Come out, the first verb in literary Basque. The prisoner needs his own language. It was in prison that the finest poetry was created. There is something about homesickness that awakens new dimensions in the poetical spirit of Basque people. In no lesser measure than homesickness, the prisoner misses his mother tongue with grief.
Remoteness has also new dimensions in the Basque ethos, a dimension of nostalgia.
Almost five hundred years later, Etxepare is nowadays further away than neighbouring Bearn and in far worse conditions. Singing to themselves or writing poetry to one's own fictitious self is forbidden to our new modern Etxepares. Nowadays, the Basque authors Jokin Urain, Mitxel Sarasketa, Angel Rekalde, Karlos Gorrindo, Mikel Ibarguren, Xabier Izaga, Jon Tapia Irujo and the works of many others are part of our culture, and insofar as they are writers they are an undisputable asset and patrimony of cultural life in the Basque Country. Basque literature is damaged beyond measure by denying the use of Basque to them. Libertatia nola baita gauzetako hobena, gathibutan egoitia hala pena gaitzena.