Idiodome

November 5, 2009 10:16 AM

(Spanish Translation) Juan Luis Guerra!

"Senorita"

OK, I can babelfish as well as anyone else to get the words translated into English. But, what do they actually mean? To learn a language requires learning a culture ....


su cuerpo es flor de canela
póngase un vestido blanco
y a darle fuego a la vela

...

dobla la cintura como un soplo de luz
and check it out, mi mambo or blues
toca el horizonte de un mismo acordeón

posted by coffeefilter to media & arts (5 comments total)

You sound like you're not asking for a translation but for an explanation of the cultural background. Is that correct?
posted by languagehat at 10:38 AM on November 5, 2009

Your Body is like a cinnamon flower
Put on a white dress
and give some fire to this candle....

......

Twist your hips like a blow of light
and check out my mambo, my blues
touch the horizon like an accordion..........


These lyrics as you can see are not "cultural" per se, but more like poetry words...the subjects are up to interpretation of and you do not have to be dominican (where he is from) to get what he is saying......basically it can have many different meanings depending on who you are and your life experience....
posted by The1andonly at 11:03 AM on November 5, 2009

In this case, the words mean the same as in English--it's a straightforward "let's get it on" song.

Except that "La flor de la canela" is a very very famous song, a sentimental waltzy love song that's been recorded by everyone from Placido Domingo to Caetano Veloso, and using the phrase is definitely a reference to that song.
posted by Sidhedevil at 11:12 AM on November 5, 2009

I doubt flor de canela is a reference to another song.....Maybe the cultural aspect comes in here but Juan Luis guerra uses the word "Canela" a lot to describe the color his people (dominicans are that shade of brown), the flavorings of his food "Dulce y canela".

In this case (and of course like every interpretation it might be wrong is just an interpretation) I think this is what he is saying:

"flor de canela" means he is talking about her color "canela" and the way she is very delicate "thus like a flower"
"white dress" here he is talking about wanting her to be pure...or thats at least what my father would say.......

"Y darle fuego a la vela" this is the "lets get it on aspect" or lets get turned on baby....
posted by The1andonly at 11:43 AM on November 5, 2009

I doubt flor de canela is a reference to another song.

Since this is a song using singing and music as a metaphor for sexual excitement, it seems very very likely to me that "flor de canela" is a reference to the song of the same name, just as if someone used "wild irish rose" in an English-language song it would be likely to be a reference to the song of the same name.
posted by Sidhedevil at 12:04 PM on November 5, 2009