Amistad a lo largo

English translation: Friendship over Time

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Amistad a lo largo
English translation:Friendship over Time
Entered by: Mariana Solanet

21:33 Jul 13, 2011
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Poem by Jaime de Biedma
Spanish term or phrase: Amistad a lo largo
Se trata del título de un poema del español Jaime Gil de Biedma que estoy traduciendo.
Se me ocurrieron las siguientes opciones:
Lasting friendship
Long-standing friendship
Me gustaría escuchar otras opciones. Esta es la primera parte del poema:

Amistad a lo largo

Pasan lentos los días
y muchas veces estuvimos solos.
Pero luego hay momentos felices
para dejarse ser en amistad.

Mirad:
somos nosotros.

Un destino condujo diestramente
las horas, y brotó la compañía.
Llegaban noches. Al amor de ellas
nosotros encendíamos palabras,
las palabras que luego abandonamos
para subir a más:
empezamos a ser los compañeros
que se conocen
por encima de la voz o de la seña.
Ahora sí. Pueden alzarse
las gentiles palabras
-ésas que ya no dicen cosas-,
flotar ligeramente sobre el aire;
porque estamos nosotros enzarzados
en mundo, sarmentosos
de historia acumulada,
y está la compañía que formamos plena,
frondosa de presencias.
Detrás de cada uno
vela su casa, el campo, la distancia.

Muchas gracias!
Mariana Solanet
Argentina
Local time: 00:13
Friendship over Time
Explanation:
Another take on it, based on my reading of the poem. (As in "over a period of time".) www.exampleessays.com/viewpaper/40553.htmlEven though it is true that friendship can only grow into true friendship over time, it does not mean that young people are incapable of experiencing it. ...

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Note added at 59 mins (2011-07-13 22:32:21 GMT)
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This doesn't mean that there isn't room for other interpretations, but I did find a translation of the poem by Jack Hirschman (bio: was born in 1933 in New York City and lives in San Francisco. A poet and social activist, he has written more than fifty volumes of poetry and essays.) in:http://www.quiappuntidalpresente.it/pdf/inglese/Here_21_Marc...
He translated the poem as "LONG FRIENDSHIP" if you want to use the title of a published translation.
Selected response from:

Jenni Lukac (X)
Local time: 05:13
Grading comment
Me quedé con esta opción porque es la que mejor se ajusta al alma del poema, mucho mejor que el "long friendship" de Hirschman. Muchas gracias!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4Enduring friendship/Friendship that endures
Edward Tully
5Friendship in the long run
Beta Cummins
3 +2Lasting Friendship
FVS (X)
4 +1Friendship Forever/The Path of Friendship
Remy Arce
4 +1Friendship over Time
Jenni Lukac (X)
5Eternal Bond
Blanca Collazo
4 +1Friendship all along
Pablo Julián Davis
4Lasting Freindship, Long-term Friendship
K Reidland
4everlasting friendship
Thayenga
4 -1lengthwise friendship
Salloz
3Long-haul friendship
James A. Walsh
3Long-lasting friendship
Bubo Coroman (X)
3Lifelong Friends (or Friendship)
Marian Vieyra


Discussion entries: 6





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Friendship in the long run


Explanation:
Sugerencia.
Suerte!

Beta Cummins
United States
Local time: 23:13
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
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7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Lasting Friendship


Explanation:
Just a guess. I'm no poet.

FVS (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 14

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Marianela Melleda: me gusta
4 hrs
  -> Thanks Marianela.

agree  Aisha Prigan (X): This options works well in a poetic context.
11 hrs
  -> Thanks Aisha.
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
amistad a lo largo
lengthwise friendship


Explanation:
¿Por qué no decir exactamente lo mismo que el poeta?

Salloz
Mexico
Local time: 21:13
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  FVS (X): Because it sounds stupid in English and a lo largo can mean lots of things besides this.
8 mins
  -> Well, not exactly lots of things. It refers either to a physical dimension or to something distant. But you may be right as for how it sounds. In Spanish is a bit unusual too.

disagree  Denise DeVries: Lengthwise is a physical direction, not a reference to time.
6 hrs
  -> But the poet chose an expression that is normaly used for physical dimensions or distances. Interesting, is it not? Anyway, I like Pablo Julian's solution much better.
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14 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Long-haul friendship


Explanation:

Another option. An old friend of mine calls me her "long-haul friend".



James A. Walsh
Spain
Local time: 05:13
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 48
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Friendship Forever/The Path of Friendship


Explanation:
other options

Remy Arce
United States
Local time: 23:13
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 25

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Roberto Hall: "The Path of Friendship" conveys the meaning and sounds good too
14 hrs
  -> thanks Roberto!, appreciate your comment.
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31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Lasting Freindship, Long-term Friendship


Explanation:
En el ingles periodistico lo mas adecuado en este caso es "long-term friendship". No obstante, esto se trata de verso y "lasting friendship" suena mejor en tal contexto. Traducido literalmente "lasting friendship" significa "una amistad duradera" y "long-term friendship" significa "una amistad a largo plazo".

