With due apologies for a lack of timeliness, here is our translation of a corrido in honor of Samir, by María Antonieta Ruiz Zurita of the community of Huexca, Morelos, and the collective Huexca en Resistencia. She passed away on September 29, 2021 of COVID-19; to our compas out there, we remind you that the pandemic continues (and that is even without mentioning the bird flu which threatens to become human-human transmissible and has already made eggs unaffordable for many up here in the North).
Note: this is a pretty rough translation because the content is what matters. It’s not intended to be sung with the same rhythm, or anything like that. We just wanted to share with our English-speaking compañer@s. So, humbly, here is the video, followed by the translation of the lyrics along with the original Spanish.
Corrido a Samir Flores, por María Antonieta Ruiz Zurita
Los pueblos están de luto porque falta un compañero
The pueblos are in mourning because a compañero is missing
Vilmente lo asesinaron porque le tuvieron miedo
He was killed in a vile way because they feared him
Samir Flores Soberanes fue un hombre con mucho honor
Samir Flores Soberanes was a man with much honor
Nunca le temió al gobierno, por eso los enfrentó
He never feared the government, that’s why he confronted them
Con verdades y argumentos a los pueblos defendió
He defended the pueblos with truths and arguments
El gobierno no los tiene, por eso se encabronó
The government had none, that’s why they got pissed off
El martes por la mañana estaba en Jona (Jonacatepec) Morelos
On Tuesday morning he was in Jonacatepec, Morelos
Se reunió con unos vatos allegados al gobierno
He met with some men close with the government
Miércoles 20 de febrero a su casa lo siguieron
On Wednesday, February 20 he was followed to his house
Lo sacaron con engaños y dos balazos le dieron
They got him out with tricks and shot him twice
Qué poca manera tiene de dialogar con los pueblos
What a poor way they have of dialogue with the pueblos
No quieran vernos la cara y no quieran envolvernos
That they don’t want to look us in the face and don’t want to involve us
Samir ya está descansando, ya lo fuimos a enterrar
Samir is resting now, we went to bury him
Samir se fue para el cielo, lleva su palma en la mano, mientras que los asesinos ya tienen su reservado, su alma perversa y maldita, se la entregaron al diablo.
Samir left for heaven, he carries his palm [branch] in his hand, while the murderers have their [fate] reserved, their perverse and damned soul, they offered it to the devil.
Samir se fue para el cielo, el gobierno lo mató
Samir left for heaven, the government killed him
Le dolieron las verdades, fue una activista chingón
The truths hurt them, he was a hell of an activist
Ya me voy ya me despido, de mi familia y mis compas
[Samir:] “I’m going, I’m saying goodbye to my family and my compas”
De mis padres y mis hijos, mis hermanos y mi esposa
“To my parents and my children, my siblings and my wife”
No se confíen del gobierno, se parece al escorpión
“Do not trust the government, it is like the scorpion”
Primero te da confianza y te clava el aguijón
“First it gains your trust and then the stinger strikes you”
A todos mis compañeros ahí les dejo esta consigna
“To all of my compañeros, I leave you this instruction”
Que levanten la cabeza, nunca doblen la rodilla, no le teman al gobierno, que con garras y con dientes hay que defender los pueblos.
“Raise your head high, never bend the knee, do not fear the government, the pueblos must be defended tooth and nail.”