Rainy Nights - Noches Lluviosas
This is a poem to have some fun.
Native English speakers must answer the questions in Spanish.
Native Spanish speakers may answer the questions in English or Spanish.
Este es un poema para divertirse.
Los hablantes nativos de inglés deben responder a las preguntas en español.
Hispanohablantes nativos pueden responder a las preguntas en inglés o en español.
Rainy Nights - by Irene Thompson
I like the town on rainy nights
When everything is wet
When all the town has magic lights
And streets of shining jet!
When all the rain about the town
Is like a looking-glass
And all the lights are upside-down
Below me as I pass.
In all the pools are velvet skies,
And down the dazzling street
A fairy city gleams and lies
In beauty at my feet.
Questions.
a) Why does the poet like the town on rainy nights?
b) Why does the town have magic lights?
c) Why are the lights upside down?
d) Why is the street dazzling?
e) What colour is mentioned?
f) What is a looking glass?
g) Why are there skies in the pools?
h) Why does the poet say the city lies at her feet?
i) Does the poet look down or up as she walks?
j) What things are wet?
Let's see how many you can answer.
11 Answers
1) I like the town on rainy nights
Me gusta el pueblo en las noches lluviosas
2) When everything is wet
Cuando todo está mojado
3) When all the town has magic lights
Cuando todo el pueblo tiene luces mágicas
4) And streets of shining jet!
¡Y calles de negro ( azabache) brillante!
5) When all the rain about the town
Cuando toda la lluvia alrededor del pueblo
6) Is like a looking-glass
Es como un espejo
7) And all the lights are upside-down
Y todas las luces están al revés
8) Below me as I pass.
debajo de mí cuando paso
9) In all the pools are velvet skies,
En todos los charcos hay cielos de terciopelo
10) And down the dazzling street
Y a lo largo de la calle deslumbrante
11) A fairy city gleams and lies
una ciudad encantadora resplandece y yace
12) In beauty at my feet.
bellamente a mis pies
Okay, here goes - my attempt at translation. I looked up about five words, but dumped the rest in stream-of-conciousness translation, and may have missed a few details...
| I like the town on rainy nights | Me gusta la ciudad durante las noches lluviosas |
| When everything is wet | Cuando todo está mojado |
| When all the town has magic lights | Cuando toda la ciudad tiene luces magicas |
| And streets of shining jet! | ¡Y las calles brillan de azabache! |
| When all the rain about the town | Cuando toda la lluvia en la ciudad |
| Is like a looking-glass | Está como un espejo |
| And all the lights are upside-down | Y toda las luces se reflejan |
| Below me as I pass. | debajo de mi spies según paso. |
| In all the pools are velvet skies, | En todos los charcos hay cielos de terciopelo, |
| And down the dazzling street | Y a lo largo de la calle deslumbrante |
| A fairy city gleams and lies | Un ciudad de hada brilla Y se encuentra |
| In beauty at my feet. | con toda su belleza a mis pies. |
Lets see if we can get some more activity here !
Um.... I would try, really, but I'm a year one learner (two days ago was my 1st year aniversary!!) and I'm not to this level yet. Lo siento. But I can answer a few.. j) What is wet? Todo. (Everything) Yeah, that's about it.
a) Why does the poet like the town on rainy nights? Se gustan las noches lluviosas porque puede ver la ciudad debajo del pies
c) Why are the lights upside down? Ve los reflejos de las luces en los charcos
e) What colour is mentioned? negro como el azabache
f) What is a looking glass? un espejo
i) Does the poet look down or up as she walks? Ve para abajo cuando camina
Questions.
In some ways I feel the same as the poet, my answers may be repetitive but here goes anyway.
a) Why does the poet like the town on rainy nights?
Rainy nights create sparkling images.
b) Why does the town have magic lights?
Due to the reflections of the lights.
c) Why are the lights upside down?
Reflected in the pools and surfaces.
d) Why is the street dazzling?
Due to the reflections.
e) What colour is mentioned?
Jet--- azabache
f) What is a looking glass?
Un espejo a mirror
g) Why are there skies in the pools?
The reflections yet again.
h) Why does the poet say the city lies at her feet?
Again the reflections----- Boring!!
i) Does the poet look down or up as she walks?
She is looking everywhere at the misty lights and reflections in the street
j) What things are wet?
All is wet.
Yeah I know I sound too much like an engineer. I just can´t help it.
a) Why does the poet like the town on rainy nights?
Because it puts a shine on things, dazzling her.
b) Why does the town have magic lights?
Because the raindrops add a glitter dance to them.
c) Why are the lights upside down?
Because she is looking at their reflection in the black pavement.
d) Why is the street dazzling?
Because it is shinning with the reflections of all the city lights.
e) What colour is mentioned?
velvet
f) What is a looking glass?
mirror
g) Why are there skies in the pools?
Because they look like velvet swirls of clouds.
h) Why does the poet say the city lies at her feet?
Because as she looks down she sees the city being reflected off the wet surfaces she passes.
i) Does the poet look down or up as she walks?
down
j) What things are wet?
everything
I REALLY did have fun, Ian!
Ambos estan traductores fantasticos. Felicidades.
Both are fantastic translators. Congratulations.
OK - Lots of views (130) but not many takers for this idea.
So I have changed the rules a bit.
It would be nice to see some attempts at a translation.
I only did a few;
a) Why does the poet like the town on rainy nights? Porque ella gusta como la lluvia lo hace resplandece y nuevo. Because she likes how the rain makes it shiny and new.
c) Why are the lights upside down? La reflejo en los charcos al revés. The reflections in puddles are upside down.
e) What colour is mentioned? Terciopelo. Velvet.
f) What is a looking glass? Un espejo. A mirror.
j) What things are wet? El todo pueblo.
You may wonder why I posted this.
Well, years ago I was teaching English to an Italian student.
He made many mistakes when speaking and writing. His grammar was awful.
I gave him this poem as homework and asked him to me tell what it meant - not translate it.
I was amazed when he was able to explain it to me very well in his "broken" English - also helped by hand signals and facial expressions etc.
