ADD: Solo le pido a dios (Leon Gieco)

Subject: Did you know León Gieco ?
From: Escamillo
Date: 02 Aug 02 - 10:17 PM

Today I bought a CD of León Gieco for our friend KatLaughing, and asked myself why I didn't mention some Argentinean authors and interpreters who could be a whole new world of interesting music for folkies in the North.

Take a look and hear some songs at this site:

http://www.leongieco.com.ar/

(Select English Version, General Index, downloads allowed). Some of the songs will be very familiar to you, since León has been inspired in North American folk, and later investigated deeply in the South American folklore. Now León is one of the most respected folk musicians in Argentina and South America. You'll find that he is no great singer, but his charm and inspiration, and especially his lyrics, compensate very well, and the results are excellent.

Some people classify him as a rock&roll singer because he plays a modern style guitar, but for me, he is one of the few valid integrators of folk music of different regions and has found the roots common to all America. Listen to him and then you will have your opinion.

Un abrazo - Andrés

Subject: RE: Did you know León Gieco ?
From: Escamillo
Date: 03 Aug 02 - 03:41 AM

This is the lyrics (with my translation) of SOLO LE PIDO A DIOS. In the site you'll find Spanish lyrics and chords, MP3 files and Web Frequency sound.

SOLO LE PIDO A DIOS
(Léon Gieco)

Intro:
Em

   G       C       G
  Solo le pido a Dios / To God I only ask
    C              Cmaj11/B        Am
  que el dolor no me sea indiferente, /that grief be not indifferent to me
   Bm             G              D
  que la reseca muerte no me encuentre /to not be found by the parched Death
           C            Cmaj11/B        Em 
  vacío y solo sin haber hecho lo suficiente./alone and empty without doing my best

Solo le pido a Dios / To God I only ask
que lo injusto no me sea indiferente,/ that injustice be not indifferent to me,
que no me abofeteen la otra mejilla / to not be slapped in the other cheek
después que una garra me arañó esta suerte. / after a claw so teared my face.

Solo le pido a Dios / To God I only ask
que la guerra no me sea indiferente,/ that war not be indifferent to me,
es un monstruo grande y pisa fuerte / that's a big monster which heavily steps
toda la pobre inocencia de la gente. / on the poor innocence of people.

Armonica:
G C G C Cmaj11/B Am D
C G D Em C G D Em

Solo le pido a Dios / To God I only ask
que el engaño no me sea indiferente, / that deceit not be indifferent to me,
si un traidor puede mas que unos cuantos, / if a traitor has more power than some people,
que esos cuantos no lo olviden fácilmente./ that people don't easily forget it.

Solo le pido a Dios / To God I only ask
que el futuro no me sea indiferente, / that the Future not be indifferent to me,
desahuciado está el que tiene que marchar / hopeless is who has to march
a vivir una cultura diferente. / to live in a different culture.

Solo le pido a Dios
que la guerra no me sea indiferente,
es un monstruo grande y pisa fuerte
toda la pobre inocencia de la gente.

Subject: RE: Did you know León Gieco ?
From: Amos
Date: 03 Aug 02 - 10:35 AM

Ai, que rico!

Thanks very much, Andres.

A

Subject: RE: ADD: Solo le piedo a dios (Leon Gieco)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Jul 20 - 02:31 PM

I'm trying to work up a translation of this song, but I'm having difficulties. I found an attempt at a translation here:

https://jewishdutchess.org/blogging-jewish-in-dutchess/only-ask-from-god

I Only Ask of God (Ana Belen)

I only ask of God
Not to become indifferent to pain
I hope that Death, that harpy, will not find me
an empty suit and all alone
without having done the best I could

I only ask of God
Not to become indifferent to injustice
that it will not slap me in the other cheek
after ripping the first away
with this, my luck

I only ask of God
Not to become indifferent to war
For it is a big monster that steps strong
on the sweet innocence
of the common folk

I only ask of God
Not to become indifferent to deceit
If a traitor manage to fool the many
May the many not so easily
forget it

I only ask of God
Not to become indifferent to the future
for it is a tragedy when some must leave
to live their lives in another culture
away from home

I only ask of God
Not to become indifferent to war
For it is a big monster that steps strong
on the sweet innocence
of the common folk

For it is a big monster that steps strong
on the sweet innocence
of the common folk



---


In a singable song translation, the language has to be poetic, but not necessarily an exact translation. Rod McKuen did some successful translations of Jacques Brel songs, but he didn't stick very close to the French original.


For a start, I would translate "Sólo le pido a Dios" as "This alone I ask of God."

That "indiferente" gives me trouble. Here's an interesting but inconclusive discussion:
https://spanish.stackexchange.com/questions/23249/how-should-i-understand-que-la-guerra-no-me-sea-indiferente


Here's a live performance by Gieco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=81tXA4BadiU

https://www.riseupandsing.org/songs/solo-le-pido-dios

Subject: RE: ADD: Solo le piedo a dios (Leon Gieco)
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 28 Jul 20 - 03:42 PM

No me digas!! I Saw León Gieco at the Barbican in London 23/09/2000 as part of a concert with Soledad Pastorutti and another who's name I forget. He's a wonderful performer.

Subject: RE: ADD: Solo le piedo a dios (Leon Gieco)
From: Mysha
Date: 28 Jul 20 - 04:59 PM

Maybe Rod McKuen stuck to the Flemish version of Brel's original. But indeed, I did a version of My Flat Country, and it is clearly not like the original.


This favour I ask of God
That pain may never find me an uncaring heart
That when the claw of death finally tears my life apart
I won't be empty, without having done my part


BFN
Mysha

Subject: RE: ADD: Solo le piedo a dios (Leon Gieco)
From: Monique
Date: 29 Jul 20 - 12:37 PM

Brel's original lyrics were in French.
SNIP
Since his own command of Dutch was poor, most of Brel's later Dutch interpretations were translated by Ernst van Altena, with Brel's cooperation, and are generally considered to be relatively true to the original French and poetic.
SNIP