Lazkao Txiki
“Lazkao txiki”
Joxe Miguel Iztueta Cortajarena (15 Sept. 1926 - 3 Sept. 1993) , better known as "Lazkao Txiki" was a Basque poet.
Iztueta was born in Lazkao, in the Goierri region of the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Autonomous Community in Northern Spain. He started going school when was 8. He learned to read and write at a very early age. When he was 9, he watched bertsolaris for the first time (Uztapide and Zepai), from which he developed and early and lasting enthusiasm for Basque Bertsolaritza music.
He had to do military service in Africa for two years. He said that he learned to count to 10 in the Arabic language. Lazkao Txiki was unmarried, and this loneliness was one of his thorns.
egoten naizen usterik,
ez bai dadukat andregairikan
ez bai daukat emazterik.
Hamaika aldiz egon izan naiz
barrua penaz beterik;
baina nik poza kantatutzen det
that i am ever happy.
it is that i haven't got a girlfriend
it is that i haven't got a wife
I have been a lot of times
With my inner full of sorrows;
But i sing over happiness
He was a great nature lover, and well-liked by children. Sometime he felt tired and bored about the bertsos environment. He also worked as a bricklayer and farmer, and sold fodder for cows. Lazkao Txiki was very witty telling jokes. He died in San Sebastián in 1993