Santa Barbara Patron Saint of Miners - Miners Song in Asturias - Solidarity to the end of time from Wales

The song

The deeply emotional lyrics and the sorrowful and heroic score, usually sung a cappella by a male choir, turned the song into a symbol of Asturian coal mining and of mining in general. 

Sometimes used as a working class anthem, the hymn was widely used during the Asturian miners uprising of 1934 and during the Spanish Civil War.

The lyrics (usually sung in Asturian, Spanish or a mixture between both languages) describe the painful returning home of a miner, covered in the blood of his fellow miners, who tells his wife (Maruxina) of a mining accident in the famous Asturian mine known as Pozu Maria Luisa (located in Ciañu, Langreo).

Coal mining, which is present in Asturias since the 18th century having a pivotal role in the historical economic activity of the region, is known as a very dangerous activity. Historically, hundreds of miners have died in the mines of Asturias and deadly mining accidents were sadly common in the miner population.

Santa Bárbara is nowadays considered to be an important piece of Asturian traditional music and is included prominently in the Asturian folk music repertoire. The song is also often used in funerals, tributes and memorials

Original Asturian version

Nel pozu María Luisa

Trailarai larai, trailarai

Nel pozu María Luisa

Trailarai larai, trailarai

Morrieron cuatro mineros

mirái, mirái Maruxina, mirái

mirái como vengo yo

Traigo la camisa roxa

Trailarai larai, trailarai

Traigo la camisa roxa

Trailarai larai, trailarai

De sangre d'un compañeru

Mirái, mirái Maruxina, mirái

mirái como vengo yo

Traigo la cabeza rota

Trailarai larai, trailarai

Traigo la cabeza rota

Trailarai larai, trailarai

Que me la rompió un barrenu

Mirái, mirái Maruxiña, mirái

mirái como vengo yo

Santa Bárbara bendita

Trailarai larai, trailarai

Santa Bárbara bendita

Trailarai larai, trailarai

patrona de los mineros

Mirái, mirái Maruxina, mirái

mirái como vengo yo

Patrona de los mineros

Mirái, mirái Maruxiña, mirái

mirái como vengo yo

[edit]English translation

In the María Luisa mine

Trailarai larai, trailarai

In the María Luisa mine

Trailarai larai, trailarai

Four miners have died

Look, look Maruxina, look

look how I'm coming home

My shirt has turned red

Trailarai larai, trailarai

My shirt has turned red

Trailarai larai, trailarai

Stained with the blood of a fellow miner

Look, look Maruxina, look

look how I'm coming home

My head has broken

Trailarai larai, trailarai

My head has broken

Trailarai larai, trailarai

It was broken in a blast

Look, look Maruxiña, look

look how I'm coming home

Blessed Saint Barbara,

Trailarai larai, trailarai

Blessed Saint Barbara

Trailarai larai, trailarai

Patron saint of the miners

Look, look Maruxina, look

look how I'm coming home

Patron saint of the miners

Look, look Maruxina, look

look how I'm coming home

Source; Wikipedia

The Importance of the Miners Strike in Spain explained

“We represent the last bastion of a very well organized working class,” said Lisardo Suarez, a miner for 18 years at Maria Luisa shaft in Ciano.

Others add that the miners have long been leaders of revolts.

“We have been the spearhead of the worker’s movement throughout the 20th century when some of the workers uprisings during the dictatorship were started by us,” Robles added.

In 1962, during Franco’s dictatorship, miners dared to go on a strike to claim more labour rights and better salaries. The protests spread throughout the country and received a lot of support abroad.

With the past in mind, miners say that the government is afraid their current protest

 “could act like gunpowder across the country, turning into a massive uprising by all the citizens in Spain and in Europe,” 

said Juan Carlos Liebana, Comisiones Obreras union representative for the mining sector.

See Also Segundo Menendez speech in London below

http://democracyandclasstruggle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/segundo-menendez-collar-striking.html