Tag Archives: spanish

Proverb

Nationality: Latina
Age: 23
Occupation: High School Tutor
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 29, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

El burro hablando de oreja.

The donkey talking of ear.

He speaks of others without recognizing the traits and flaws he speaks of within himself.

Silvia told me this was a common proverb that her close and extended family often said to one another or as a comment in regards to someone else. She took it as meaning that you must learn from your mistakes, although she admitted to having difficulty remembering the wording at first and struggling even more to recall its meaning. However, after thinking about it a little bit more, she added that it may have also referred to talking about others when you had a lot to answer for yourself. It seems to be a reminder to check yourself first before commenting or gossiping about other people. She also said that even though her family constantly reminded her to do this with this saying, she did not think they were the best examples of the proverb.

Admittedly, this was a completely new proverb for me that was especially difficult to decipher because it can be quite confusing and bizarre if translated and understood literally.  However, after asking a few of my family members and other Spanish speaking adults I know, they all seemed to agree that this challenging proverb was not only meant to challenge you intellectually as you struggle to understand its meaning, but also challenge you to be aware of your own behavior before you criticize others or speak critically of them. It also seems to challenge you not to judge others, gossip about them, or be critical of others more generally because you need to focus on yourself instead. This proverb makes a pointed observation that applies generally to so many; we are only too happy to focus on or emphasize others’ shortcomings or character flaws as we neglect our own and fail to see those very faults within ourselves. The proverb uses the image of a donkey, a traditionally dumb animal, speaking of or to an ear to highlight the folly of speaking about others and perhaps even listening to others blindly when the smartest thing to do is to turn towards you. This proverb prompts self examination.

Proverb

Nationality: Mexican
Age: 17
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 28, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

El que se junta con lobos a aullar se ensena.

He that he comes together with wolves howl he shows himself.

He that joins wolves ends up learning to howl.

Sergio said that your friends basically influence you a lot. He said with a smile and just the slightest annoyance that his mom constantly tells him this proverb as a reminder to never be influenced by his friends, something that he says he never is. However, he added that his mother who is Mexican (but whose girl friends are Salvadorian) recently picked up a slang Salvadorian saying from her friends. Apparently, she now says “pasmado” frequently without even noticing- something that Sergio can hardly believe and joked about in light of her favorite proverb. He said that he was unsure about the word’s meaning, but he thought it might mean clumsy. Mostly though, he said it was funny how the proverb he had just shared with me and this brief anecdote about his mom was connected because of her constant reminders not to let him be influenced by others.

This proverb is comparable to another Spanish proverb that similarly seems to warn you to be careful and smart about choosing the company that you keep. Like the proverb says, if you choose to become close to “wolves” or similarly unsavory characters, you will also eventually learn to howl, or pick up their habits both good and bad. This is a very telling proverb that warns you against losing yourself and becoming like your friends and those you associate with most closely. However, this proverb emphasizes the consequences of hanging around with the wrong crowd, especially one that can negatively influence you as you become increasingly like them and begin acting differently. It also seems to underscore an emphasis on retaining your individuality and also morally sound character. There is definitely a subtle underlying message that “wolves” and “howling” are negative; or know morally questionable people and their equally questionable behavior should be avoided and guarded against for your own well being as the consequences of their influence could only be negative.

Song – El Salvador

Nationality: Latin-American
Age: 40
Occupation: Program Coordinator
Residence: Covina, CA
Performance Date: April 28, 2008
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

“El Carbonero”

Soy carbonero que vengo de las cumbres del volcán

Con mi carboncito negro

Si mi señor, es buen carbón

Compre usted de Nacazcol y de Chaperno y de Copinol

Compre usted, es buen carbón

“The Coal Man”

I am coal man that comes from the ashes of the volcano

With my little coal black

Yes my man, it is good coal

Buy you of Nacazcol and of Chaperno and of Copinol

Buy you, it is good coal

“The Coal Seller”

I sell coal, and I come from the ashes of the volcano

With my black coal

Yes sir, it is good coal

Please by sir, buy coal from Nacazcol and Cahaperno and Copinol

Buy sir, it is good coal

Boris told me that “El Carbonero” is a folk song from El Salvador that he used to sing at school when he was younger. It was always sung during Independence Days or El Día de la Raza when it would be sung and danced to. Girls would wear their traditional dresses and men would wear their traditional peasant costume with a white hat and white shirt and pants made of manta. He first learned it in kindergarten with the rest of his peers. He was unsure whether or not it was printed in their books, but it may or may not have been. Either way, this song was considered by most Salvadorians to be the Second National Anthem of El Salvador. He also added that it might have been originally written by a Mexican writer, but he was also unsure whether or not that was true.

This unique song is tellingly considered by Salvadorians as their second national anthem. As their adopted second national anthem, the song most likely had a special relevance to the people, their loves, and their sense of being Salvadorian. It is interesting to note that El Carbonero is not a typically patriotic song that glorifies the country, the government, or anything else that you might usually associate with the theme of a national anthem. On the contrary, it is a very simple song about a man who sells coal from different regions of El Salvador. He is a working man trying to earn a living. The original language of the song is also significant. Told by the man himself, he addresses prospective buyers with the formal term of respect “usted”.  This choice of language further emphasizes his humble position within society and also reveals important information regarding the social customs of the culture. In this choice of a second national anthem, the “common people” and majority of the population must have also been asserting their presence and value within Salvadorian society. Perhaps the original national anthem was not inclusive enough or this part of the population needed to feel empowered. And what better way to achieve these ends and newly establish themselves as a very real presence within the country’s culture than by adopting a song that reflected the life of a hardworking man simply trying to live? It was obviously well received because as Boris said, it was a song that was taught very early on and proudly sung during important feast days and celebrations. This may also reflect the pride of the people who identified with the song and to whom it felt relevant as it increasingly became a part of their cultural identity and consciousness.

