Translation Needed: María Va (Mercedes Sosa)

Please kindly translate these lyrics into English.

Thanks

Erwin



María Va
Mercedes Sosa & Antonio Tarragó Ros


Mirar rasgado, patitas chuecas, María va,
pisando penas, la arena ardiente, María va,
calcina el monte un sol de fuego, María va,
temor pombero, palmar estero, María va.
Quiso la siesta ponerle un niño a su soledad,
de trigo y luna y de su mano María va,
por el tabacal, tu paso, María va,
y se bebe el sol que huele a duende, María va.

HABLADO:

Andando el verano de sol y chicharra,
a flores del monte, María, olía tu pueblo
un tren perezoso, resuello y resuello
a calle regada, María, olía tu pueblo
a pura inocencia de niño pueblero,
a calle regada, a flores del monte, María, olía tu pueblo.

Mirar rasgado, patitas chuecas, María va,
pisando penas, la arena ardiente, María va,
calcina el monte un sol de fuego, María va,
temor pombero, palmar estero, María va.
Quiso la siesta ponerle un niño a su soledad,
de trigo y luna y de su mano María va,
por el tabacal, tu paso, María va,
y se bebe el sol que huele a duende, María va.

María va, María va,
María va, María va.

Mirar rasgado, patitas chuecas, María va,
pisando penas, la arena ardiente, María va,
calcina el monte un sol de fuego, María va,
temor pombero, palmar estero, María va.
Quiso la siesta ponerle un niño a su soledad,
de trigo y luna y de su mano María va,
por el tabacal, tu paso, María va,
y se bebe el sol que huele a duende, María va.
Almond-shaped gaze, bow-legged, María goes,
treading on sorrows, on burning sand, María goes,
the hill scorches, a sun of fire, María goes,
fear of the pombero*, marshy palm grove, María goes,
the siesta (nap) wanted to give a child to her loneliness
of wheat and moon, and by his hand, María goes,
through the tobacco plantation, your steps, María goes
and drinks the sunshine which smells like a spirit, María goes

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pombero

HABLADO:

Andando el verano de sol y chicharra,
a flores del monte, María, olía tu pueblo
un tren perezoso, resuello y resuello
a calle regada, María, olía tu pueblo
a pura inocencia de niño pueblero,
a calle regada, a flores del monte, María, olía tu pueblo.
Walking in the summer of sun and cicadas,
your village, María, smelled like mountain flowers,
an idle train, gasp after gasp
your village, María, smelled like a sprinkled road,
like the pure innocence of a village child,
your village, María, smelled like a sprinkled road, like mountain flowers

Mirar rasgado, patitas chuecas, María va,
pisando penas, la arena ardiente, María va,
calcina el monte un sol de fuego, María va,
temor pombero, palmar estero, María va.
Quiso la siesta ponerle un niño a su soledad,
de trigo y luna y de su mano María va,
por el tabacal, tu paso, María va,
y se bebe el sol que huele a duende, María va.

María va, María va,
María va, María va.
María goes, María goes

Thanks for your reply "citlalli"; but I'm a little confused now.
What does the song talk about? Who is "María"? And what it means by saying "María goes"?
Why the mythical humanoid creature "Pombero" is being mentioned in this song?
Could you please kindly explain a little bit about the song and the idea behind it?

Erwin

Unfortunately, of all your questions I can only answer with certainty that "María va" (goes) means "María walks/ wanders/ roams around"... I really have no idea who this María is supposed to be; and I don't know either why the Pombero is mentioned here (it's the first time in my life I come across this term and this song ) I've googled it but haven't found anything related to the meaning of the song... whether it is a legend or what... I think you'd need to ask someone from Argentina or Paraguay about it as far as I know there are no Paraguayans here in the forum, but Mares Lejanos is Argentinian, perhaps -hopefully- she knows something about this song.

