Editor's note: Axis of Logic Columnist and long time friend, Arturo Rosales has translated a number of songs for us from Spanish and I know of noone who knows and loves the soul of the Venezuelan people more than Arturo. This song is seasoned in coloquial Venezuelan Spanish. With his splendid introduction Arturo explains the social and cultural ground from which it grew. I am compelled to add only one thing: the people who are the musicians and the subject of this beautiful song are those whom I've come to know and love since my first visit to Venezuela 9 years ago when Arturo met me in Caracas saying, "You have to come and meet the real people.".

- Les Blough in Venezuela
- Axis of Logic

Arturo Rosales, writing from Caracas:

A video full of humor, tragedy, history and the soul of the Venezuelan poor. It is amusing at times but reminds us of the travails and sacrifices of the mass of the Venezuelan poor from times of the Independence Wars right through the “last man on horseback in the 1920’s (Pedro Pérez Delgado – Maisanta) right up to the modern chavista era peppered with the scorn still heaped on the poor people in Venezuela by the “superior” rich echelons of the Venezuelan “crème de la crème” – the social and equally fascist racists.

What has changed? Not much according to Gino Gonzalez’s pointed lyrics. González wrote this joropo for the 2012 Venezuelan presidential campaign as a celebration of the poor people’s relationship with their Comandante. As the song progresses, the people sing of their proud history and speak of their empowerment in lines like,

Homeland and homeland victory Is already written In the heart of the people That is the motor of history Since in this process We are the fuel And we are also the flame The water and the spices

The conversation at the start of this video is about Chávez since he is “the man” and everyone is with him. Then someone asks “But who are we?” The cuartro player, Gino, says – “So you want to know who we are? Well just listen to this song”.

This is joropo a traditional Venezuelan rhythm mainly for dancing.