Interestingly enough, Pancho Lora a Salvadorian credited with being one of the most influential and enduring folk singers of El Salvador is credited with writing “El Carbonero”, however the lyrics of the song that he publishes are different from the ones Boris performed for me. Broaden the search a bit and you will soon see diverse renditions of this song with variations in lyrics that nevertheless maintain the essence of the song Boris sang.

Annotation: Pancho Lara CD titled “The Pipil Indians of El Salvador” on which the song “El Carbonero” appears. This CD was released by Folkways Records in 1983.

Proverb

Nationality: Salvadorena
Age: 52
Occupation: School Aid/ Lunchtime Monitor
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 29, 2008
Primary Language: Spanish

Dime con quién andas y te digo quien eres.

Tell me with who you are and I you tell who are you.

Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are.

Margoth said that this proverb held a lot of truth. She gave the example of having a girl friend who is rude, gossips, a lot, and has bad habits in general. She suggested that if you are friends with a woman like this for example, then surely you must also be more like her thank you think. She also told me that she says this the most to her son who can be disobedient and gets in trouble at times because of his friends and the things they do when they are together.

Margoth’s example really gets to the essence of the proverb; the company that you choose to keep says a lot about you. Your friends and lovers reflect back on you and may reveal things about your character etc. that others may not see so easily. For example, you may not think of yourself as being particularly inclined towards gossiping, but if all of your close girl friends are gossips, then what does this in fact say about you? You may not spend your days gossiping freely all day long, but your girl friends habits of doing so may reveal that you still enjoy hearing it and engaging in it in that way. This proverb also speaks to the influence your friends can have on you and how that might affect you or alter your personality in some ways. Perhaps your friends enjoy shoplifting because of the thrill they get when they get away with it; their actions and all of the time you spend with them may one day make you more vulnerable to behaving similarly. You could end up succumbing to their habits, thinking etc. because of your close relationship with your friends. However, I do not think that this proverb is completely negative. It works both ways. If your friends perhaps enjoy cultural events or philanthropy, then this might reflect your own appreciation for similar activities. Like attracts like and you may have more positive things in common that a close look at who your friends are and what they do can say about you. Moreover, I think that this proverb also encourages you to examine the company that you chose to keep, your closest relationships, and prompts you to choose wisely with all of this in mind.

Annotation: Arora, Shirley L.. “Reviewed work(s): A Dictionary of Mexican American Proverbs by Mark Glazer.” The Journal of American Folklore Vol. 103, No. 40701-03 1990 115-117. <http://www.jstor.org/pss/541124>.

Folk Metaphor

Nationality: Salvadorean
Age: 32
Occupation: Truck Driver
Residence: Torrance, CA
Performance Date: February 15, 2008
Primary Language: Spanish
Language: English

Zorrillo; Caballo; Paloma

Skunk; Horse; Bird (Pigeon/Dove)

These are common Spanish words for different animals, but for Spanish speaking truck drivers, zorrillo (skunk) means the highway patrol, a caballo (horse) is a policeman on motorcycle, and paloma (bird) denotes the patrol from the Department of Transportation (D.O.T.). Jorge learned these terms on the highways in Midwest United States—he simply kept hearing them in context, and eventually understood what they meant. When truck drivers are on the road, they use a radio to communicate with other truck drivers nearby. Interestingly, although they are not officially set apart, English speaking truck drivers and Spanish speaking drivers use different channels. He says he thinks that other languages might have their own channels as well, but he is not sure. These words are used mainly to warn others if they see patrolmen or police. Because the patrolmen and police have access to the radio as well, should they think to tune in, the truck drivers use this coding to avoid being so obvious.

Jorge thinks this shows a negative attitude toward the officers of the road. “It’s their job to give us tickets. If I can help another driver to not get a fine, that’s great.” He says it’s a way to be stealthy, but it is also a way to make fun of authority. “Sometimes we’ll say, ‘stupid horse’ or ‘dumb pigeon’ in Spanish.

I agree—naming the officers after animals is clearly a way to make fun of them. The Spanish-speaking truck drivers have code words for other things too, such as Romana (Roman) for the truck scales, but it is the terminology for road authority, in which they specifically make allusions to animals.

I think that there is a slightly different dimension to it as well—I think these terms also signify, in a sense, a feeling of power by the truck drivers. Truck drivers have little authority, on or off the road, but I noticed that when they are sitting aloft in their massive trucks, they feel powerful. In fact, sitting up there and looking down at all the other puny cars and buses one feels like king of the road, and the other vehicles do indeed look like creatures. While driving, Jorge would often refer to them as such, calling another car “that little thing.” An expert driver, he does not worry about making a mistake, but does tell me that if other cars break the rules, such as tailgating or cutting too closely in front of the truck, “they’d better watch out cause they’ll get squashed like a bug.” The patrolmen have authority over the drivers, of course, but sitting so high in their trucks seems to give them a slight sense of power, intangible as it might be. Black and white patrol cars really do look like little skunks, and the D.O.T. in their white cars do look like pigeons. Policemen on motorbikes, of course, do resemble a mounted horse.

Finally, I think these words are also significant in that they reveal how important it is for truck drivers to cooperate and support one another. More than people in other professions, truck drivers seem to bond very closely, they are generally very warm to each other. I have seen Jorge talk jovially and joke around with random truck drivers who pass by over the radio, and have never witnessed hostility or rivalry. It is natural, then, that they would want to help fellow drivers avoid a large fine, or a damaging record on their licenses. Driving for days at a time alone in a truck can get lonely, I suppose, and truck drivers seem to turn to one another for companionship, as well as for road information.