Calzame las Alpargatas (Bring me the Espadrilles) is a popular Carlist fight song originating in 19th century Spain. The soldier asks for the
distinctive red beret of the Carlist cause and proclaims that with his rifle he will kill more enemies than there are flowers in springtime.
As militant supporters of the Spanish Bourbon Monarchy, the Carlists also stood as staunch defenders of the Catholic Faith. The alpargatas were espadrilles made of canvas with rope soles – shoewear of the simple people – commonly used among the Carlist soldiers, who had given up everything to fight for their cause and could not afford leather boots.
This song captures the vigorous spirit of Catholic militancy and shines with the spirit of admiration towards monarchy, hierarchy and tradition. Calzame las Alpargatas returned to popularity among the Requetés during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), where the word guiris (term meaning the enemies of Carlism, derived from the Basque word for foreigner) was replaced with rojos (reds or communists) to show that the new enemy of Spain was Communism. The author is unknown.
Lyrics:
Cálzame las alpargatas,
Dame la boina, carga el fusil,
Cálzame las alpargatas,
Dame la boina, carga el fusil.
Que voy a matar más guiris,
Que voy a matar más guiris,
Que voy a matar más guiris,
Que flores tienen mayo y abril.
Que voy a matar más guiris,
Que flores tienen mayo y abril.
Que yo me voy, que yo me voy,
Que yo me voy a la facción,
A defender la bandera,
De Don Carlos de Borbón.
Que yo me voy, que yo me voy,
Que yo me voy a la facción,
A defender la bandera,
De Don Carlos de Borbón.
Caballero en su caballo,
Tiene Don Carlos, ay que primor,
La boina flotando al viento,
Y entre sus manos lleva una flor.
Es la Reina Margarita,
De Parma la más bonita
Entre las flores bonitas,
Y entre las Reinas es la mejor,
Entre las flores bonitas,
Y entre las Reinas es la mejor.
Que yo me voy, que yo me voy,
Que yo me voy a la facción,
A defender la bandera,
De Don Carlos de Borbón.
Que yo me voy, que yo me voy,
Que yo me voy a la facción,
A defender la bandera,
De Don Carlos de Borbón.
English translation:
Bring me the espadrilles,
Give me the beret, load the rifle.
Bring me the espadrilles,
Give me the beret, load the rifle.
For I'm going to kill more enemies,
For I'm going to kill more enemies,
For I'm going to kill more enemies,
Than there are flowers in May and April.
For I'm going to kill more enemies,
Than there are flowers in May and April.
For I am leaving, for I am leaving,
For I am leaving to join the faction,
To defend the flag,
Of Don Carlos of Bourbon.
For I am leaving, for I am leaving,
For I am leaving to join the faction,
To defend the flag,
Of Don Carlos of Bourbon.
A Knight on his horse,
Don Carlos has, how elegant,
His beret blowing in the wind,
And in his hands he has a flower.
It is the Queen Margarita,
Of Parma, she is the most beautiful
Among the beautiful flowers,
And among the Queens she is the best,
Among the beautiful flowers,
And among the Queens, she is the best.
For I am leaving, for I am leaving,
For I am leaving to join the faction,
To defend the flag,
Of Don Carlos of Bourbon.
For I am leaving, for I am leaving,
For I am leaving to join the faction,
To defend the flag,
Of Don Carlos of Bourbon.
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