Gil Grissom (C.S.I.) talks and sings in basque language (euskera). William Petersen

William Petersen sent a message in Basque and English to the people of the Basque Country. This video was broadcasted during the Christmas reception offered by the Basque PM (Lehendakari) Juan Jose Ibarretxe.
Translation and transcription of William Petersen (Gil Grissom in CSI)'s message sent to the people of the Basque Country and in which he sings a Basque traditional song. The video was broadcasted during the Christmas reception offered by the Basque PM Juan Jose Ibarretxe, Friday 19th December.
(in Basque): "Good evening, Prime Minister, ladies and gentlemen. The Basque Country is very cold, but Basque people have a warm heart."
(in English): "I just wanted to send a message and a greeting to all of you in the Basque Land. I had a wonderful time there, in 1974 and 1975. Studying, meeting the people, climbing the mountains, Arantzazu. My baby was born there: Maite Nerea. She was born in 1975, in Mondragon.
I have a special place in my heart for the Basque Land. I hope to visit it again soon. I was there about eleven years ago and it did change.
When I was there in 1975, there was no Basque language allowed on signage or anything else. When I got there eleven years ago, everything was in Basque and it was such an amazing change. It felt like such as a hopeful thing for the people of Euskadi to have their language back. I was thrilled with the progress and thankful that it was peaceful there. I look forward to come back soon.
There was a song that I learned while I was there, that expresses the way I feel about the Basque Land.
Goiko mendian elurra dago
Errekaldian izotza
Zu ganik aske nago ta
Pozik daukat bihotza
Goiko mendian elurra dago
Errekaldian izotza"
(translation of Basque song "Goiko mendian"):
There is snow on the top of the mountain
Ice in the river,
I am free from you,
My heart is happy,
When summer starts, in the son,
When snow smelts,
You too, will feel
The harvest of remorse
*****
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[@fredabella]

Awesome!!!!! i do luv this man & now even a bit more as he does know bout us (Euskaldunas) ;-)

[@LJVolkov21]

I'm Portuguese and would love to know more about such an interesting language... It's amazing we live so relatively close and yet there is such a huge difference in our languages.

[@tenzinsangpo2221]

The song say: on top of the mountain there is snow, and ice near the river. When I see all this, happiness come to my heart.

[@FynnDynamite]

everyone should support the basques in their struggle for freedom!

[@Corkii095]

Oooft that wink at the end! ;)

[@rosewoods1901]

@deingeist Hahaha! It's true that people in the BC have some sort of connection with you, the Irish people are so nice. When I visited Ireland it was SO different than going anywhere else. People would ask me where I was from and wouldn't make odd faces when I told them I am Basque. Besides, you've got the most beautiful places to visit. LoveLoveLove!

[@daviddtor]

I am sure Basque people love his American culture as much as he loves Basque culture.

[@rosewoods1901]

@CarlosMarioMedellin This way, Basque culture (not just language, but all that comes with culture) continued growing. It was a bit of a "we leave you alone, you leave us alone" thing. Until Franco came around (1939). To create a more unified "Big Spain" he was very strict with the BC's culture causing it to almost extinguish. Remember that romans never got here, so Basque language had little to no influence from other languages. It was a different culture, which menaced Franco's plans.

[@DylanandPeia]

feels like home, its really weird for me every time i hear this song

[@erduizti]

@ALBIONTYKE The truth is that it is quite clear that after the last ice age the British islands were colonised by people from northern Iberia and southern France around 10000 years ago and they carried their genetic features as well as their language. The migrations that have happened afterwards (as indoeuropean people) have replaced that language in the British islands, but part of the ancient genetic features have remained in some specific areas like western Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

[@rosewoods1901]

@eirikmurito I'm fluent in Basque since I was 2 yo. I think (from learning it myself and watching older people around me learn it) that it's an easy language to grow up speaking, but it's not so easy to learn once you are older. Some sounds I think are unique and very hard to differenciate if it's not your mother language. For example: "s", "z", "x" or "ts", "tz", "tx". those can be a pain in the A** to pronounce and can cause real pain to your ears : S LOL!

