Chapter 4 of Translation from Galician to English of 11 poems by Rosalia de Castro

Source: Nuria. Mis bordados a punto de cruz

4. How Can I Depart If I Love You? (Cantan os galos pra o día)

(Cantares Gallegos, 1863)

Translator's Notes

"¿Como me hei de ir si te quero?" is yet another poem that uses the affectionate diminutive form peculiar to the Galician language. The affectionate diminutive ends in iña (singular feminine) or iño (singular masculine) but not every word that ends in iña or iño is an affectionate diminutive.

All the words in "¿Como me hei de ir si te quero?" which end in iña or iño are listed below together with the translation. Galician affectionate diminutives offer the translator an opportunity to add alliteration, internal rhyme and lyrical sharpness to the text. The goal is to find the best adjective, adverb or noun which conveys smallness, frailty, concern or affection depending on the context.

biquiño. Dim. of "bico" (kiss) translated "wee kiss" to overlay a faint Scottish-English feel to the translation. Other options: light kiss, little kiss, peck, quick kiss.
caloriño. Dim. of "calor" (heat, warmth) translated "sweet heat" to rhyme with "feet" (3.12).
cariña. Dim. of "cara" (face) translated "pretty...face." Another option: lovely face.
labiños. Dim. of "labios" (lips) translated "sweet lips."
meiguiño. Dim. of "meigo" (magician, wizard) translated "darling wizard." The hyperbole "meiguiño meigo" was translated "dear bewitching wizard" (4.1).
meniña (girl, lass). Not an affectionate diminutive.
olliños. Dim. and pl. of "ollo" (eye) translated "lovely...eyes."
ondiñas. Dim. and pl. of "onda" (wave) translated "gentle waves." Other options: fair-weather waves, light surf, lovely sea, low swell, nice surf, ripples, sailing waves, small waves, tame sea.
paxariños. Dim. and pl. of "paxaro" (bird) translated "little birds." The phrase connotes size and affection.
queridiña/o. Dim. of "querida/o" (beloved, dear) translated "dearie."

Explanation of some words, terms or expressions

Deses teus olliños negros, / como doas relumbrantes, / hastra as nosas maus unidas / as bágoas ardentes caen (3.1-4). A case of reverse sentence structure whose literal translation is "From your precious dark eyes / Like glittering beads / To our clasped hands / The burning tears fall." Although reverse sentences are a common feature of Spanish poetry they yield ambiguous, crumpled prose in English. The ironed-out translation is often preferable. Three other reverse sentences were reworked (3.9-10, 3.11-12, 8.1-2).

Dearie, sleep yet a while amid the gentle waves of the sea (5.1-2). The couple spent the night on a boat, he is probably a fugitive from justice or a political runaway. Galicia had many political runaways after the failed Liberal uprising of 1846. The posit is buttressed by De Castro's use on line 10.3 of the imperative fuxe, from the verb fuxir (to flee or to run away) whence comes the substantive fuxitivo (fugitive). Nevertheless the word fuxe was prudently translated, "go quickly," to let the reader interpret the poem's circumstances for her/himself.

—Cantan os galos pra o día;
érguete, meu ben, e vaite.

—¿Como me hei de ir, queridiña;
como me hei de ir e deixarte?

—Deses teus olliños negros,
como doas relumbrantes,
hastra as nosas maus unidas
as bágoas ardentes caen.
¿Como me hei de ir si te quero?
¿Como me hei de ir e deixarte,
si ca lengua me desbotas
e co corazón me atraes?
Nun corruncho do teu leito
cariñosa me abrigaches;
co teu manso caloriño
os fríos pés me quentastes;
e de aquí xuntos miramos
por antre o verde ramaxe
cal iba correndo a lúa
por enriba dos pinares.
¿Como queres que te deixe?
¿Como que de ti me aparte,
si máis que a mel eres dulce
e máis que as froles soave?

—Meiguiño, meiguiño meigo,
meigo que me namoraste,
vaite de onda min, meiguiño,
antes que o sol se levante.

—Aínda dorme, queridiña,
antre as ondiñas do mare,
dorme por que me acariñes
e por que amante me chames,
que solo onda ti, meniña,
podo contento folgare.

—Xa cantan os paxariños,
érguete, meu ben, que é tarde.

—Deixa que canten, Marica;
Marica, deixa que canten...
Si ti sintes que me vaia,
eu relouco por quedarme.

—Conmigo, meu queridiño,
mitá da noite pasaches.

—Mais en tanto ti dormías,
contenteime con mirarte,
que así, sorrindo entre soños,
coidaba que eras un ánxel,
e non con tanta pureza
ó pé dun ánxel velase.

—Así te quero, meu ben,
como un santo dos altares;
mais fuxe..., que o sol dourado
por riba dos montes saie.

—Irei, mais dáme un biquiño
antes que de ti me aparte,
que eses labiños de rosa
inda non sei como saben.

—Con mil amores cho dera,
mais teño que confesarme,
e moita vergonza fora
ter un pecado tan grande.

—Pois confésate, Marica,
que cando casar nos casen,
non che han de valer, meniña,
nin confesores nin frades.
¡Adios, cariña de rosa!

—¡Raparigo, Dios te garde!

"The roosters sing to the dawning day.
Get up, my boon, and go away."

"How can I depart, dearie,
How can I go and leave you?

"The burning tears fall
Like glittering beads
From your lovely dark eyes
To our clasped hands.
How can I depart if I love you?
How can I go and leave you,
If you send me away with the tongue
Yet with the heart pull me near?
You sheltered me fondly
In a corner of your bed,
You warmed my cold feet
With your gentle, sweet heat,
And from here together we watched
Through the green foliage
How the moon tracked
Above the stands of pine.
How do you pretend that I leave you?
How can I forsake you,
If you are sweeter than honey
And milder than the flowers?"

"Darling wizard, dear bewitching wizard,
Wizard who made me fall in love with you:
Get away from here, darling wizard,
Before the sun rises."

"Dearie, sleep yet a while
Amidst the gentle waves of the sea,
Sleep for then you would caress me
And call out to me like a lover,
It's only with you, lass,
That I can relax contented."

"The little birds are already singing,
Get up, my boon, it's late."

"Let them sing, Marika;
Marika, let them sing...
If you are sorry to see me go,
I rave for to stay."

"You spent half the night
With me, my dearie."

"Yet while you slept
I contented myself with gazing at you,
And as you slept, smiling between dreams,
I fancied that you were an angel,
And with not as much chastity
Would I have kept vigil at the feet of an angel."

"That's how I want you, my boon,
Like a saint upon the altar;
But go quickly...for the golden sun
Shows over the hilltops."

"I will, but give me a wee kiss
Before I slip away from you,
For I still do not know how
Those rosy, sweet lips taste."

"I would with thousandfold love,
But I must go to confession
And it would be a great shame
To own so great a sin."

"Go to confession then, Marika,
But when they marry us well married,
Neither confessors nor friars
Will avail you any, lass.
Good-bye, pretty rose face!"

"God keep you, laddie!"