Vallenato translation (Binomio de Oro)

Hi all,

Here is my amateur translation of "De Rodillas" by Binomio de Oro, vallenato music from Colombia.

I would appreciate any ideas or suggestions to improve it.

My major problem here is with the verb tenses used in the song. It uses future indicative (podrá and pasará), indicating that these things will happen. But it seems to me that these verbs should be subjunctive, indicating that these things could or might happen.
As I understand the song, it it saying basically that all of these incredible things could/might happen, but my love for you will never be extinguished.
So, I used might and could instead of simple future.
In the interest of brevity, I didn't repeat sections that are repeated in the song.


De Rodillas (El Binomio de Oro)


Podrá desviarse la creciente de un río
podrán no haber más nubes en el cielo
podrán morir muchas regiones por frío
podrá cambiarse la costumbre de un pueblo
(A rising river might change its course
There might be no more clouds in the sky
Many regions [places] could die from the cold
The customs [traditions] of a people could change)

Todo eso pasará…
(All of this could happen…)

Podrá la muerte en su afán callar mi voz
y que tú no escuches mis canciones
podrán volver golondrinas a tu ventana
podrá ocultarse para siempre el sol
(Death in its hurry might silence my voice
so that you wouldn’t hear my songs
Swallows could return to your window
The sun could hide itself forever)

Pero nunca se podrá apagar
la llama del amor que tú has prendido en mí
(But the flame of love that you have kindled [lit] in me
Could [can?] never be put out [extinguished])

Porque así de rodillas
como se adora Dios con ese gran amor
sólo te quiero yo
(Because on my knees like this
Just as God is adored with that great love
I only love you)

Podrán los mares no besar sus playas
podrán los vientos no emitir sonidos
podrá no haber más estrellas fugaces
podrá acabarse la ternura del niño
(The seas might not kiss her beaches
The winds might not make a sound
There may be no more shooting stars
The tenderness of a child might come to an end)

Podrá invertir su rotación la tierra
que no desprendan su aroma las flores
quizás no vuelva a nacer una mujer bella
se acabarán los misterios para el hombre
(The earth could reverse its rotation
Flowers might not give off their aroma
Perhaps not another beautiful woman will be born
The mysteries could end for mankind)

________________________________


Take care...

it's really good translated in my oppinion!! i didnt understood what do u relly need....so please ask again and maybe me or someone else can help you!

I really appreciate your input Lucia9! Thanks a lot.

I mainly wanted to know if I was translating "podrá" and "pasará" correctly, since they seem to be future indicative, even though the context of the song would seem to call for a subjunctive tense.

Also, any other suggestions anyone could offer that could improve the translation, since my Spanish grammar isn't that great.

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Take care!

Originally Posted by micrastur

I really appreciate your input Lucia9! Thanks a lot.

I mainly wanted to know if I was translating "podrá" and "pasará" correctly, since they seem to be future indicative, even though the context of the song would seem to call for a subjunctive tense.

Also, any other suggestions anyone could offer that could improve the translation, since my Spanish grammar isn't that great.

--------------------
Take care!

I'll try to explain, do you know the "oraciones condicionales"?

ej Si estudiáis, aprobareis vuestros exámenes (if you study, you'll pass your exams

As you see, like in English, you use the future and that doesn't mean that this thing will happen or not
So this sentences are condicionals, depending on the will of someone in the present

I hope you could undertand my simple explanation

Saludos

I think you made a good choice using could and might, cause that's indeed what i think the song means to say

All those things, imposible as they seem, are more probable than the fact that my love for you would die.

Nice job btw

oh I forgot to congratulate you on your excellent music choice, Vallenatos should be more apreciated in my opinion. I love them

Hi guys,

I really appreciate your comments!
I just recently started translating some Latin music that I like for fun and also to improve my Spanish.
I lived in Colombia for two years and really fell in love with the music there, vallenato especially, but also salsa, cumbia, guasca, porro and even some pop/rock like Juanes and Aterciopelados.
Vallenato is an accordian-based folk music native to Colombia and, although not for everybody, there are some great lyrics and the music is FULL of feeling.

heksje, just out of curiousity, how did you learn about vallenatos?
I imagine they're not too common in Belgium.

I went on an exchange project to Parguay, that's where I learnt about vallenatos (and spanish), and I simply love them. To me they reflect the soft, romantic side in every (macho)latino. Cause that's not discussed when they talk about the stereotype latino. the songs are so full of passion, romance and tragedy, I could cry (the good ones anyway): binomio de oro, los chiches, los diablitos, ...
What I loved most about the place, is that young people listen to it too. In Belgium that kind of music would be considered for old people: not cool But hey: I don't care. I keep playing them, even if it drives my dorm crazy.