"Vivieron felices y comieron perdices"

Question

What does "Vivir felices y comer perdices" mean? I am reading El Castillo Ambulante (Howl's Moving Castle, in English) to improve my Spanish, and because I love the book so much in English, and I came across this phrase in it. I know that in English the line is "to live happily ever after", and I suppose this is the Spanish equivalent - but what does it mean exactly'

Answer 1

This dictionary says it means they lived happily ever after...but I think this is an old-Spanish or Spain translation.

Answer 2

Hi raindrop, I changed your title as this is the original form of using the saying. Look, we have a category for these kind of threads.

Mira el dicho completo, en el que rima todo:

y vivieron felices y comieron perdices y a mí me dieron con los huesos en las narices'

Answer 3

Yes, I thought of the rhyme too (it's quite fun to say) and I found out it meant partridges, it just seemed a very bizarre thing for Howl to be saying. It's obviously just one of those idiomatic things. Thanks, guys!

Answer 4

As Robert says, the old-fashioned fairy tale ending was "y fueron felices y comieron perdices (y a mí no me dieron porque no quisieron; in its complete form)." Eating partridge was reserved for the rich in olden days (which may be why the famous Xmas song starts out with the gift of a partridge in a pear tree), but I think the main reason the word perdices was chosen is that it rhymes with felices.

Answer 5

Perdiz is a bird, a partridge, which is related to the pheasants (faisán).
The literal translation could be something like: Live happy, eat partridges. A partridge is a delicacy, so it may mean: Living without a care in the world, or to sort of realize your dreams in life.
"Después que nos casemos será, a vivir felices y comer perdices".

Answer 6

This may be some kind of Spanish saying (expression or idiom). I will make a guess and wait for a more knowledgeable response:

"To live happily and to eat partridges" (not sure about the -- happily)