BILBAO-NEW YORK-BILBAO, A NOVEL BY KIRMEN URIBE

Kirmen Uribe, the Basque poet and writer from Ondarroa (Biscay) in the last October 14th was awarded for his novel Bilbao-New York-Bilbao, which was considered the best published work in Spain during 2008 (Narrative National Prize 2009). The novel is written in Basque language in spite of being a Spanish award.

The writer is known mainly like a poet . In the video the singer Mikel Urdangarin sings a poem by Kirmen Uribe:

Notak paper solte batean, by Kirmen Uribe, as sung by Mikel Urdangarin
(Zaharregia, txikiegia agian; 2003)

Notes on a loose piece of paper
Remember to call home before too long.
To see the long reeds when they are in motion.
Not to punish myself as much as that again.
To miss the last train and wait for the next.

To wash off your injured hands in the creek.
Know there is no happiness without sadness.
Feel the glass caress of morning in the kiss.
Accept what the Devil offers once in a while.

Perhaps everything can in fact change.
Perhaps there’s any road at all somewhere.

Remember to tell what blocks you at every turn.
Not speak while watching the cormorants.
Hold out a hand to the doubts and fears.
Drive along alone without orientation.

In Basque, the original language of the poem is like this:

Notak paper solte batean
Gogoratu etxera luze gabe deitzea.
Kaina-bera luzeak mugitzen ikustea.
Neure burua hainbeste berriz ez zigortzea.
Azken trena galdu eta hurrena itxarotea.

Zauritutako eskuak errekan garbitzea.
Tristura gabe pozik ez dela jakitea.
Goizaren beirazko laztana muxuan sentitzea.
Deabruaren eskaintzak noizbehinka onartzea.

Agian dena aldatzen ahal da.
Agian nonbait biderik bada.

Gogoratu traba egiten dizun horretaz mintzatzea.
Ubarroiei begira isilik geratzea.
Beldur eta zalantzei eskua luzatzea.
Norabiderik gabe bakarrik gidatzea

Liburu on bat irakurtzeko gozamena ulergarria da. Hala ere, gozamen hori biderkatzen zait liburua euskaraz mamitua izan dela jakitean. Sentimentalimo hutsa. Horixe gertatu zitzaidan Kirmen Uriberen Bilbao-New York-Bilbao liburuarekin, W.G. Sebald-en erara eginda, Saturnoren eraztun euskaldun batzuk jorratuz. Zein naturaltasunez sartzen dituen bere familia-historian euskal munduaren elementu interesgarri batzuk! Arteta, Bastida, Dario de Regoyos, Azkue, Txomin Agirre.....agertzen dira liburuan. Baita Unamunok bere lekua aurkitzen du ere narrazioan. Agian, eta ideia hau Unamunoren pasarte laburra irakurtzen ari nintzenean etorri zitzaidan, apika, fikzio gehiago tartekatzeak erakargarriagoa egin zukeen liburua. Azken batean literaturaz ari gara!