I know that "Mercedes Sosa" is a very popular artist in Latin America and I hope somebody someday would tell us about the idea behind this song and its real meaning.
Thank you so much anyway for your time and kind help; dear "citlalli". I appreciate it.
Erwin

You're welcome Erwin; I'm really sorry I can't help any further

As far as I know, this song have been written by Antonio Tarragó Ros, a songs writer and a singer from my Country. This song talks or describes a woman, who probably has lived or yet she's alive. It's describing how she is like, what she does and the place where she lives.

Pompero is a kind of gobblin, according to the mitology of Guarani people. This one can help you and be your friend, as well as he can be your enemy and mess up with your home. They thought (or still think?) that this gobbling can help you if you ask him favors, but you have to offer him things like tobacco for 30 night longs, and if you asked him something and you didn't offer him for the 30 nights his offer, he will get vengative and mess up everything in your home. His name must not be spoken in loud voice, and they can't speak bad about him. That's the reason because they are afraid of him.
When the song says "temor pombero", is refering to this matter, the fear of him.

Mirar rasgado (me suena a mirada dura, cansada - it seems to me like a tired and severe look/sight)

pisando penas (like she's suffering for some reason, question of life I guess),

la arena ardiente
calcina el monte un sol de fuego (in the North of this country, the sand and the sun are really really hot in summer)

temor pombero (fear of the gobblin), palmar estero (in that zone there are a Palmar and an estero)
Palmar:


Esteros:


Quiso la siesta ponerle un niño a su soledad,
de trigo y luna y de su mano María va,
it seems like she had a baby/boy who goes walking with her,

Andando el verano de sol y chicharra,
a flores del monte, María, olía tu pueblo
un tren perezoso, resuello y resuello
a calle regada, María, olía tu pueblo
a pura inocencia de niño pueblero,
a calle regada, a flores del monte,
it's descrining the town she lives/ed

Citlalli!!!!!, thank you for remembering me!!!! I've just got here to give "thanks" for the translation and then I saw the doubt about this song and my user name

Hope I could help a bit

See you!

Originally Posted by erwin1350

I know that "Mercedes Sosa" is a very popular artist in Latin America and I hope somebody someday would tell us about the idea behind this song and its real meaning.
Thank you so much anyway for your time and kind help; dear "citlalli". I appreciate it.
Erwin

Mercedes Sosa was folklore singer from my country, she did not long time ago. I had a cd from her, called "The Best of Mercedes Sosa" and I really like that cd, though I'm not listening to eat since a long time , I guess it's time to listen to this compact again!

It seems so weird when someone from abroad is asking for a translation of a "folklore song of Argentina", because normally few people hear this style of music, even in this country . So thanks for bringing this song back to my mind .

Wow! That was great, "MaresLejanos"! Thanks for your helpful explanation.
I really like Latin (Spanish) culture and literature and art. It's very rich and charming. Latin musicians, filmmakers, poets and writers are very popular in my country too.
I would like to add, If I may, that artists like "Mercedes Sosa"; "Atahualpa Yupanqui"; "Carlos Gardel" and "Ástor Piazzolla" are all international figures and belong to all the humanity rather than a nation alone.
I really respect these kind of artists who bring joy and beauty to our life by their brilliant works.
Thanks again for you time and help.
Best Regards
Erwin

You're welcome!

I don't know much about the culture of the different races that belong to this side of the world, but the few I know is very interesting. I'll search for a book about regional mitology and read a bit .
The Latin languages are really nice: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French (and there could be some others that I'm forgetting for sure). I myself, love mine, and now I'm learning Portuguese .
Well, yes , when it comes to art, the artist belong to all the human kind (who can appreciate it, of course ) .


Well I have to work, have a good day! Best regards!


Mares

Originally Posted by MaresLejanos

Citlalli!!!!!, thank you for remembering me!!!! I've just got here to give "thanks" for the translation and then I saw the doubt about this song and my user name

Hope I could help a bit

See you!

Not only a bit, but quite a lot!! Thanks for your input I'm glad Erwin has now his explanation and I also found it very interesting to get to know the notorious Pombero