Guantanamera

[tauriarte]

The lyrics of this song say "mi verso es un ciervo herido", and then, "Que busca en el monte amparo". How do the quoted passages translate to English?

This beautiful song about Cuba has its lyrics taken from a Jose Marti poem. He was a famous Cuban patriot.

[pjt33]

My verse* is a wounded deer**
Which seeks a protector in the mountain***


* in the sense of "poetry"
** with strong connotations of stag rather than doe
*** i.e. the mountain is personified; the deer asks the mountain to guarantee it protection.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by pjt33

My verse* is a wounded deer**
Which seeks a protector in the mountain***


* in the sense of "poetry"
** with strong connotations of stag rather than doe
*** i.e. the mountain is personified; the deer asks the mountain to guarantee it protection.

Not a protector, but protection. Right?

[pjt33]

Depende. El DRAE dice

Originally Posted by DRAE

amparo M

1. Acción y efecto de amparar o ampararse.
2. Persona o cosa que ampara.

Aquí he interpretado la palabra en el sentido de "persona ... que ampara". Es probable que me ha influido hacia esa acepción el hecho de vivir en Valencia, porque la virgen de la catedral aquí es la de los desamparados, por lo cual Amparo es un nombre femenina muy común aquí, y la asocio con el amparo que es la virgen más que con la amparo que provee. ¿Me entendéis?

[Elaina]

My verse is like a wounded deer
that seeks refuge in the mountain.....

I see the word amparo as refuge in this sense

[chileno]

Originally Posted by pjt33

Depende. El DRAE dice [/LIST]Aquí he interpretado la palabra en el sentido de "persona ... que ampara". Es probable que me ha influido hacia esa acepción el hecho de vivir en Valencia, porque la virgen de la catedral aquí es la de los desamparados, por lo cual Amparo es un nombre femenina muy común aquí, y la asocio con el amparo que es la virgen más que con la amparo que provee. ¿Me entendéis?

Correcto y lo entiendo, pero creo que es como Elaina lo percibe, seeking refuge, in other words protection.

Amparo me encanta como nombre.

[CrOtALiTo]

Yes. I have heard that song and well it's very pretty to music. I liked, but here in Mexico at most not is listened.

[Elaina]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

Yes. I have heard that song and well it's very pretty to music. I liked, but here in Mexico at most not is listened.

I understand this song was very well liked and played a lot in lots of nightclubs in Mexico. Maybe not now but as with everything else, it had its moments.

[laepelba]

So while reading this thread, I wanted to see just how long this song has been around, because I was thinking that it has been around as long as I have (if not longer). So there. It has. Take a look at the comments on the song found on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamera - kind of interesting....

So what does "guajira" mean?

[Rusty]

guajira = campesina

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by Rusty

guajira = campesina

In the sense of a redneck (minus the bigot connotations...)?

[Rusty]

I read this as countrygirl / countrygal / countryfolk.
Redneck is too strong a word.

[laepelba]

Thanks! The "redneck" sense is way too strong for my tastes.....

[hermit]

Right - "guajiro-a" = "campesino-a".

Also, "guajira" is a Cuban term for a tune/song with the rythym
of "Guantanamera".