“Wet Papers”
Album: Con Otro Aire (With Another Air), 2007
Style: Romani-influenced Spanish music
Country: Spain
Listen: YouTube
Translation:
Miles de sombras cada noche trae la marea.
Navegan cargaos de ilusiones que en la orilla se quedan. [*ilusiones = dreams, hopes, lit. illusions]
Historias del día día, historias de buena gente.
Se juegan la vida cansaos, con hambre y un frío que pela.
Every night, the tide brings in thousands of shadows.
They navigate laden with dreams left at the shore.
Stories of the day, the real day, histories of good people.
They gamble their lives fatigued, with hunger and a cold that hurts.
Ahogan sus penas con una candela — ponte tú en su lugar —
El miedo que en sus ojos reflejan, la mar se echo a llorar.
They drown their sorrows with a candle — put yourself in their place —
The fear that they reflect in their eyes, the sea has thrown itself to tears.
Chorus:
———————————————–
Muchos no llegan, se hunden sus sueño
Papeles mojaos, papeles sin dueño.
(x2)
Many do not make it, their dreams sink to ruin
Wet papers, papers without owner.
(x2)
———————————————–
Fragiles recuerdos a la deriva degarran el alma,
Cala to los huesos el agua los arrastra sin esperanza. [*esperanza (f.) = hope]
La impotencia en su garganta con sabor a sal,
Una bocanada de aire le da otra oportunidad.
Fragile memories in the drift rip the soul to shreds [*alt. fragile keepsakes]
Penetrates all the bones the water drags them without mercy.
The powerlessness in their throats with the taste of salt,
A mouthful of air gives (them) another opportunity.
Tanta injustícia me desespera — ponte tú en su lugar —
El miedo que en sus ojos reflejan, la mar se echo a llorar.
(x2)
All this injustice makes me despair — put yourself in their place —
The fear that they reflect in their eyes, the sea has thrown itself to tears.
(x2)
[Chorus x2]
[Music Bridge]
[Chorus x2]
Translation Notes:
2007 note: I only have the translation for the Spanish. If anyone can translate the Arabic (at least I think it’s Arabic), please post in comments! This song is beautiful (though sad).
2014 update: a comment on my LiveJournal page says this is the Arabic transcription and the English translation. Google Translate shows a similar translation of their transcription.
HIKAYAT YOUM BAAD YOUM, HIKAYAT AHSSAN NASS, ALKHAWF F AYNIHOM YBAN HTA LAB7AR BDA YABKI.
Stories of a day after another day, stories of the best men whom fear shows inside their eyes. Fear shows till the sea starts crying
in the song they don’t really pronounce it easily so you can pick up what they are saying.
Anonymous Nov 16, 2014 comment on my LiveJournal page
historia (f. noun) = history; story
cuento (m. noun) = tale; story
historia vs. cuento: Both mean stories. Una historia is a story which might not have a predefined form. Un cuento, on the other hand, is the kind of story that already has a way of being told, like a story for kids. An historia is more truth-driven, whereas a cuento is more tale-driven. You would be offended if you told someone the true account of something and they called it a cuento because it would sound like they were calling you a liar. Cuentos are more associated with fiction.
A lot of plural words are cut short, but here is the full version.
Pronounced: Navegan carga’os de ilusiones
Means: Navegan cargados de ilusiones
P: Cala to’ los huesos
M: Cala todos los huesos
P: de’garran el alma
M: desgarran el alma
P: se hunden sus sueño‘
M: se hunden sus sueños
P: La impotencia en su’ garganta’ con sabor a sal, una bocanada de aire le da otra oportunidad.
M: La impotencia en sus gargantas con sabor a sal, una bocanada de aire les da otra oportunidad.
un frío que pela = a cold that hurts physically
I looked at Babylon for English equivalents and it offered this fun translation: brass monkey weather; cold (enough) to freeze the balls off/of a brass monkey.
Ahogan sus penas con una candela
They drown their sorrows with a candle
I suspect this refers to the Catholic candles for saints [see Google images].
la mar se echo a llorar
the sea has thrown itself to tears, to cry
the sea began to weep
If you liked this song, you might also like Ojos de Brujo’s “Silencio“.
Songlations 