Questions from a spanish song

Question

I am listening to a song called "Tu noche sin domir" from Alis .. and encounter a few questions:

Letra: Debes cerrar, las heridas que están vivas que te sangran y que no te dejan ver Tu canción, tu color, tu bien Tu espacio, tu algo, tu luz, tu sol, tu astro Tu noche sin dormir... y tu despertar… Si la vida te hace un hueco, respira De otro aire que te saque y te relaje De este mal viaje

Q1: What does "están vivas" mean? Why this is not a gerund form after "están"? Q2; "y tu despertar" is despertar is noun instead of a verb meaning awakening here? Q3: "respira de otro aire que te saque y te relaje" why using imperative instead of a present indicative? I don't quite understand how an imperative (él) works ?

Welcome to the forum! :) - NikkiLR, Jan 25, 2014

Answer 1

1) viva = adj. alive, lively. 'están vivas' is not 'are living' but 'are alive'. In the context of the song,

• the wounds that are alive/open

2) I am 99% that it is indeed used for 'awakening'.

3) Not the imperative, but the subjunctive. The subjunctive is used, loosely, to refer to conditions that have not necessarily taken place. More usefully, the subjunctive is used when you are not declaring that something is true or fact.

respira De otro aire que te saque y te relaje De este mal viaje

• breathe another air, that they serve and loosen you from this bad trip(?)

I am not saying that this 'another air' serves and loosens you (no declaration). I am only saying that you might want to look for an air that might not exist but will loosen and serve you (possible occurrence).

Hope that helps! You might want the opinion of a more experienced member like annie/ian on 2 and 3, just to be sure.

Answer 2

Thanks so much!!

Glad to be of help :) - Helado_eclectico, Jan 26, 2014