NOSOTROS CON CHAVEZ Por: GINO GONZÁLEZ	WE ARE WITH CHAVEZ By: GINO GONZÁLEZ
1 Somos los empobrecidos Los obreros los del barrio Los que hacen los edificios Pero viven en los ranchos Somos los esclavizados Primo pariente compadre Los tierruos los relegados Los mios cara e culpable Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez	1 We are the impoverished The workers from the barrio Those who make the buildings But live in the ranchos We are the enslaved Cousins related my buddy The landless and the relegated They’re all mine with guilty faces We are the poor But we’re all with Chávez
2 Nos hablamos y escuchamos De la miseria a la gente Nosotros somos la clase Asaltada desde siempre Entre dolores y sueños Sin que nos doblegue el hambre Somos los pata en el suelo los que no los para nadie Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez	2 We talk and listen to each other About the misery of the people We are the class That’s always been assaulted In our pains and dreams Without letting hunger finish us We are the barefoot people That no one cares for We are the poor But we’re all with Chávez
3 Somos pa los poderosos chusma, turba, lumpen, monos malandros, zarrapastrosos borrachos, vagos y flojos los sarnosos, las cachifas los macacos, el perraje nosotros somos chavistas nosotros somos la calle Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez	3 For the powerful we’re Scum, mobs, lumpen and monkeys Delinquents, ragamuffins Drunks, down and out lazies Baboons and dogs Scabied maids We are chavistas And we belong in the street We are the poor But we’re all with Chávez
4 Somos del ochenta y nueve El ventisiete e febrero Del noventidos el cuatro de abril El trece guerrero somos pal capitalismo las lacras, los marginales Somos los que decidimos El gobierno que nos cuadre Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez	4 We’re those from eighty-nine The twenty-seventh of February And the fourth in ninety-two And the battles of the 13th of April For capitalism we’re Just scourge and marginalized We are those who decide If the government suits us We are the poor But we’re all with Chávez
5 Ni esperanza ni utopía Pues somos el horizonte Ni de la necesidad el pensamiento reporte que los sabios nos nombren y hablemos los ignorares a los que nos corresponde encontrar juntos la clave Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez	5 We’re not hope or utopia Cuz we’re just on the horizon There’s no need For thought to report us As the wise never name us And let the ignorant just speak To those whom we ought to In order the find the key We are the poor But we’re all with Chávez
6 Nosotros somos la esquina La parranda, el dominó El sancocho, la sardina Esa cayapa soy yo Uno sólo, los plurales Nosotros somos el pueblo Los que ponemos los muertos Para que la historia cambie Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez	6 We just loll on the corner Party and play dominos Big soups and sardines I’m part of all this Either alone or altogether We are the people Those who end up dying To alter the course of history We are the poor But we’re all with Chávez
7 Ni tornillo ni las tuercas ni cabillas ni concreto. Somos los del pensamiento Somos la gente que piensa Ni derecha ni de izquierda ni concavos ni convexos ni corporación ni gremio ni anarquistas ni formales Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez	7 We’re not nuts or bolts Or rebar or concrete We are those with thoughts We are the people who think Not on the right or the left Not bent or straight Not a company or union Not formal or anarchcists We are the poor But we’re all with Chávez
8 Los que han trabajado somos Para que los ricos coman Los que si dejamos solo A este mundo se desploma Nosotros somos la sangre Somos la respiración Somos los indispensables Pa que haya revolución Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez	8 We’re those who do the work So that the rich can eat Those who if they leave The world would collapse We are the blood We are the breath We are what’s needed So that there’s revolution We are the poor And we’re all with Chávez
9 A conuco no le gana Una escuela ni en recreo Ni a la cayapa tampoco Montacarga ni volteo Somos el cuatro afinao el chinchorro y el casabe El café recién colao Y la arepa en el budare Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez	9 School and R & R Aren’t better than a small farm And a fork-lift or tipper Can’t beat a goodmeeting We’re a tuned cuatro A hammock and casave Freshly brewed coffee And an arepa on the stove We are the poor And we’re all with Chávez
10 Ni trabajar como esclavos Ni soñar como los amos Es necesario pensarnos Pa sabe pa donde vamos Pa que desde la conciencia Y no al borde del desastre busquemos la otra conversa sin poses de intelectuales Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez	10 Neither working like slaves Nor dreaming like the bosses We have to start thinking To know where we’re going So that from our conscience And not from the edge of disaster We find the way out Without intellectual poses We are the poor And we’re all with Chávez
11 También somos el soldado Carne e cañón en la guerra Los campesinos sin campo Que han trabajado la tierra Los que juntos son los mares El aguacero y los ríos Los que somos el gentío Restiaos con El Comandante Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez	11 We are also the soldiers Cannon fodder for the wars Landless peasants That have worked the fields Those who make up the sea The rains and the rivers Are the masses of people Backing up our Commander We are the poor And we’re all with Chávez
12 Somos el pueblo en guerrilla Que con Boves se alzó Y que después con Bolívar La rabia la encarriló Que con Ezequiel Zamora Luego retoma el combate Con Arévalo Cedeño y Pedro Pérez Delgado Maisanta somos bastantes con tu bisnieto soñando y por fin vamos logrando la patria que tú soñaste Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez	12 We are a guerilla army That rode with Boves And then alongside Bolívar Driven on by rage With Ezequiel Zamora Then back to the fight With Arévalo Cedeño And Pedro Pérez Delgado Many of us are Maisanta Dreaming with his offspring Of finally getting The homeland dreamed of We are the poor But we’re all with Chávez
13 Patria o patria venceremos Ya esta escrita la victoria En el corazon de l pueblo Que es el motor de la historia Porque aquí en este proceso Nosotros somos la leña También somos la candela El agua y el condimento Pero no estaría completo Si faltara el comandante Porque es el alma y el cuerpo Y aliño más importante Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez Nosotros somos los pobres Todos nosotros con Chávez	13 Homeland and homeland victory Is already written In the heart of the people That is the motor of history Since in this process We are the fuel And we are also the flame The water and the spices But it wouldn’t be complete Without our Comandante Who is the body and soul And the vital ingredient We are the poor But we’re all with Chávez We are the poor But we’re all with Chávez We are the poor And we’re all with Chávez

Translation of lyrics by Arturo Rosales

See more songs translated by Axis of Logic's
Venezuelan columnists, Arturo Rosales and Ramón Santiago

• Venezuelan Plains Music sung by Comandante Hugo Chávez
  
  
• Rock Music: Paul Gillman wins MTV world poll as the Best Male Metal Voice of All Time
  
  
• The Peasant Girl from Guantanamo. Arturo Rosales reflects on music and Martí
  
  
• Revolutionary Music : “I don’t know philosophy” – Alí Primera