"És Nadal a El Nacional" - "It's Christmas at El Nacional" - will probably remain as a leitmotif that the editorial staff of this newspaper will sing for posterity whenever the end-of-year holidays arrive, thanks to Lo Pau de Ponts, Catalan singer-songwriter who surprised the viewers of the El Nacional TV live broadcast for the 2023 Christmas Lottery draw this Friday, with a re-written version of the Christmas song Quan somrius. A musical theme that ran through the events that dominated the news in Catalonia this year - covering areas from sports and politics to affairs of the heart. From the separation of Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro to the arduous road to the amnesty law negotiated with the Spanish government. All in a live broadcast hosted by Xavi Freixes and with a cast of thousands, including the Christmas lottery winners themselves, after the Gordo-winning number 88008 came out of the drum later than any previous time in the draw's long history.
Of course Lo Pau's performance is in Catalan, and for our English-language readers, you'll find the lyrics with translation, interpretation and links below. Take it away Pau...
The 2023 news as sung by Lo Pau de Ponts
Aquest ha estat l'any de l'Amnistia,
l'any de la guerra de Palestina i Israel.
Se'ns ha separat la Rosalía
i també s'han separat els Manel.
...Lo Pau starts with the big stuff: in both Catalonia and Spain, it's been the year of the amnesty for independence process prosecutions, while internationally, the terrible war in Palestine and Israel. A change of register, to recall that Catalan musical megastar Rosalia left her long-time boyfriend Rauw this year (it was going so well!), and beloved group the Manels also called it a day...
Hi ha una sequera molt severa
a veure si l'any nou ja plou.
La princesa Elionor s'ha fet major d'edat,
i el Cotixcoti ho ha petat.
...Climate change affects us all and Lo Pau starts verse two by mentioning Catalonia's severe drought - the worst ever - and the hope that it will rain in the new year. Meanwhile, Spain's princess Leonor, heir to the throne, has come of age (this is both gossip news and serious politics in Spain), and the tune Coti x coti, making the Sardana dance into a pop anthem, went through the roof...
És Nadal a El Nacional,
no ha tocat la loteria
però no perdem l'alegria
i ho cantem amb il·lusió.
...Time for a chorus of sorts: It's Christmas at El Nacional, we didn't win the lottery (did we?), but let's not lose our good spirits, let's sing up with a hefty dose of festive cheer...
I que aquest any que ve
vagi tot la mar de bé,
i al que estigui fotut
li desitgem sort i salut.
...And hope that next year everything goes swimmingly well, and may everything that's fucked (hey, that's what Lo Pau sang!!), turn into jolly good luck...
En Laporta ja sembla manobre,
té l'estadi en obres i l'equip en construcció.
I és que aquest ha estat l'any del Girona,
l'any del Rubiales i del petó.
... Now for the sports news: Barça president Laporta has both the Camp Nou stadium and the team under construction, but the football team of the year is also Catalan - Girona! - and of course this was the year of Rubiales and the kiss (and those marvellous women players starting with Bonmatí, I might add)...
I ara venen les fartaneres,
ara ens fotrem tot com teixons.
Dilluns l'escudella i de postres els torrons,
i l'endemà un plat de canelons.
... And now, it's time (getting back to Catalan traditions) to eat too much, to "get stuffed like badgers" as Lo Pau puts it, "on Monday the escudella and for dessert the torrons," both traditional Catalan Christmas dishes, "and the next day a plate of canelons."
And on that mouth-watering note, we wish you all a Bon Nadal from El Nacional.cat in English!