Góngora: Coma en dorada vajilla....y ríase la gente
Coma en dorada vajilla
el prícipe mil cuidados
como píldoras dorados;
que yo en mi pobre mesilla
quiero más una morcilla
que en el asador reviente,
y riase la gente.
Let the prince eat on golden dishes
let him have lots of care
like golden pills;
I, on my part
had rather have on my poor table
a blood sausage as big
as to burst in the oven ('')
and then let the people laugh.
Will anybody be able to put some poetic sound to this translation and more idiomatic expression for "let the people laugh", and improve the translation of course.
the latter is an expression in Spanish to indicate that while one has food and good friends, others may have more money, but that does not count. Difficult to find anything idiomatic for this.
21 Answers
There is a train of thought that Góngora´s poem is in fact a "parody" of Horace´s
Beatus ille.
"Happy is he who, far from being busy
Like the ancient race of mortals
Cultivates his ancestral farm with his cattle
Freed from all debt
Neither to be roused to fierce battle by a trumpet
Nor dread the angry sea
And who spurns the forum and the proud thresholds of powerful men..."
...So spoke Alfius the moneylender
Now, even now about to become a country dweller
He withdraws all his funds on the Ides
And lends them out again on the Kalends.
Let the prince eat from a golden platter
His thousand cares like golden pills
For my poor table, I'd much prefer
A blood pudding which bursts on the grill,
And gives the people cheer.
Marisa Almor said:
*Let the prince eat his thousand worries on dinnerware as golden as a cure (to his worries) I'd much rather have on my humble table a blood sausage that has burst on the grill,
and may people laugh (at me).*
This Góngora's fabulous poem is about what is really meaningful or important in life. Carpe Diem Just as true today as it was back then.
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As long as I am warm, may people laugh.
He basically says that he doesn't care about status, politics, money or even love, and that if people laugh at him because of his simple needs, so be it.
James Santiago said:
Here is the whole poem, and in this version, the word is cómo, giving us another option to consider.
Ándeme yo caliente
Y ríase la gente.
Traten otros del gobierno
Del mundo y sus monarquías,
Mientras gobiernan mis días
Mantequillas y pan tierno,
Y las mañanas de invierno
Naranjada y aguardiente,
Y ríase la gente.
Coma en dorada vajilla
El príncipe mil cuidados,
Cómo píldoras dorados;
Que yo en mi pobre mesilla
Quiero más una morcilla
Que en el asador reviente,
Y ríase la gente.
Cuando cubra las montañas
De blanca nieve el enero,
Tenga yo lleno el brasero
De bellotas y castañas,
Y quien las dulces patrañas
Del Rey que rabió me cuente,
Y ríase la gente.
Busque muy en hora buena
El mercader nuevos soles;
Yo conchas y caracoles
Entre la menuda arena,
Escuchando a Filomena
Sobre el chopo de la fuente,
Y ríase la gente.
Pase a media noche el mar,
Y arda en amorosa llama
Leandro por ver a su Dama;
Que yo más quiero pasar
Del golfo de mi lagar
La blanca o roja corriente,
Y ríase la gente.
Pues Amor es tan cruel,
Que de Píramo y su amada
Hace tálamo una espada,
Do se junten ella y él,
Sea mi Tisbe un pastel,
Y la espada sea mi diente,
Y ríase la gente
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Mmm, morcilla: blood, rice or onions, pine nuts and spices put inside a well washed pig intestine, boiled briefly, ready to be grilled... they are actually being made in many villages in Spain at this time, since the annual "killing" of the pig is done in December or January, so that the hams can be cured by the dry, cold weather.
lazarus1907 said:
Morcilla is made with the guts of certain animals, filled with cooked and spiced blood and other stuff, like a sausage.
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Let the prince eat his thousand worries on dinnerware as golden as a cure (to his worries)
I'd much rather have on my humble table a blood sausage that has burst on the grill,
and may people laugh (at me).
This Góngora's fabulous poem is about what is really meaningful or important in life. Carpe Diem Just as true today as it was back then.
