Translating Spanish Love Songs
Happy Valentines
I’ve recently taken to reading Bert Marshalls Perennial Way – a diverse collection of ancient spiritual works translated to English. After Marshall was blown up by a hand grenade in Vietnam, he had encountered a spiritual vision so profound he spent the next 37 years searching for answers. It was only until he ran into the Ashtavakra Gita that he had found what he had been looking for. Marshall had run into a problem however – the translation wasn’t cutting it.
“I was struck by the degree to which the language of the translation got in the way, how much it obscured as much as it illuminated.”1
Unconvinced by existing versions, he took it upon himself to translate the text, and then kept going. The result is The Perennial Way, a collection of inspiring translations from ancient spiritual texts like the Tao Te Ching, the Dhammapada, The Heart Sutra, amongst many others. Marshalls inspiring translations of these works has inspired me to do the same, albeit on a much smaller scale.
In the spirit of Valentines day, I have translated one of my favourite Spanish love songs all of time. Aside from its brilliant composition, the lyrics paint a picture of love so vivid it enchants the imagination. The artist and composer is none other than Juan Luis Guerra, a Dominican musician who is best known for popularizing romantic bachata throughout South America and eventually the world. His unique blend of latin rhythms, flavourful jazz, and gorgeous melodies easily make him one of my favourite composers of all time.
The song I'll be translating is called Te Contaran, meaning “They'll tell you.” The song is a profession of love. I was pleasantly surprised by the difficulty of translation; the lyrical depth of Juan Luis Guerra’s prose combined with Spanish as the romantic medium of expression flexed a muscle in my brain I hadn’t used before. Whereas German is precise and English is direct, Spanish at its core, is romantic.
Te Contaran (They’ll Tell You)
They'll tell you, during the kneeling mornings
They'll tell you, in the pupils of the springs
In the blue sky, where mornings nourish our dreams
In the bitter vine, and the winding clock of time
They'll tell you, in the moon and the stars
They'll tell you, in the skies of the pathway
They'll tell you, that there is not on earth
A heart that loves you like mine.
They'll tell you, in the sigh of the butterfly
They'll tell you, in a lyrical concert of roses
In the old sea, the collagen of memories
In the passageway, left by the warm aroma of kisses
They'll tell you, yes, in the sun and the palm trees
They'll tell you, the kings and the lilies
They'll tell you, that there is not in this century
A heart that loves you the same.
(Bridge - 1:32)
I will crown you with singing songs of sand
and write a poem of profound contemplation
I will resolve my thesis to you
and proclaim a theorem of this great love, hear me!
(Chorus - 1:51 )
They'll tell you, in the moon and the stars
They'll tell you, in the skies of the pathway
They'll tell you that there is not on earth
A heart that loves you the same
A heart that loves you the same
A heart that loves you the same as mine.
Hear me!
(Instrumental - 2:27)
I'm telling you you'll never find a love like mine (on the earth)
Not in a concert of kisses above the sand (in the stars)
Oh no! You won't find an affection like mine (on the earth)
Not in the comets, or in the infinity of space (in the stars)
Hear me!
(Instrumental - 3:04)
Oh yes they'll tell you, in the moon and the stars
They'll tell you, in the skies of the pathway
They'll tell you that there is not on earth
A heart that loves you the same
A heart that loves you the same
A heart that loves you the same as mine.
Thank you for reading and listening. Happy Valentines!
The Perennial Way, Bert Marshall
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29922769-the-perennial-way-expanded-edition
This is beautiful <3
Is there a reason why you chose "Te Contaran" to translate, compared to, let's say, any of Juan Luis Guerra's other songs?