[@hirukojaurtitzailea]

wtf!?!?!?! it is, of course it is!! bill petersen was studying here 35 years ago!! the basque country is really wonderful with a topography and culture somehow like irish's, with celtic influence

[@avatar12350]

@CazadorDeZopencos MUI HERMOSO ESTE BOFE, VERY BEAUTIFUL, VERY CAT.

[@misaPB1]

i am soo intrigued by the basque language... i want to learn it soooo bad, but i can't find courses online... i'm in Los Angeles.

[@jonandermerino7779]

FENOMENALE

[@rosewoods1901]

@CarlosMarioMedellin The Basque Country is separated between 2 bigger countries: France and Spain. France owns 3 of the 7 "states" that form the BC; those are commonly known as "iparralde" literally: north. the other four are Araba, Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa and Nafarroa. Remember Asterix? The BC has been proved to be one of the only lands romans weren't able of conquering. Even though they got split when bigger states were created (Middle Age), the BC was always a bit more independant than other zones.

[@TheSaxby]

Look into Boga. I haven't used it, but it seems like a good resource. Beyond that, if you are looking for a textbook from which to learn Basque, I have really gotten a lot out of Alan King's Introduction to the Basque Language, which may be available in your local library, but failing that, it sells starting at $23 on Amazon. Euskara ikasi nahi duzuelako pozik nago. Zorte on! (I'm glad you want to learn Basque. Good luck!) ~Another Basque Student

[@bainazereuskadi]

:) I know that in some universitys you can learn it. And there might be an euskal etxea (basque house) in Los Angeles!! Good luck and thank you ;)

[@daviddtor]

I am sure Basque people love his American culture too.

[@DylanandPeia]

hehehe and i managed to memorized it so i can sing along..

[@rosewoods1901]

SHOCKER: My high school history teacher actually met Mr. Petersen back in the 70's in his (teacher's) hometown Oinati. Beautiful place. He told us once, and we thought he was kidding; but no. BTW gotta love that his daughter's name is Maite Nerea, which translated would mean "Love of mine" or "My Love" (I know, same thing.) It's also sad that I wasn't able to find the whole version captioned in spanish. THAT ONE IS EDITED!!! :'(

[@ashland19831]

I love William Petersen ,because of he ,I just see csi ,but he left csi .so now i never see csi.

[@jexplink]

Gora Gil Grissom ;)

[@rosewoods1901]

@Ghogii Guztiz ados nago esan duzunakin! Dirudienez, jendea ez da EHa kritikatzeaz aspertzen. Hala ere, nik uste, euskaldun gehienok gagaituta gaude dagoeneko egoera honetaz. Zuzen zaude William-i buruz, jatorra bada, baina, MUTILA?! Gizontzat hartuko nuke nik! jkajaja!! ; ) Muxu sorta bat zutzako!

[@indaraetxebarria8860]

Maite is amada y Nerea Mia

[@The_Gallowglass]

Independence is its own benefit

[@valentingomezgonzalez3407]

gora euskal herria😊

[@hirukojaurtitzailea]

ya, i suppose, no problem ;)

[@breizhcatalonia1993]

@jonaspv portugal a break away from spain? LOL

[@hambritz]

Ezinezkoa da Euskal Herriaz ez maitemintzea.

[@musukari]

Izena duen guzia omen da

[@CarlosMarioMedellin]

how can a tronghold of basque people be so different? I mean if they are different they would be closer to the french. I would like to know if the basque people watching the world cup?

[@pedroalvarez7349]

what's the name of the carol Mr. Petersen sings?

[@tenzinsangpo2221]

Goiko mendian elurra dago. On top of the mountain there is snow.

[@pedroalvarez7349]

Eskerrik asko!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@PaganFiddler91]

gora euskadi

[@johnolive8746]

cool!! you can be the next Lendakari! oh wait they wouldnt understand you

[@GeoTaoKlarjetMoschoi]

Basques are western iberians whole Europe was proto iberian while GEorgia is Caucasian Iberia Basques are relative to GEorgians

[@breizhcatalonia1993]

@MrWhistlingDixie prove it.

