Tio Canya [English translation]

In the village there's an old man

In the village there's an old man

who they call Uncle Canya:

he wears a hat and a black shirt,

he wears a hat and a black shirt,

and a woolen scarf

Only three times has Tio Canya

been to Valencia:

the first when he started military service,

and the second when he married his wife.

The third time he swore

That he wouldn't even return to urinate there

Because nobody there paid any respect

to a man who came from the country

Seven times he joined the queue

Seven times he joined the queue

To present some papers

for not knowing how to express himself

for not knowing how to express himself

in the language of the foreigners

He put up with all the teasing

the bitter words

and went back to the village

Uncle Canya, uncle Canya

You don't have the keys to your home

Put a new lock on

or the roof will smoke

Uncle Canya, uncle Canya

You don't have the keys to your home

Put a new lock on

or the roof will smoke

Uncle Canya had a son

Uncle Canya had a son

whom they call Uncle Canya

he wears a hat and a black shirt,

he wears a hat and a black shirt,

and a woolen scarf

Uncle Canya remembers well,

when they took him to school

seven years old, face washed well

open eyes, new shirt

But he opened his eyes much more

Uncle Canya's little guy

when he heard that teacher

speaking in that weird way

Every day that passes,

every day that passes,

his shoulders were shrinking

in fear that the teacher

in fear that the teacher

would ask him a question

He suffered punishments and scolding

Not daring to open his mouth

and he hated school

Uncle Canya, uncle Canya

You don't have the keys to your home

Put a new lock on

or the roof will smoke

Uncle Canya, uncle Canya

You don't have the keys to your home

Put a new lock on

or the roof will smoke

The journals of the street tell of

The journals of the street tell of

Some grandchildren Uncle Canya had

Who are doctors in Valencia

Who are doctors in Valencia

Professors and literate people

when they come to the countryside in the summer

Visit Uncle Canya

and the poor old man hears them

Talking in Castillian

But even more recent journals

Explain that Uncle Canya

Now has very young great-grandchildren

Who bring joy to his face

They never speak in Castillian

They never speak in Castillian

As their parents did

Instead they speak like the people from the village

Instead they speak like the people from the village

The language of Uncle Canya

Come back to life, Uncle Canya

with carers, if you need them

because you have to return to Valencia

Uncle Canya, uncle Canya

You don't have the keys to your home

Put a new lock on

Because you still have time today

Uncle Canya, uncle Canya

You don't have the keys to your home

Put a new lock on

Because you still have time today