Lechuza

[caliber1]

This is another short poem/story in my book that I am borrowing. I have to say I'm a little confused by how some sentences start out, but not just in this story. It seems like there are so many different little ways to use words like "que", "si", "como", and so on. I'm hoping it is just something that will become apparent to me. It's like I know all the words, but I just cant fit the sentence together If that makes sense. And now. . .

Lechuza
Si eres sabia como dicen,
Lechuza, dime por qué
tienes tú sólo dos patas
y tantas doña Ciempiés;

qué idioma canta la rana
Lafarré Silamisol,
qué instrumento toca el grillo
Lafamí Dorremidó.

Cuántos pelos tiene el gato
y dónde quarda la flor
el creyón con que se pinta
y su frasquito de olor.

Por que brillan las estrellas,
y al sol quié, lo prende, quién.
Si eres sabia como dicen,
Lechuza, dime por qué. . .

Translation. . . .

Owl
If you are wise like they say,
Owl, tell me why
you have only two feet
and lady centipede has many

what language does the frog sing
Lafarré Silamisol,
what instument does the cricket play
Lafamí Dorremidó.

How many hairs does the cat have
and where does he keep the flower
the crayon that it paints
and your bottle of sent

Why do the stars shine,
and the sun, who turns it on, who.
If you are wise like they say,
Owl, tell me why. . .

Yo pienso que Lafarré Silamisol y Lafamí Dorremidó son nombres, yo pienso.

Tell me how I did ¡Gracias!

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by caliber1

Lechuza
Si eres sabia como dicen,
Lechuza, dime por qué
tienes tú sólo dos patas
y tantas doña Ciempiés;

qué idioma canta la rana
Lafarré Silamisol,
qué instrumento toca el grillo
Lafamí Dorremidó.

Cuántos pelos tiene el gato
y dónde guarda la flor
el creyón con que se pinta
y su frasquito de olor.

Por qué brillan las estrellas,
y al sol quién, lo prende, quién.
Si eres sabia como dicen,
Lechuza, dime por qué. . .

Translation. . . .

Owl
If you are wise like they say,
Owl, tell me why
you have only two feet
and lady centipede has many

what language does the frog sing
Lafarré Silamisol, (musical scale names)
what instument does the cricket play
Lafamí Dorremidó. (musical scale names)

How many hairs does the cat have
and where does the flower keep
the crayon it paints with
and its little bottle of scent

Why do the stars shine,
and who turns on the sun, who.
If you are wise like they say,
Owl, tell me why. . .

Pretty good.
do re mi fa sol la si do (musical scale names)

[caliber1]

Thanks Rusty. So is my confusion with those little words understandable? Does it just come with time? So you don't translate the musical scale names right? They are just understood.

[Rusty]

I gave the Spanish translation of the musical scale names. The poet made words out of them. In English, the musical scale names are slightly different, and I've only seen them stand alone or hyphenated together. So, the English translation should list the notes, one by one, or with hyphens. (English musical scale names: do re mi fa so(l) la ti do)

The little words are the 'glue' that logically tie the words together, so it's important to study them out and make sense of them. Your sentences won't sound right without them. Pronouns and prepositions are pitfalls through which all students will pass.

[wrholt]

Originally Posted by Rusty

...
(English musical scale names: do re mi fa so(l) la ti do)
...

Nerd alert:

To be slightly picky: the most common English musical scale names today.

I happen to be a regular participant in a social singing tradition from the US that evolved out of early efforts to teach singing from printed music in New England starting around 1750 in New England. During that period practically all English-speaking musicians in the UK and overseas used a different system of names for the notes of a musical scale. We still use that older system of names within our social singing tradition.

The scale names that are most commonly used today, which Rusty listed, were introduced into musical education in the US starting around 1810 and in the UK a few years earlier, and it took several decades to replace using the older system in most contexts.

[aleCcowaN]

"pintarse" is colloquial for "to make up"

Lafare Tilamiso / A-F-D B-A-E-G
Lafami Doremido / A-F-E C-D-E-C