The pride of the mineral
Our member, Martin Rizzi, opened a Post/Thread under the heading "Taxco de Mis Amores". You may see it at:
http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/show/9655/
The 4th line of the song, in Spanish is:
"su hermosa iglesia que es el orgullo del mineral."
This line has been translated to English as:
"its beautiful church that is the pride of the mineral"
I have a question. What does this line mean in either Spanish or English? Please reply in either of those languages.
Ninoska and Heitor have already contributed to answering my question. Thank you both for that. Qfreed has patiently waited to see what my intentions were. "Q", thanks for that.
At the time I am writing this, 200 people have read the original post/thread by Martin Rizzi and 90 read this same question when I posted it in Spanish. What did everyone think it meant when they read "orgullo del mineral" or "pride of the mineral"?
This is not a test. No-one will be marked or graded. There is no prize for the best or any answer. One older member will have his curiousity assuaged by your replies.
Thanks,
Moe
6 Answers
Martin:
I like your most recent reply in this thread. You and I are coming closer together on these last 10 lines of "Taxco de Mis Amores". So you have made me bold enough to post my attempt to translate the song in that thread. See
http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/show/9655/P15/#52840
You may not love it, but please don't hate it entirely.
Recuerdos,
Moe
Martin:
In my research into Taxco, I'm sure I encountered the information you have given in the 1st 3 paragraphs of your above reply to this thread. Thanks for that information because it brings some of the songs lyrics into better context and better perspective.
On the other hand, I have to question why you have said:
In the song he is saying he is the pride of the mineral because he is an artisan, making .925 silver jewelry by casting, cutting, hammering, soldering, polishing? The singer, as silversmith, tells the girl he is addressing that as he transforms the silver mineral into a beautiful piece of jewelry, he is the pride of the mineral.
It's a way of saying he is part of the tradition of his city and of the Santa Prisca as he is trying to impress the girl he likes so she will want to make love to him.
Within the lyrics of the song, I could not find a hint of a suggestion about anything you have written into these two paragraphs. Please explain how you came to understand these two paragraphs from the context of the lyrics.
Moe, you are absolutely right in observing that there is NO reference to
silversmithing in Taxco de Mis Amores. My boo-boo. I was mixing it up with
a different song titled "Rinconcito Azul". However, the references to
the girl he wants to have fall in love with him are not only patently apparent
they provide the ironic element remotely comparable to what goes on in leidersong
here the singer is NOT vainly shouting his love for his home city into an arroyo.
he is telling a girl that she will enjoy a peaceful and bountiful scene, seeing
the calfs and the colts prancing in corrals. The singer claims the heritage of
the precious metal deposits and the beautiful curriegesgo late-baroque Sta Prisca
telling the girl he wants that he is a Tasqueñan and that he lives in the mineral
Cuando vayas por la carretera
When you go by the highway
verás muchas cosas que te han de agradar;
you will see many things that should please you
veras por las lomas correr las potrancas,
you will see by the hills the colts running
becerros y vacas dentro de un corral.
heifers and cows within a corral
Por eso te invito, chatita de la alma,
For this I invite you, sweet little soul,
que vayamos a pasear
that we are going to go around
para que vivas desengañada
so that you live undeceived
que soy un Taxqueño, y que vivo en el minerál.
that I am a Tasqueñan and that I live in the mineral.
que vayamos a pasear means: we are going to go around town like novios
para que vivas desengeñada means: that you live without being deceived
this statement is his sublime declaration of love -
From Martin Rizzi
Martin Rizzi sent this message using the Private Message system. He has a temporary problem with posting to the forum and has asked me to post this reply for him.
Martin's Message
for some reason i cant post - the error message says
something about my data base being turned off ''¡¿¿
maybe you can post this response on my behalf
it says in the song Taxco de Mis Amores :
Cuando vayas por la carretera
When you go by the highway
veras muchas cosas que te han de agradar;
you will see many things that ought to please you
veras por las lomas correr las potrancas,
you will see by the hills the colts running
becerros y vacas dentro de un corral.
heifers and cows within a corral
Por eso te invito, chatita de la alma,
For this I invite you, sweet little soul,
que vayamos a pasear
that we are going to go around
para que vivas desengañada
so that you live undeceived
que soy un taxqueño, y que vivo en el mineral.
that i am a tasqueñan and that i live in the mineral.
in these lines the singer addresses
'...you, sweet little soul? (chatita de la alma)
he is saying to her that around his town she will see
many wonderful things; he wants her to like his town,
this is because he wants to convince her to love him.
when he says 'vayamos a pasear? he means 'pasear? the
way this verb is used to day to means 'going out',
going out, walking around, not going somewhere special
if he is not addressing a prospective girlfriend, then
why is he saying 'para que vives desengañada'? he is
telling her that he is sincere and wont cheat on her.
Taxco is a city built on top of precious meltal mines. The indians didnt live up
here, their community was down in Taxco El Viejo but the Spanish built this city
right on top of the silver deposits, ...a steep mountainside town is Taxco.
The conqueror Cortez himself opened a mineral excavation in Taxco
at a very early date in Mexican colonial history. The mines have
been in more or less continuous production for five hundred years (however,
they have been closed now for about two years due to a national miners strike)
...very famous story of how Taxco magnificent Santa Prisca Church in the center
of the city was paid for by the silver ore deposits exploited by Jose de la Borda
"God gave to Borda, Borda gave to God", as the saying has come down to us)
Truly magnificent building built in eight years flat 1781-1789 i think) a private
project with top architects and painters from Spain and local indian craftspeople.
All the cost of the Santa Prisca was paid for by the mineral deposits under Taxco.
In the song he is saying he is the pride of the mineral becasue he is an artisan,
making .925 silver jewelry by casting, cutting, hammering, soldering, polishing...
The singer, as silversmith, tells the girl he is addressing that as he transforms
the silver mineral into a beautiful piece of jewelry, he is the pride of the mineral
its a way of saying he is part of the tradition of his city and of the Santa Prisca
as he is trying to impress the girl he likes so she will want to make love to him.
Hi Moe,
After listening to the song the other day. I was wondering the same question. Is Taxco 'the mineral'? or is their church a pride of the mining activity of Taxco? Perhaps Martin can find it out talking to some local people.
I found this:
"Lo hago con mucho gusto, respeto y admiración hacia el orgullo del mineral 'El Plomo', población ubicada cerca de de Trincheras Santa Ana."
and this:
"Por Gallos, Abundio Garnica confía en el ataque de sus refuerzos Ángel Ramírez y Ramón Méndez, así como en el orgullo del Mineral de la Luz, Javier Calvillo, y los de casa y familia, como Mario Hernández, Marco Garnica, Alejandro, César y Saúl Aguilar."
Then, it seems that 'El orgullo del mineral' is not an expression only for Taxco.
