The hamarreko is a type of traditional Basque stanza whose meaning is literally: %u201Cde diez%u201D 1 . It is one of the popular forms most used in bertsolaris competitions along with the zortziko (this one with eight verses). As also happens with the zortziko, the hamarreko can be subdivided, in turn, into hamarreko handi (“handia”, “luzea”) and hamarreko txiki ("Txikia"), in reference to the extension of the verses that make up one or another variant 2 .
Below we transfer an example of hamarreko handi, which is only the first of a series of three that were improvised by Aitor Sarriegi Galparsoro (1976- ):
Seme batentzat aitak sekula
ez du egin ezer txarrik.
Urte hauetan ez da falta izan
feel eta negarrik.
Kalera irten behar du eta
nago arraro samarrik
Kondena latza bete hurts
ez dago esan beharrik
baina kondena ez du betetzen
A beautiful hamarreko, in the txiki variant, is the one composed by another good bertsolari and rapper, Odei Barroso Gomila (1988- ), which we are also transferring now:
urrezkoa bitxia
urrezkoa luma
hoiei begira passes
izan dut eguna.
Ez dakigunez zer den
bihar datorkiguna
bitan bana dezagun
nerea lagoon
ta zure parteakin
Bibliography a.
BADIOLA RENTER A, Prudencia & L PEZ S INZ, Josefina, Literature in the Basque language , Madrid, Editorial Cincel, 1981.
EGA A. Andoni, GARZIA, Joxerra & SARASUA, Jon, Bat-bateko bertsolaritza: gakoak eta azterbideak , Donostia, Bertsozale Elkartea, 2001.
Grades:
1 On the matter of etymology, see: http://estudiaeuskera.blogspot.com/2017/07/usos-del-ko-atzizkia.html (last consult: 03/13/2022).
2 The hamarreko andia follows the verse structure of: 10-8A-10-8A-10-8A-10-8A-10-8A; while the hamarreko txiki follows that of: 7-6-7-6-7-6-7-6-7-6 (rhyming the even verses in different variables).
3 Text available at: https://bdb.bertsozale.eus/uploads/liburutegia/xdz5_ld_001045.pdf (last consulted: 13/13/2022).
4 Translation into Spanish: %u201CFor a son, a father never/ does anything wrong./ In all these years, there have been no shortages/ or tears or feelings./ The time has come for him to go out into the street;/ I feel quite rare./ That he has served a long sentence/ there is no need to say it./ But the sentence is not served only/ by the one inside.%u201D
5 Text available at: https://bdb.bertsozale.eus/uploads/liburutegia/xdz5_ld_001045.pdf (last consulted: 13/13/2022).
6 Translation into Spanish: %u201C Gold jewels,/ gold feathers/ looking at them/ I usually spend the day./ Since we don't know/ what will come to us tomorrow,/ let's divide in two/ my friend/, and with your part / do whatever you want./%u201D