# Santa Bárbara bendita

Santa Bárbara (also known as Nel Pozu Maria Luisa and Santa Bárbara Bendita) is a traditional song of the Asturian coal miners.

## 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

## English translation

    In the María Luisa pit //
    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
A last couplet, sometimes omitted because of non politically correct profanity runs likewise
Cago en los capataces Arrivistas y esquiroles (Variant) Accionistas y esquiroles
I Crap on the foremen (they're all) hustlers and union scabs (variant) And the shareholders and unions scabs too