[@breizhcatalonia1993]

@QUEENAHIDEKINGFISHER i would rather speak english than spanish but i would rather speak basque or catalan than english.

[@RadioCambodia]

oso ondo!!

[@CarlosMarioMedellin]

@tripitrapu Hi, I haven`t been in Spain but I´d love some day to do so as I have many freinds of mine that live their(Colombians). One of them even lives very close to the French border. Whats the deal with the basques... your looking for independence but why is this feat so difficult ? My understanding is you have your own language and all. In any case I did follow the world cup and Im very happy for Spain well in my sense they deserved it.

[@ajkorras]

lol even weirder than finnish language

[@johnolive8746]

what about the roman empire?

[@hirukojaurtitzailea]

@1elgalle1 estudios de diversas universidades lo afirman. gente que se dedica a eso, que ha dedicado años de su vida a investigarlo y en serio te atreves a ecir que no..? cierto que se desconoce el origen de los vascos, pero a principios de la edad media recibieron fuerte influencia de pueblos cetas, habiendo pueblos VIKINGOS en las costas de vizcaya y guipúzcoa. pueblos enteros rubios de ojos azules y geneticamente casi identicos a los pictos entre otros.

[@QUEENAHIDEKINGFISHER]

@jonaspv Pity you used OBSCENE LANGUAGE.........people who do that can't get the attention they crave without resorting to foul language!Quite sad,actually!LONG LIVE ESPANA!

[@QUEENAHIDEKINGFISHER]

Just speak ENGLISH,for God's sake,get on with your lives!THE BRITISH EMPIRE LIVES !

[@ibanbengoetxea]

LOVE YOU William. You are one of the best actors in the history.

[@lepenseur18]

beautiful language

[@MrFennmeista]

Grissom rules!

[@JagobaLekuona]

Hori dek hori arrazoia!!! AUPA HI!!!

[@StellandBlood]

Surely the oldest living language in the whole world,remounting to the time when proto caucasians were still in the sahara, 80 000 to 100 000 years ago,about half the time of the homo sapiens existence.

[@johnolive8746]

another spanish nationalist trolling

[@eirikmurito]

many people beleve that basque language is the easyest language on earth. if that is true, then this language should be the new international language

[@breizhcatalonia1993]

@QUEENAHIDEKINGFISHER tell me what is a people with its own language , culture, and costumes.

[@EverybodyLais]

que bonitinho o billy!!

[@hirukojaurtitzailea]

wtf!?!?!?! it is, of course it is!! bill petersen was studying here 35 years ago!! the basque country is really wonderful with a topography and culture somehow like irish's, with celtic influence

[@MultiPelias]

It would be nice to see Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland become independent, but the UK is sooooo intertwined together, I couldnt see it happening unlike the other countries.

[@qetoun]

is this real?

[@kaindrg]

@ProudConfederateMan are u a white supremecist?

[@rosewoods1901]

@CarlosMarioMedellin When franco Finally died, and Democracy was instaurated, the basque people asked to be free. They were ignored. and so those are "grosso modo" the main points to the situation in the Basque Country.

[@AITOR1969]

Argi da, nahi dabenak euskeraz ikasten dabena,...

[@HasmikM]

this is like my armenian languageeeeeeeeeee

[@qetoun]

@hirukojaurtitzailea just asking, just seemed like a rare vid is all.

[@shedtva]

Atlantis

[@kaixoananaiz]

@daviddtor hahahhahaa oso ona

[@The_Gallowglass]

That's your interpretation, not mine.

[@QUEENAHIDEKINGFISHER]

There is no such thing as a Basque Nation.............it's just Espana........stop kidding yourselves!THE BRITISH EMPIRE STILL LIVES,and most of the world speak our language!RULE BRITTANNIA! AND GOD SAVE THE MIGHTY KING OF ESPANA!