"¡Ay Carmela!" | |
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Military flag of the Spanish Republic
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Song | |
Language | Spanish |
English title | "Ay Carmela!" |
Genre | Topical song |
Songwriter(s) | Unknown |
¡Ay Carmela! is one of the most famous songs of the Spanish Republican troops during the Spanish Civil War.
The most popular lyrics to this Republican song have two variants known as El Paso del Ebro and Viva la XV Brigada. The first one is related to the Battle of the Ebro and the second mentions the Battle of Jarama, two of the main confrontations of the Civil War. The melody, however, is a folk tune of far greater antiquity, dating back to the Peninsular War in the early 19th century.
The sentence Luchamos contra los moros (We fight against the Moors) refers to the Regulares, the feared Moroccan units fighting as the shock troops of the Nationalists.
El Ejército del Ebro,
rumba la rumba la rumba la.
El Ejército del Ebro,
rumba la rumba la rumba la
Y a las tropas invasoras,
rumba la rumba la rumba la.
Y a las tropas invasoras,
rumba la rumba la rumba la
El furor de los traidores,
rumba la rumba la rumba la.
El furor de los traidores,
rumba la rumba la rumba la
Pero nada pueden bombas,
rumba la rumba la rumba la.
Pero nada pueden bombas,
rumba la rumba la rumba la
Contraataques muy rabiosos,
rumba la rumba la rumba la.
Contraataques muy rabiosos,
rumba la rumba la rumba la
Pero igual que combatimos,
rumba la rumba la rumba la.
Pero igual que combatimos,
rumba la rumba la rumba la
The army of the Ebro,
Rumba la rumba la rumba la!
The army of the Ebro,
Rumba la rumba la rumba la!
And the invading forces,
Rumba la rumba la rumba la!
And the invading forces,
Rumba la rumba la rumba la!
The fury of the traitors,
Rumba la rumba la rumba la!
The fury of the traitors,
Rumba la rumba la rumba la!
But their bombs can do nothing,
Rumba la rumba la rumba la!
But their bombs can do nothing,
Rumba la rumba la rumba la!
[Their] counterattacks are fierce,
Rumba la rumba la rumba la!
[Their] counterattacks are fierce,
Rumba la rumba la rumba la!