Tercera Versión

“El Nuevo Corrido de Ezequiel Rodríguez”

 

Los Alegres de Teran (Eugenio Abrego y Tomas Ortiz)

Rec. Discos Falcon A397, McAllen, TX, 21 de diciembre de 1953

Actualmente disponible en Arhoolie CD 9048


 

Texto en español

Texto en inglés

El año del treinta y nueve

recordando lo pasado,

ya murió Ezequiel Rodríguez

porque no era desconfiado.

 

El veintiséis de septiembre,

esta es la fecha y el día,

quedó en manos de un cobarde

llamado Anselmo García.

 

Ezequiel era completo,

era un hombre de valor,

de la gente de Atadeo

Ezequiel era el mejor.

 

Para matar a Ezequiel

un baile le prepararon

en la hacienda de Lozada,

allí fue onde lo mataron.

 

Iban los dos platicando,

se apartaron de la bola,

Anselmo le tenía miedo,

le descargó su pistola.

 

Ahí le decía Ezequiel

cuando estaba mal herido:

--Solamente así son hombres

porque nunca habían podido.—

 

Este fue el nuevo corrido,

ya terminé de cantar;

A Anselmo lo presentaron

porque lo querían matar.

The year of thirty-nine

remembering what happened     ,

Ezequiel Rodriquez had already died

because he wasn’t distrustful.

 

September twenty sixth,

this is the date and the day,

he was left in the hands of a coward

named Anselmo Garcia.

 

Ezequiel was complete,

he was a man of worth,

of the people of Atadeo

Ezequiel was the best.

 

In order to kill Ezequiel

they prepared him a dance

on Lozada’s ranch,

it was there where they killed him.

 

The two were talking,

they separated from the uproar,

Anselmo was afraid of him.

he fired his pistol.

 

There Ezequiel told him

when he was badly wounded:

--Only like this are they men

because they never had power--

 

This was the new ballad,

I already finished singing;

To Anselmo they presented it

because they wanted to kill him.

 

This version is a typical corrido as far as its form is concerned as well.  For example, it has 7 stanzas total like the 1st version, but this is shorter than the 2nd version which is the longest of the 3.  Also, each stanza has 4 verses in it with the rhyme in each verse being consonantal.  Also, each stanza has 4 verses in it with the rhyme in each verse being consonantal.  There are also 4 formulaic motifs present in this version.  First, there is the place (stanza 4), date (1 & 2), and name of the protagonist (1).  Second, there is the formula that precedes the arguments (6).  Third, there is the farewell of the protagonist (6).  Fourth, there is the farewell of the corrido author (7).  In addition, verse dyads and formulas are present.  For example, it mentions a pistol (5), the adjective cobarde (2), and the description of someone being afraid (5).  Furthermore, there is the formula of the insult present as well.  In stanza 2, 5, and 6 there is an insult directed towards the agraristas.  They call Anselmo Garcia, an agrarista, a coward who was afraid.  Moreover, this version is propositional on the part of Ezequiel (1-3, 5-6).  They say that he is not distrustful, complete, worthy, and the best while Anselmo is a coward.  This version also places the blame for his death on the agraristas (4 & 7).  It is interesting to me that Linares is not mentioned in this version like it is in the other 2.  Also, since this version was recorded much later than the 1st it is possible that someone (his family, the pistoleros, etc.) paid to have this corrido written and recorded to show Ezequiel in a better light.

 

Primera versión

Contexto histórico del corrido

Bibliografía

 

Corridos Agraristas homepage

 

Profesor Nicolopulos’s homepage