CRACIUN 1914

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujJD122Yd9U

(Mike Harding)

Christmas Eve in 1914, stars were gleaming, gleaming bright
And all along the Western front guns were lying still and quiet
Men lay dozing in the trenches, in the cold and in the dark
As far away behind the lines a village dog began to bark

Some lay thinking of their families, some sang songs to others quiet
Playing brag and rolling fags to pass away the Christmas night
As we watched the German trenches, something moved in no man's land
Through the dark there came a soldier carrying a white flag in his hand

Then from both sides men came running, crossing into no man's land
Through the barbed wire, mud and shell-holes, shyly stood there shaking hands
Fritz he brought cigars and brandy, Tommy brought corned beef and fags
And as they stood there quietly talking, the moon shone down on no man's land

Then Christmas Day we all played football in the mud of no man's land
Tommy brought some Christmas pudding, Fritz brought out a German band
And when they beat us at the football we shared all our grub and drink
Then Fritz showed me a tattered photo of a brown-haired girl back in Berlin

For four days after no side fired, not one shot disturbed the night
For old Fritz and Tommy Atkins, they'd both lost their will to fight
So they withdrew us from the trenches, sent us back behind the lines
They brought fresh troops to take our places and told the guns, Prepare to fire

The next night in 1914, flak was beaming, beaming bright
The orders came, Prepare offensive! Over the top we go tonight
And men stood waiting in the trenches, gazed out across our football park
As all along the Western front the Christmas guns began to bark

Sung by Arthur Johnstone from Glasgow, who used to run the city's famous Star Club, on his album 'North By North' (1989).
Pentru cei ce nu inteleg engleza, iata povestea acestui cintec...(se pare ca a fost o intimplare reala)
Seara de Craciun 1914- stelele stralucesc deasupra  si pe frontul de vest pustile se odihneau linistite. Barbatii erau atipiti pe frig si pe intuneric, si undeva departe , dincolo de linia frontului un ciine dintr-un sat apropiat latra... Unii dintre oameni stateau intinsi gindindu-se la familiile lor, altii fredonau cite un cintec, altii stateau tacuti. Unii jucau carti sa treaca timpul- in seara aceasta de Craciun. Si cum ne uitam catre transeele germane, ceva s-a miscat in portiunea de teren dintre cele doua fronturi- pamintul nimanui; si prin intuneric a venit de la ei - la noi un soldat cu un stegulet alb in mina. Apoi din amindoua partile soldatii au inceput sa treaca in portiunea din mijloc- pamintul nimanui , printre gaurile din sirma ghimpata facute de cartuse...si am stat acolo in namolul din mijloc sfiosi si am dat mina unii cu altii.
Fritz a adus tigari si brandy si Tommy a adus ceva de mincare si cum am stat acolo vorbind, luna s-a ridicat deasupra noastra si ne-a invaluit pe toti in lumina.
Apoi in ziua de Craciun am jucat cu totii fotbal in noroiul dintre cele doua fronturi- pe pamintul nimanui. La urma Tommy a adus ceva pudding de Craciun si germanii au pus ceva muzica si dupa ce ne-au batut bine la fotbal, toti am impartit intre noi mincarea si bautura - iar Fritz mi-a aratat o poza ce-o tinea in buzunarul de la piept a unei fete cu parul castaniu ce-l astepta in Berlin.
Au fost 4 zile in care n-am tras niciunul un singur glonte...si nici un zgomot n-a tulburat noptile- caci atit Fritz cit si Tommy Atkins n-au mai avut chef sa se bata. Asa ca ne-au scos pe noi de pe linia intiia si ne-au trimis in spatele frontului si au adus trupe proaspete sa ne ia locul si le-au spus sa se pregateasca de bataie.
Urmatoarea noapte in 1914...era o noapte cu luna plina. Si ordinul a venit..."Pregatiti ofensa! De data asta vom merge pina la capat!"...Si oamenii au asteptat in transee si s-au uitat peste terenul nostru de fotbal din mijloc...peste  pamintul nimanui...in timp ce de-alungul frontului de vest impuscaturile de Craciun au inceput sa bubuie...