31 Jul 20 - 01:38 AM (#4066659) Subject: 'Que culpa tiene el tomate' From: Irthlingz I think I understand the literal meaning of the lyrics of this folk song, 'Que culpa tiene el tomate' which originated during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). This version is by a Chilean group: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3clJISZWtg I have posted the Spanish and my translation here: https://irthlingz.com/que_culpa.html (There are also some chords and some modern environmentalist lyrics for those who might be interested.) There are a two things in particular that I'm curious about: 1) In the second half of the first verse, it says that "four rogues" tread on the worker's wife. Does anyone have any idea who these four rogues are? 2) In the first half of the third verse, why do the mine bosses purchase a *Roman* woman to weigh the money they steal from the poor worker? Thanks for any suggestions on this! Michael |
31 Jul 20 - 02:10 AM (#4066661) Subject: RE: 'Que culpa tiene el tomate' From: Monique 1- "four rogues" is just a way to say "some/a few" just the same way you say "I'll tell them a word or two". 2 - A "romana" is what you call a steelyard. |
31 Jul 20 - 02:22 AM (#4066662) Subject: RE: 'Que culpa tiene el tomate' From: Monique Michael, I hadn't read your translation before answering your question but you need to fix a couple of things... Y viene un hijo de puta y lo mete en una lata y lo manda pa' Caracas. ...these "lo" refer to the tomato = And here comes a son of a bitch and (he) puts it in a can and (he) sends it to Caracas. Una "lata" is a can (tin), not a box (una caja). "Señor" can mean "gentleman" but in this case it means "master". |
31 Jul 20 - 03:14 AM (#4066670) Subject: RE: 'Que culpa tiene el tomate' From: Monique Btw the song has other titles (Que la tortilla se vuelva / La hierba de los caminos) and is of Spanish origin so "tortilla" is Spanish omelette. From there... "The grass of the roads" is a theme that compiles verses that the republicans sang in the trenches during the civil war, from the first verse, which was appropriated by Corruco de Algeciras, singer of La Línea de la Concepción that made Manuel Vallejo himself cry the first time he heard him sing, up to the very popular "Let the rich eat bread and the rich eat shit." -Google translation. |
04 Aug 20 - 10:22 PM (#4067331) Subject: RE: 'Que culpa tiene el tomate' From: Irthlingz Thank you, Monique, for all the enlightenment! I have changed the English at https://irthlingz.com/que_culpa.html based on your comments. |
05 Aug 20 - 12:52 AM (#4067336) Subject: RE: 'Que culpa tiene el tomate' From: Monique You should also change the tense of the verbs of the 2nd part of the 2nd verse: "viene" = comes (3rd pers. sing. present tense), "mete" (ditto), "manda" ditto. "Came" would be "vino", "put" would be "puso" and "sent" would be "mandó". |
08 Aug 20 - 12:13 AM (#4067680) Subject: RE: 'Que culpa tiene el tomate' From: Irthlingz Done! And thanks again, Monique. |
08 Aug 20 - 01:43 AM (#4067683) Subject: RE: 'Que culpa tiene el tomate' From: Joe Offer |
08 Aug 20 - 01:44 AM (#4067684) Subject: RE: 'Que culpa tiene el tomate' From: Joe Offer I wonder if I can get that page to display here. \
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08 Aug 20 - 02:33 PM (#4067735) Subject: RE: 'Que culpa tiene el tomate' From: Mysha 'Let the rich eat bread and the rich eat shit." -Google translation.' Let the POOR eat bread and let the rich eat shit. (My own translation, though my Spanish could be better.) Bye Mysha |
10 Feb 24 - 06:27 AM (#4196853) Subject: RE: 'Que culpa tiene el tomate' From: Monique Translation of the first two verses of the version in the table above; Man owes to the earth what the earth gives him But he punders and plunders, he leaves it very thin, parched and full of troubles/problems The light aircrafts fly while the soybean is blooming And the cursed Glyphosate rots your blood and your heart weakens And the cursed Glyphosate rots your blood and your heart gets wild |