I am a Catalan

PAU CASALS UNITED NATIONS SPEECH – 19711

Discurs de Pau Casals davant l’ONU, en recollir la Medalla de la Pau el 19712

Pau Casals – El cant dels ocells (at the White House)3

Laburpena4:

This is the greatest honour of my life. Peace has always been my greatest concern. I learnt to love it when I was but a child. When I was a boy, my mother – an exceptional, marvellous woman -, would talk to me about peace, because at that time there were also many wars. What is more, I am Catalan. Catalonia had the first democratic parliament, well before England did. And the first United Nations were in my country. At that time – the Eleventh Century – there was a meeting in Toluges – now France – to talk about peace, because in that epoch Catalans were already against, AGAINST war. That is why the United Nations, which works solely towards the peace ideal, is in my heart, because anything to do with peace goes straight to my heart.

I have not played the cello in public for many years, but I feel that the time has come to play again. I am going to play a melody from Catalan folklore: El cant dels ocells – The Song of the Birds. Birds sing when they are in the sky, they sing: “Peace, Peace, Peace”, and it is a melody that Bach, Beethoven and all the greats would have admired and loved. What is more, it is born in the soul of my people, Catalonia.”

Katalunieraz5:

Deixeu-me que us digui una cosa… jo sóc català. Catalunya és avui una regió d’Espanya, però què ha estat Catalunya? Catalunya ha estat la nació més gran del món. Us explicaré per què. Catalunya va tenir el primer parlament, molt abans que Anglaterra. Catalunya va tenir les primeres Nacions Unides: al segle XI totes les autoritats de Catalunya es van reunir en una ciutat de França —aleshores Catalunya— per a parlar de pau, al segle XI… pau al món i contra, contra, contra les guerres, la inhumanitat de les guerres…. això és Catalunya.’

(I would have liked to be there, since I am a Basque)


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