Cegado por la ambición

[Michael30000]

Hola a todos,

In a scene in the movie Carne de horca there is a song about the famous bandit Lucero (it is sung in parts in different moments of the movie).

Con sangre de un inocente
Cegado por la ambición
Lucero bandido noble
Jamás sus manos manchó.

I suspect that the spanish "ambición" is more or less the same as the English "ambition", but what does "Cegado por la ambición" refer to: un inocente or Lucero?

Looking at what's happening on screen when this part of the song is sung (a horse brings the corpse of Juan Pablo's murdered father), I must say that Lucero definitely stained his hands with blood of an innocent, but it is still unclear to me what "cegado por la ambición" refers to.

https://my.mail.ru/ok/571130741592/video/10/413.html

The scene in question starts at 17.40.

Thank you.

[aleCcowaN]

Blinded by greed.

The song shows the contrast between the romantic bandit who presumably never let greed to get the best of him and the sad visual reality of the corpse.

[Michael30000]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

Blinded by greed.

The song shows the contrast between the romantic bandit who presumably never let greed to get the best of him and the sad visual reality of the corpse.

Thank you, aleC. So "cegado por la ambición" implies that Lucero was never blinded by greed in which case I suspect "Jamás" should refer to both: "manchó" and "cegado" (Lucero was never blinded by greed and never stained his hands with blood of an innocent), right?

Or does it mean that the person brought by the horse (Juan Pablo's father) was blinded by greed when he was alive?

[aleCcowaN]

Juan Pablo's father was honest and an inocent victim.

In the song "cegado por su ambición" works like an adverbial phrase, and that "nunca" at the end of the stanza extents to it.

Spanish is pretty free regarding word order and clause order so this may be causing some comprehension problems. Here's the stanza rewritten:

Lucero es un bandido noble
que nunca manchó sus manos
con la sangre de un inocente
porque nunca se dejó cegar por la codicia

The original lyrics say clearly that using mild poetic trickery while taking advantage of freeform in Spanish. The structure is negative notion - negative notion -positive notion - positive notion

[Michael30000]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

Juan Pablo's father was honest and an inocent victim.

In the song "cegado por su ambición" works like an adverbial phrase, and that "nunca" at the end of the stanza extents to it.

Spanish is pretty free regarding word order and clause order so this may be causing some comprehension problems. Here's the stanza rewritten:

Lucero es un bandido noble
que nunca manchó sus manos
con la sangre de un inocente
porque nunca se dejó cegar por la codicia

The original lyrics say clearly that using mild poetic trickery while taking advantage of freeform in Spanish. The structure is negative notion - negative notion -positive notion - positive notion

I understand it now, thank you very much again, aleC!

[aleCcowaN]

You're quite welcome!

I downloaded the whole movie and the wake is what I've watched so far. They talk pretty fast, but the accent is a neutral one they tried to impose to the whole Spanish speaking world during the first times of television during the '50.

Did you notice the movie was dubbed by its same actors? The standard practise during decades.

If you want to experience the historical international Spanish you may look up Perry Mason, Bonanza and Yo quiero a Lucy in Youtube, and hear how a balancing act between Caribbean and Andalusian ended up sinking in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

[Michael30000]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

Did you notice the movie was dubbed by its same actors? The standard practise during decades.

Yes, I've noticed that.

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

If you want to experience the historical international Spanish you may look up Perry Mason, Bonanza and Yo quiero a Lucy in Youtube, and hear how a balancing act between Caribbean and Andalusian ended up sinking in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Thank you for recommending these movies, aleC! I've already had a look at Perry Mason and must say that Spanish there sounds very pleasant to the ear.

[poli]

In many Hollywood movies prior to the 1960's, many actors spoke with a stylized English some people have dubbed Middle Atlantic. This does not refer to the Middle Atlantic states, but rather an English somewhere between high tone New York and upper class London. It's been defended by some who say that it was the way people in New England states spoke in the early 20th century. Nevertheless, actors from all corners the country were obliged to use it. They would say veddy instead of very, for example.

[Michael30000]

Originally Posted by poli

In many Hollywood movies prior to the 1960's, many actors spoke with a stylized English some people have dubbed Middle Atlantic. This does not refer to the Middle Atlantic states, but rather an English somewhere between high tone New York and upper class London. It's been defended by some who say that it was the way people in New England states spoke in the early 20th century. Nevertheless, actors from all corners the country were obliged to use it. They would say veddy instead of very, for example.

That's something I didn't know, thank you, poli.