portuguese by Victor M. Saraiva
All Rights Reserved
Posted April 23, 2009
URL: www.thecitizenfsr.org SM 2000-2011
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