No sé si el "principe mil cuidados" es the prince of a thousand cares /worries/responsibilities, o si la idea es ...the prince. A thousand remedies/care measures/ attendings etc... like golden pills. Creo que si se quiere pintarlo como un persona privilegiada (si es una palabra), es el segundo opción. No sé si mi traducción es bueno porque no sé lo que es el intento original.
That will probably be less intelligible than poetry. We'll see if anybody can tell what I just wrote. Good luck.
Coma en dorada vajilla
El príncipe mil cuidados,
Cómo píldoras dorados;
because the food is served in golden plates,the food is thought of beign golden, not that it is actually golden. I am guessing.
Coma en dorada vajilla
El príncipe mil cuidados,
Cómo píldoras dorados;
Que yo en mi pobre mesilla
Quiero más una morcilla
Que en el asador reviente,
Y ríase la gente.
Picking bits and pieces from all the contributors, how about this.
So the prince, with all his countless worries, for which there is no "golden pill" cure, eats from fancy tableware.
I prefer to have a simple meal on my humble table.
What do I care if people laugh at my way of thinking.
In essence
I prefer the simple life to one which not only brings great wealth but also great problems. And I don't care if people laugh at me.
Here is the whole poem, and in this version, the word is cómo, giving us another option to consider.
Ándeme yo caliente
Y ríase la gente.
Traten otros del gobierno
Del mundo y sus monarquías,
Mientras gobiernan mis días
Mantequillas y pan tierno,
Y las mañanas de invierno
Naranjada y aguardiente,
Y ríase la gente.
Coma en dorada vajilla
El príncipe mil cuidados,
Cómo píldoras dorados;
Que yo en mi pobre mesilla
Quiero más una morcilla
Que en el asador reviente,
Y ríase la gente.
Cuando cubra las montañas
De blanca nieve el enero,
Tenga yo lleno el brasero
De bellotas y castañas,
Y quien las dulces patrañas
Del Rey que rabió me cuente,
Y ríase la gente.
Busque muy en hora buena
El mercader nuevos soles;
Yo conchas y caracoles
Entre la menuda arena,
Escuchando a Filomena
Sobre el chopo de la fuente,
Y ríase la gente.
Pase a media noche el mar,
Y arda en amorosa llama
Leandro por ver a su Dama;
Que yo más quiero pasar
Del golfo de mi lagar
La blanca o roja corriente,
Y ríase la gente.
Pues Amor es tan cruel,
Que de Píramo y su amada
Hace tálamo una espada,
Do se junten ella y él,
Sea mi Tisbe un pastel,
Y la espada sea mi diente,
Y ríase la gente
Thanks, I'm with Gus though on the golden pill issue. If this great poetry by a great poet, I'm wondering if there might be another meaning for píldora dorada, Or does it just sound better in Spanish?
Heidita said:
steve said:
Let him eat from a golden platter, the prince Tended to with great care like golden pills For my poor table, I'd much prefer
A blood pudding which bursts on the grill,
And give the people cheer.
I am impressed Steve, wow
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steve said:
Let him eat from a golden platter, the prince Tended to with great care like golden pills
For my poor table, I'd much prefer
A blood pudding which bursts on the grill,
And give the people cheer.
I am impressed Steve, wow
I am going to the dog house - got lazy this time.
lazarus1907 said:
Gus said:
what is a ducat, and whats the name of the poem posted above? thank you
Come on, Gus! Use common sense. He was charged 4 ducats, so it is obviously money. It is a gold coin used as currency in the past.
Quentin said:
This site has the entire poem, but don't hit translate the page bec...
Why not? Machine translators are particularly good at translating ...
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Thanak you Lazarus 1907.
lazarus1907 said:
Morcilla is made with the guts of certain animals, filled with cooked and spiced blood and other stuff, like a sausage.
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your translation is good. But lets do better. My problem is with pills. Did they had pills back in the 16 th century> Pills might mean something else - I am going to keep on traying.
steve said:
Let him eat from a golden platter, the princeTended to with great care like golden pillsFor my poor table, I'd much preferA blood pudding which bursts on the grill,And give the people cheer.
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Let him eat from a golden platter, the prince
Tended to with great care like golden pills
For my poor table, I'd much prefer
A blood pudding which bursts on the grill,
And give the people cheer.
