My attempt to translate 'El Jinete' by José Alfredo Jiménez

Question

Three verses anyway. I have a little trouble understanding the last two lines of the second verse, so please let me know if you have any insight.

¡Muchas gracias!

En su guitarra cantando
se pasa noches enteras
hombre y guitarra llorando
a la luz de las estrellas

Después se pierde en la noche

y aunque la noche es muy bella

él va pidiendole a Dios

que se lo lleve con ella

La quería más que a su vida

y la perdió para siempre

por eso lleva una herida

por eso busca la muerte

~~~

Singing with his guitar

He passes entire nights

Man and guitar weeping

To the light of the stars

Later, he goes loses himself in the night

And although the night is very beautiful

?? He goes supplicating God

To take him to her ??

He loved her more than his life

And he lost her forever

This is why he bears a wound

This is why he seeks death

• Also, I can't figure out how to format this right :P Oh well - Sofronio Jan 29, 2012

Answer 1

I think that your translation is very good, though I don't know if it sounds poetic in english. When José Alfredo says "él va pidiéndole a Dios", he tries to mean that as he (el jinete) goes his way, he is asking God for something and that something is to take him with her. José Alfredo doesn't say that the jinete is suplicating, but i think that this is good in your translation because, acording to the way he sings, it is possible to see some desperation in the way that the jinete is asking God to take him with the woman he loves. Of course it is clear to know that she is dead, that is why the jinete is trying to find "the death" in his searching. Well, I hope you can understand what I say, if not, I will try another explanation. Greetings from México.

Answer 2

Ok, I figured out that the sentence I was asking about, "él va pidiendole a Dios que se lo lleve con ella", is just a Spanish grammatical construction that means "He asks God to bring him to her."