El meu Avi

 ÀNGEL | Barcelona, 6th December 2025

El  meu avi

My grandfather.
My grandfather went to Cuba on board el Català, 
the best warship of the overseas fleet.
El meu avi.
El meu avi va anar a Cuba a bordo del català, 
el millor barco de guerra de la flota d’ultramar.

The helmsman and the boatswain and fourteen sailors
were born in Calella were born in Palafrugell.
El timoner i el nostramo i catorze mariners
eren nascuts a Calella, eren nascuts a Palafrugell.

When el Català set sail, the boys from Calella were making a cremat, hands on the guitar they used to sing, they used to sing:
long life Catalunya, long life el Català!
Quan el Català sortia a la mar, els nois de Calella feien un cremat,
mans a la guitarra solien cantar, solien cantar:
Visca Catalunya, Visca el català!

Times of war, perfidy, and betrayal arrived, 
and in the Caribbean sea the cannons roared.
The sailors from Calella, and my grandfather among them 
all died on deck, died manning the cannons.
Arribaren temps de guerra, de perfídies i traicions 
i en el mar de les Antilles retronaren els canons.
Els mariners de Calella I el meu avi al mig de tots,
varen morir a coberta, varen morir al peu del cano.

When el Català set sail, my grandfather shouted: "Come on, boys, it’s late!"
But the brave men on board did not return, did not return.
It was the Americans’ fault.
Quan el Català sortia a la mar, cridava el meu avi, apa, nois, que és tard!
Però els valents de a bordo no varen tornar, no varen tornar,
tingueren la culpa els americans.