Tunpare Yaicó Huyerovia Ñamano (‘Or Let Us Swear in Glory to Die’). Translations of the Argentine National Anthem Among the Guarani Speakers of Salta

Abstract

Over the course of nine decades, different Guaraní-speaking communities in the province of Salta have performed their own versions of the Argentine national anthem. Based on information gathered in fieldwork, as well as data obtained from written, audio, and audiovisual documents, the process of creation and implementation of these translations is described and analysed from an ethnographic and historical perspective. To this end, we compare the different versions that have been collected to date, seeking to understand the socio-historical contexts in which they emerged, the actors involved, and the motivations that the Guaraní had for undertaking the task. We also investigate the novel ways they found to solve the translations, the semantic and symbolic aspects associated with the process and the memories linked to their practice. We argue that the patriotic symbol, when translated into Guaraní, acquires new layers of meaning that adhere to the original and allow the ethnic difference to be emphasised. The versions, likewise, configure a mobile and disputed field; it is a cultural product that does not go unnoticed and to which the Guaraní were able to resort at different historical moments as a useful resource to be deployed in the intercultural sphere.