K Reidland
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  FVS (X): Friendship, not freindship, now I could hardly disagree with my own answer now, could I???
2 mins
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58 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Enduring friendship/Friendship that endures


Explanation:
another option!

Edward Tully
Local time: 05:13
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 152

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Christine Walsh: Like the first best. Saludos
35 mins
  -> many thanks Christine! ;-)

agree  Aisha Prigan (X): Enduring friendship is another option that works well. I think either lasting or enduring friendship are the best choices.
10 hrs
  -> many thanks Aisha! ;-)

agree  axies: perduring as well! ''A lo largo de los años''.
13 hrs
  -> many thanks Manuel! ;-)

agree  franglish: with Christine
21 hrs
  -> many thanks! ;-)
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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Friendship over Time


Explanation:
Another take on it, based on my reading of the poem. (As in "over a period of time".) www.exampleessays.com/viewpaper/40553.htmlEven though it is true that friendship can only grow into true friendship over time, it does not mean that young people are incapable of experiencing it. ...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 59 mins (2011-07-13 22:32:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

This doesn't mean that there isn't room for other interpretations, but I did find a translation of the poem by Jack Hirschman (bio: was born in 1933 in New York City and lives in San Francisco. A poet and social activist, he has written more than fifty volumes of poetry and essays.) in:http://www.quiappuntidalpresente.it/pdf/inglese/Here_21_Marc...
He translated the poem as "LONG FRIENDSHIP" if you want to use the title of a published translation.

Jenni Lukac (X)
Local time: 05:13
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 156
Grading comment
Me quedé con esta opción porque es la que mejor se ajusta al alma del poema, mucho mejor que el "long friendship" de Hirschman. Muchas gracias!
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you, Jenny, a very helpful link!


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Roberto Hall: "Friendship Over Time" es perfecto porque de eso se trata el poema; la manera en que la amistad se construye con el paso del tiempo.
14 hrs
  -> Gracias, Roberto. Se trata de amistad en tiempos horribles. Por eso, incluso, discrepo con la traducción por Jack Hirschman. Ni el tiempo (time) ni los tiempos estaban en favor de los republicanos, hecho que confirió un sabor especial a la amistad.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Eternal Bond


Explanation:
I think the title doesn't have to include the word friendship as long as you stay true to the meaning, but you want be original and create a bit of mystery or curiosity to see what that eternal bond is; you are still talking about friendship (synonyms) and everlasting could be "a lo largo"
Hope this helps!

Blanca Collazo
Puerto Rico
Local time: 23:13
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
everlasting friendship


Explanation:
a friendship that will last forever and a day :)

Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 05:13
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 16
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Long-lasting friendship


Explanation:
This combines your two suggestions, "lasting" and "long-standing".

Bubo Coroman (X)
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 151
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17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Lifelong Friends (or Friendship)


Explanation:
The second reference is rather touching.
The first reference is poetry in English about friendship.


    Reference: http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/friend/life-long-friend-poe...
    Reference: http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Westleigh-players-life...
Marian Vieyra
United Kingdom
Local time: 04:13
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 47
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Friendship all along


Explanation:
El poeta usa 'a lo largo' de una manera original, no idiomática: con excepción de la frase hecha 'a lo largo y a lo ancho', la frase 'a lo largo' va casi siempre seguida de la palabra 'de' y funciona como preposición: físico ('a lo largo de la costa') o temporal ('a lo largo de la década del 70'). Me parece que el poeta esencializa la frase, la usa para expresar casi como si fuera un aspecto de eternidad. Entonces... propongo esta solución que pretende comunicar algo de todo eso, en inglés.
Alternativa: 'Friendship throughout' pero ésta me parece chato.
¡Suerte, me encantó el poema! Este tipo de consultas son un placer.

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Note added at 1 hr (2011-07-13 22:51:22 GMT)
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Perdón por explayarme con un comentario más: propongo que al traducir un poema, debemos liberarnos de las estructuras racionales de la prosa. Ese fue el espíritu (hay que ver si exitoso o no) de mi pequeño aporte.

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Note added at 17 hrs (2011-07-14 14:57:44 GMT)
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Por favor, vea mi nota en la cartelera de Discusión. Ahí propongo que recordemos, por encima de todo, de que se trata de poesía y de que la frase que emplea el poeta ('a lo largo', a secas) no es una frase común, sino que como frase independiente casi no existe.

Pablo Julián Davis
Local time: 22:13
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Salloz
15 hrs
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