Gracias a la Vida ... heart-felt gratitude

In September 2021, I attended a harbour concert in Rotterdam together with my son Marius. Classical pieces from Mozart and Beethoven (both composers from my beloved home country Austria) as well as Dutch chansons were performed in the open-air setting... and then there was also one Spanish song, written by a poet from Chile: GRACIAS A LA VIDA.

I have a strong connection to Chile where I did a summer internship in 1992 and which I travelled from Antofagasta and San Pedro de Atacama to La Serenca, Santiago, Temuco, Isla Chiloe, Valdivia to Punta Arenas and Tierra del Fuego...what an intense travel experience.... and the Spanish language is very close to my heart.

Luckily I video-recorded the performance because GRACIAS A LA VIDA has felt as if it were created for me... enjoy :-)

Over the past months, GRACIAS A LA VIDA has worked like a soothing mantra for me. It has helped me to find peace of mind when my unending zest for life wished for more... in my case more life-time and more time to love. It's so human to always want more ... and GRACIAS A LA VIDA has reminded me that I have already had such a richly blessed life and that it's absolutely fine the way it is. I have no bucket list of things that I still wish to do... I could always follow my dreams and I lived without regrets...what a wonderful feeling...GRACIAS A LA VIDA QUE ME A DADO TANTO.

I have translated the lyrics into English, and Ralf helped me to finetune it here and there in the desire to capture the beautiful Spanish poetry. Here we go:

Thanks to life that has given me so much.

It gave me two eyes that when I open them

I see the contrasts in color

And in the high sky I see the stars

And in the crowds the man I love.

Thanks to life that has given me so much.

It has given me the sound and the alphabet

With it the words I think and declare

Mother, friend, brother and light lighting

the path to the kindred spirit I love.

Thanks to life that has given me so much.

It empowered me to march on tireless feet.

With them I walked cities and puddles,

Beaches and deserts, mountains and plains

And to your house, your street, your patio.

Thanks to life that has given me so much.

It gave me the heart that stirs this body.

I cherish the fruits of the human brain.

I recognize all the good so far from the bad.

I melt in the sight of your bright eyes.

Thanks to life that has given me so much.

It has given me the laughter and the tears,

The serenity to distinguish bliss from broken heart.

The two perspectives that make up my song

And your song is similar to my song.

The song of mankind is my very own song.

THANKS TO LIFE THAT HAS GIVEN ME SO MUCH.