Boise, Idaho, USA. The Coronavirus has become part of our lives since March 2020, and although the struggle to fight it has also lasted that long, humans aren’t done taking precautionary measures and there are still too many citizens and authorities that don´t follow as much as they should the recommendations of the health authorities. And so, some people still continue thinking about the convenience or not of using masks.
The following verses, or bertsos, come to us from Boise, from our friend Todor Azurtza who is worried about the topic. Todor says “the health experts support that there is clear evidence that using a mask helps to contain the spread of COVID-19, and that the more people who wear them, the better. Nevertheless, in the US, mask use generates heated discussion,” he says.
This is why, with the best of intentions and with the community’s well-being at heart he has made this call to the Basque community to use masks (musukoak or maskarak in Basque), “humbly and because we love each other," "I want to gently suggest the use of masks” by the Basque community. He made the request through this video and these lines, adapting the popular song “Gzk euskaraz, zuk zergatik ez” (music by Urko and lyrics by Bitoriano Gandiaga) with a new version called “Guk maskara, zuk zergatik ez.”
Mesedez ez hasi niri aiuika
ez baita inorentzako kritika
Heriotzak gora doaz eta aldatu behar da dinamika
Izurrite honi elkar aurre egitea ez da politika.
(Please do not yell at me,
because I am not criticizing anyone.
Deaths are rising and the dynamic has to be changed.
It is not politics to confront this pandemic together.)
Guk maskara, zuk zergatik ez? (bis)
(We wear a face mask, why wouldn’t you?)
Erraia dut negar-malkoz etsita
makina bat hildako ikusita
Zoritxarrez ez da babestuko gaituen txertoa ez botika
Covid hemeretzi luzerako gure giroan da, itsatsita.
(I am resigned, full of tears,
seeing so many deaths.
Unfortunately, there is no vaccine nor medicine that will protect us.
Covid 19 is in our environment for a long time, stuck)
Guk maskara, zuk zergatik ez? (bis)
(We wear a face mask, why wouldn’t you?)
Jarraitu behar genuke apika
hau gainditua dutenen taktika
Zapia musuan daukagula ibili gaitezen beti, nahika
Musukoa izan bedi beti elkar babesteko gure irrika.
(Perhaps we should imitate
the tactics used by those who have overcome this.
Let’s wear a face mask always, willingly.
Let face masks be our desire to protect each other)
Guk maskara, zuk zergatik ez? (bis)
(We wear masks. So why don’t you?)
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