Translating colloquialisms: Hold on, move on, let go etc.

Question

Hi,

I'm trying to translate a song and I got stuck on some colloquialisms. How would you say?

1. Hold on as in Holding on to what I haven't got

2. Move on as in I know what it takes to move on

3. Let go as in It's time to let go

4. Let it/you go as in It's hard to let you go

5. What it takes as in I know what it takes to move on

6. Left unsaid as in So many things were left unsaid

7. Went dead as in My mind went dead

The song is "Waiting for the End to Come" by Linkin Park.

Thanks so much!

• I love that song! - SonrisaDelSo Jun 22, 2011

Answer 1

My answers so far, although I´m afraid many of them are too literal:

Hold on - agarrándome de algo que no lo tengo

Move on - pasar página

Let you go - es díficil dejarte ir

What it takes - sé que es necessario para pasar página

Left unsaid - Tantos cosas nunca han mencionado

Went dead - Mi mente se murío

• The accent in the preterite of an "-er, -ir" verb goes over the "o." - SrCientífic Jun 22, 2011

Answer 2

Here's some ideas:

To hold on to - afferarse

It's time to move on - es hora de pasar página, es hora de seguir adelante, es hora de dar vuelta la página

Let go - dejar or soltar - eg I can't let you go No puedo dejarte ir

What it takes - lo que se necesita

Left unsaid - todo lo que (se) queda sin decir

Brain dead - perhaps idiotizar

And then I found this Spanish lyrics

• Thanks for the answers, and the link. That's a cool site. Some of the translations are really funny though. - Sihara Jun 24, 2011