Buy'ce gal, buy'ce tal
~link~
A Mandalorian drinking song, its lyrics made it popular with those who lived their lives as mercenaries, hired guns, and bounty hunters. The song is cynical in nature, and is an expression of the common Mandalorian mercenary's wry pragmatism as they accept that life is fleeting and victories irrelevant.
(in Mando'a)
Buy'ce gal, buy'ce tal
Verbor'ad ures aliit
Mhi draar baat'i meg'parjii'se
Kote lo'shebs'ul narit.
The phrase "kote lo'shebs'ul narit" is more nicely translated as "you can keep your glory/fame") when in actuality for Mandalorians it translates more correctly as "shove fame up your ass". Mandalorians tend to clean up this song (and others like it) when singing in Basic, as they feel outsiders don't appriciate the humor of the song.(in Basic)
A pint of ale, a pint of blood
Buys men without a name.
We never care who wins the war
So you can keep your fame.
Naasad'guur mhi - Mhi n'ulu
Another drinking song, and one that is frequently mistaken as a love song by listeners who don't understand Mando'a, as they tend to attribute a much deeper meaning to its mournful tone. The lyrics speak for itself that the truth is much simpler than that.
(in Mando'a)
Naasad'guur mhi,
Naasad'guur mhi,
Naasad'guur mhi,
Mhi n'ulu.
Mhi Mando'ade,
Kandosii'ade,
Teh Manda'yaim,
Mando'ade.
Manda'yaim is the Mandalorian word for the planet Mandalore, meaning "home of the Mandalorians" or "home of the soul". For most Mandalorians, the two meanings overlap.(in Basic)
No one likes us,
No one likes us,
No one likes us,
We don't care.
We are Mandos,
The elite boys,
Mando boys,
From Mandalore.
Dha Werda Verda (Rage of the Shadow Warriors)
~link~
Dha Werda Verda was the name of both an epic poem, and a Mandalorian war chant, as well as the Taung people that lay at the heart of each. When translated from the language of Mando'a, Dha Werda Verda meant "Warriors of the Shadow," a name the Taungs took for themselves during their legendary war with the Battalions of Zhell. On the ancient planet of Coruscant, then known merely as Notron, the Taungs' and the Zhells' conflict was interrupted by the eruption of a great volcano, that blanketed the skies in ash and blotted out the sun. The forces of the Zhell were devastated, and the Taungs - seeing the eruption as divine providence - named their warriors for the massive shadow of the ash cloud that gave them an advantage over their Zhell enemies. Though the Zhell later recovered and eventually managed to drive the Taungs from ancient Notron in the end, the war and the eruption were recounted by the Taungs in a poetic epic known only as the Dha Werda Verda, an epic the rest of the galaxy's scholars would later study from Taung relics left behind on the planet Roon during their journey to a new home.
Under the reign of their leader, Mandalore the First, the Taungs settled a new world they deemed Mandalore in the great chieftain's honor, and again remade themselves as the Mandalorians or Mando'ade—sons and daughters of Mandalore. The Mandalorian Taungs went on to conquer a number of other worlds, and over time, the Taungs began to accept beings of various other races into their culture. All the while, their near constant crusades depleted the Mandalorians' Taung population, and by the time of Mandalore the Ultimate's reign, the culture's Taung progenitors had become vastly eclipsed by the many other races that now called themselves Mandalorian. Into this atmosphere came a new iteration of the Dha Werda Verda, a great war chant also known as the "Rage of the Shadow Warriors." This new chant was birthed by the Taungs' understanding that they were in decline, and that the multi-species Mandalorian culture would long outlast them, a plea of sorts that their contributions and place in history not be forgotten. The new chant was accompanied by a ritual dance, wherein performers would drum the rhythm of the Dha Werda Verda on the armored chest and back of those beside them, and was passed down through countless generations of Mandalorians, even being taught to the clone soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic by their Mandalorian instructors as a way to honor their heritage as clones of Mandalore Jango Fett.
While singing the lyrics, performers of the Dha Werda Verda would first drum the layered rhythms of the music on their own bodies with their fists, before turning to beat the complex tempo on the body of the individual next to them, specifically striking the chest and back. The Dha Werda Verda dance required stamina, timing, and trust in the individuals that surrounded a performer; the rhythmic strikes were imbued with notable force, and to turn too quickly or too late was to risk sustaining an injuring blow, especially to the head or face. "Rage of the Shadow Warriors" was typically done while wearing armor, which softened blows and shielded the performer's body, but was also performed in plain clothes on occasion. It was believed that engaging in the Dha Werda Verda and performing the complex rhythms with a group of comrades helped to sharpen the mind and taught cooperative coordination. A number of soldiers - both Mandalorians and outsiders alike - found the Dha Werda Verda an exciting exercise, and felt that they drew strength and courage from the act of performing the ritual dance. To outsiders, it was a fearsome display of discipline and reflex that served to warn an enemy of the power of the force that opposed them.
