Spanish lyrics translation

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Spanish lyrics translation

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Posts: 72
Joined: May 21 2009

Spanish lyrics translation

Hi, Group, Mike_Kinny posted a link to Mayte Martin's vidalita on another thread:

www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=149449&mpage=2

I dug up the letra and pasted it below. Would someone explain to me the line "¡Ay! Un cañaveral" (third from last)?

Here's the youtube link:

And the lyrics:

Mi pena es más grande, vidalitá
Porque va por dentro
Y en ella te canto, vidalitá
El dolor que siento

Ya se secó el arbolito
Donde cantaba el pavo real
Ya se murió mi china querida
Ya no la vuelvo a ver más

Ya se secó el arbolito
Donde cantaba el pavo real

Anoche mientras dormía
Del cansancio fatigao
No sé qué sueño dorao
Cruzó por la mente mía

Soñaba que te veía
Y que me estabas mirando
Y yo te estaba contando
Mi vida triste, muy triste

Y te desapareciste
Al despertarme llorando

¡Ay! Un cañaveral
Ya no hay remedio
Para mi mal

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 1 2010 9:59:44

Escribano

Posts: 6417
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Spanish lyrics translation (in reply to X)

It refers to cane or reeds e.g. Cape Canaveral in Florida. "Cape of Reeds" as Florida means "flowery". Indicating the early European explorers merely sailing past and naming things they saw, without much imagination.

I may be short for sugar cane. Granada's wealth came from such plantations down by the coast and was an important cash crop in those parts.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 1 2010 10:35:07

Posts: 72
Joined: May 21 2009

RE: Spanish lyrics translation (in reply to Escribano)

Hey, thanks, Escribano, appreciate it. But I'm still not clear. What does it mean in the context of the song? What is she saying when she sings this line?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 1 2010 10:50:16

Kate

Posts: 1827
Joined: Jul. 8 2003
From: Living in Granada, Andalucía

RE: Spanish lyrics translation (in reply to X)

A metaphor maybe, her lover has died, the trees have dried up, as does the cane and her heart. Nothing will bring it back to life.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 1 2010 14:59:51

Escribano

Posts: 6417
Joined: Jul. 6 2003
From: England, living in Italy

RE: Spanish lyrics translation (in reply to Kate)

Perhaps reeds indicate wet and infertile ground?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 1 2010 15:15:53

rogeliocan

Posts: 811
Joined: Nov. 23 2009
From: Canada

RE: Spanish lyrics translation (in reply to Kate)

Yes maybe a metaphor, he first makes a comparison with the dead tree and now he sees a whole plantation and maybe he's thinking: man, I will never forget this pain as I am reminded of it everywhere, there is just nothing to do...

How is the word china used here, I looked at definitions but none really fit, is it slang?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 1 2010 15:21:58

veet

Posts: 231
Joined: Nov. 29 2004
From: L.A.

RE: Spanish lyrics translation (in reply to Escribano)

the gypsy canasteros made their living selling baskets made of these reeds. Maybe the canaveral is also where they look for remedios, herbal medicines.

There's a letra where the singer says he carries in his little basket all kinds of medicines, cures for everything but lovesickness. It might be some oblique reference to that.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 1 2010 15:27:55

Kate

Posts: 1827
Joined: Jul. 8 2003
From: Living in Granada, Andalucía

RE: Spanish lyrics translation (in reply to rogeliocan)

Mayte Martin is a woman, though have to say when I have seen her in concert many wags in the audience call out 'Guapo". As a lesbian she sings about her love for women and frequently the pain of women loving women.

China is definitely slang, tocar la china, means to be lucky, or it can also mean a small coin as well as a pet name for someone called Cristina.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 1 2010 15:38:07

Kate

Posts: 1827
Joined: Jul. 8 2003
From: Living in Granada, Andalucía

RE: Spanish lyrics translation (in reply to veet)

quote:

ORIGINAL: veet

the gypsy canasteros made their living selling baskets made of these reeds. Maybe the canaveral is also where they look for remedios, herbal medicines.

There's a letra where the singer says he carries in his little basket all kinds of medicines, cures for everything but lovesickness. It might be some oblique reference to that.

Nice reference Veet :)

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Emilio Maya Temple
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000CA6OBC
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/emiliomaya

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 1 2010 15:39:07

rogeliocan

Posts: 811
Joined: Nov. 23 2009
From: Canada

RE: Spanish lyrics translation (in reply to Kate)

quote:

China is definitely slang, tocar la china, means to be lucky

Thanks, go figure, one of the definitions online was the opposite, meaning bad luck. I guess it's one of those 'country' variances (or that online dictionary was wrong).

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 1 2010 15:49:11

Posts: 72
Joined: May 21 2009

RE: Spanish lyrics translation (in reply to X)

Hey, thanks, everyone. I think "china" (or, as Mayte pronounces it in true Catalan fashion, "Sheena") is Latin American usage and means a nanny, but unlike Mary Poppins, chinas were almost like substitute stay-at-home moms who, aside from being always there for the kids, might also do everything else (cooking, cleaning, nursing, plan birthdays etc.), so you can see how they can easily become members of the family, especially to the kids. In fact at first hearing, I thought the last word in the song was "mae," adding that much more impact for me.

The park with the peacock and the little tree is maybe someplace MM shared with her china, maybe daily afternoon paseos, and the canaveral is something she also associates with her; maybe the china was a canastero (a china doesn't have to be Asian in this usage, just as "filipina" in Italian now means "au pair" or "maid," whether she is indeed Filipina or not.)

When I was nine, I grew very close to my china. and when she left, I threw a real flat-out screaming tantrum. My father had to pry me off her by my hair. I was inconsolable for days. Years later, after I had learned to put away childish things, I looked back and realized that she very likely colored all my later relationships with women.

But enough. This is an example of what I meant in another post-- I can really relate to this song, while a lot of cante jondo moves me not at all. No one's fault, tho-- maybe it's just that the his experience and mine don't overlap that much.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 2 2010 10:42:54

rogeliocan

Posts: 811
Joined: Nov. 23 2009
From: Canada

RE: Spanish lyrics translation (in reply to X)

quote:

but unlike Mary Poppins, chinas were almost like substitute stay-at-home moms who, aside from being always there for the kids, might also do everything else (cooking, cleaning, nursing, plan birthdays etc.)

Man, I gotta get me one of these!

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 2 2010 12:29:38

veet

Posts: 231
Joined: Nov. 29 2004
From: L.A.

RE: Spanish lyrics translation (in reply to rogeliocan)

best bet: Somebody needs to ask Mayte.

Is anybody here on her tour path?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 2 2010 13:33:05

Kate

Posts: 1827
Joined: Jul. 8 2003
From: Living in Granada, Andalucía

RE: Spanish lyrics translation (in reply to veet)

Harold may well be recording her for a soundtrack for a film he is working on. Dont know when that will happen, she is incredibly busy but if it does I will be sure to ask her.

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Emilio Maya Temple
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http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/emiliomaya

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 2 2010 13:56:47

Posts: 72
Joined: May 21 2009

RE: Spanish lyrics translation (in reply to rogeliocan)

Yeah, Rogeliocan. Ten years ago I drove a Russian friend around Los Angeles as she interviewed for nanny jobs. All the families were looking for "European nannies." They were aghast that their friends' kids with Latina nannies were starting to speak Spanish better than English. Well, duh!

I'd really like to hear what Mayte has to say about this song. Make sure to post. Thanks again to all.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Nov. 3 2010 1:28:20