Parts of the poetic Dha Werda Verda can be read here.
(in Mando'a)
Taung sa rang broka Mando'ade ka'rta.
Dha Werda Verda a'den tratu,
Manda'yaim kandosii adu.
Duum motir ca'tra nau tracinya.
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.
Kom'rk tsad droten troch nyn ures adenn.
Dha Werda Verda a'den tratu,
Manda'yaim kandosii adu.
Duum motir ca'tra nau tracinya.
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.
The version taught to the clones of Jango Fett by the Cuy'val Dar replaced some of the words of this song as well as others, aligning the lyrics more to the Republic and removing its connection to the Mandalorian culture. References to Mandalorians have been replaced by Jedi, as the commanders and generals of the clone army, and all references to the planet Mandalore have been replaced with Coruscant, the capital world of the Republic.(in Basic)
The ash of the Taung beats strong within the Mandalorians' heart.
We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow,
The first noble sons of Mandalore.
Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.
Our vengeance burns brighter still.
The gauntlet of Mandalore strikes without mercy.
We are the rage of The Warriors of the Shadow,
The first noble sons of Mandalore.
Let all those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.
Our vengeance burns brighter still.
Kar'ta Tor (One Heart of Justice)
~link~
This ancient Mandalorian war chant, sung in Mando'a, was also another chant that was repurposed for the clone troopers of the Republic, with parts of the lyrics changes to be more appropriate for the Republic.
(in Mando'a)
Kandosii sa kyr'am ast,
Troan teroch Mand'alor a'den,
Duraan vi at ara'nov.
Vode an, ka'rta tor.
Kote.
(in Basic)
As ruthless as Death itself,
The pitiless face of The Jedi's wrath,
Let us look down on all who are before us.
Brothers all, one heart of justice.
Glory.
Gra'tua Cuun (Our Vengeance)
~link~
Sun to accompianiment of drums and horns, this was another Mando'a war chant repurposed by Jango Fett for the clone troopers. Unlike the other war chants used by the clones, Gra'tua Cuun still kept its references to the ancient Taung in the lyrics, rather that changing it for something more appropriate for the Republic.
(in Mando'a)
Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Taung!
Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.
Aruetyc runi'la solus cet o'r prudii an.
Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.
Aruetyc runi'la solus cet o'r.
Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.
Aruetyc runi'la trattok'o.
Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an!
Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Taung!
Bal kote, darasuum kote,
Jorso'ran kando a tome.
Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an.
(in Basic)
Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.
Our vengeance burns brighter still. Taung!
Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.
Our vengeance burns brighter still.
Every last traitorous soul shall kneel in our shadow.
Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.
Our vengeance burns brighter still.
Every last traitorous soul shall kneel.
Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.
Our vengeance burns brighter still.
Every last traitorous soul shall fall.
Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers All!
Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.
Our vengeance burns brighter still. Taung!
And glory, eternal glory,
We shall bear its weight together.
Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers All.
Akaan'laar (Battle Chant)
This battle chant is sometimes sung by Mandalorian warriors prior to engaging in battle. It is short and simple which makes it easy to learn, it's sung in Mando'a, and is the nearest parallel to a prayer that can be found in contemporary Mandalorian culture.
(in Mando'a)
Oya'cye
Kyr'am
Mare'cye
Darasuum
Oya! Oya!
(in Basic)
Life
Death
Revelation
Eternity
Let's live! Let's hunt!
Vode An (Brothers All)
~link~
This well-known war chant became known across the galaxy with the Clone Wars, as it was one of the first ones that Jango Fett repurposed for the clones to use, and the Alpha class ARC troopers were made to memorize this song personally by Jango. For the Mando'ade, it is an old and important song that has been in their culture for a long time, and it is a song many Mandalorians learned as children.
When translated to Basic, "vode" is most commonly translated to "brothers" due to Basic being gender-specific, whereas Mando'a is not and for Mandalorians, referring to someone as "vod" could mean either brother or sister as their language doesn't differentiate between the two.
(in Mando'a)
Kote!
Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an.
Manda'yaim a'den mhi, Vode an.
Bal kote, darasuum kote,
Jorso'ran kando a tome.
Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an.
Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an.
Manda'yaim a'den mhi, Vode an.
Bal...
Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.
Aruetyc talyc runi'la solus cet o'r.
Motir ca'tra nau tracinya.
Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a.
Aruetyc talyc runi'la trattok'o.
Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an!
(in Basic)
Glory!
One indomitable heart, Brothers all.
We, the wrath of Mandalore, Brothers all.
And glory, eternal glory,
We shall bear its weight together.
Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers all.
One indomitable heart, Brothers all.
We, the wrath of Mandalore, Brothers all.
And...
Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.
Our vengeance burns brighter still.
Every last traitorous soul shall kneel.
Those who stand before us light the night sky in flame.
Our vengeance burns brighter still.
Every last traitorous soul shall fall.
Forged like the saber in the fires of death, Brothers all!
