Federico Garca Lorca, Romance sonmbulo (from Romancero gitano, 1928)

Literal Translation by Barbara F. McManus

NAME:__________________________
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Verde que te quiero verde.

Verde viento. Verdes ramas.
El barco sobre la mar
y el caballo en la montaa.
Con la sombra en la cintura
ella suea en su baranda,
verde carne, pelo verde,
con ojos de fra plata.
Verde que te quiero verde.
Bajo la luna gitana,
las cosas la estn mirando
y ella no puede mirarlas.

Green, how I love you green.

Green wind. Green branches.
The ship upon the sea
and the horse on the mountain.
With darkness on her waist
she dreams on her balcony,
green flesh, green hair,
with eyes of cold silver.
Green, how I love you green.
Beneath the gypsy moon,
things are looking at her
and she cannot look at them.

Verde que te quiero verde.

Grandes estrellas de escarcha
vienen con el pez de sombra
que abre el camino del alba.
La higuera frota su viento
con la lija de sus ramas,
y el monte, gato garduo,
eriza sus pitas agrias.
Pero quin vendra? Y por dnde?
Ella sigue en su baranda,
Verde carne, pelo verde,
soando en la mar amarga.

Green, how I love you green.

Great stars of frost
arrive with the fish of darkness
that opens up the road of dawn.
The fig tree rubs its wind
with the sandpaper of its branches,
and the mountain, a cat burglar,
bristles its sour cacti.
But who will come? And from where?
She continues on her balcony
green flesh, green hair,
dreaming of the bitter sea.

Compadre, quiero cambiar

mi caballo por su casa,
mi montura por su espejo,
mi cuchillo per su manta.
Compadre, vengo sangrando,
desde los puertos de Cabra.
Si yo pudiera, mocito,
este trato se cerraba.
Pero yo ya no soy yo,
ni mi casa es ya mi casa.
Compadre, quiero morir
decentemente en mi cama.
De acero, si puede ser,
con las sbanas de holanda.
No ves la herida que tengo
desde el pecho a la garganta?
Trescientas rosas morenas
lleva tu pechera blanca.
Tu sangre rezuma y huele
alrededor de tu faja.
Pero yo ya no soy yo,
ni mi casa es ya mi casa.

Friend, I want to trade

my horse for your house,
my saddle for your mirror,
my knife for your blanket.
Friend, I come bleeding
from the mountain pass of Cabra.
If only I could, young fellow,
this deal would be sealed.
But I am no longer I,
nor is my house now my house.
Friend, I wish to die
decently in my bed.
Of steel, if possible.
with sheets of Dutch linen.
Do you not see the wound I bear
from my chest up to my throat?
Three hundred dark roses
your white shirt wears.
Your blood oozes and reeks
around your sash.
But I am no longer I,
nor is my house now my house.

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Dejadme subir al menos

hasta las altas barandas;
dejadme subir!, dejadme,
hasta las verdes barandas.
Barandales de la luna
por donde retumba el agua.

Let me at least climb up

to the high balconies;
Let me climb up! Let me,
up to the green balconies.
Railings of the moon
through which the water thunders.

Ya suben los dos compadres

hacia las altas barandas.
Dejando un rastro de sangre.
Dejando un rastro de lgrimas.
Temblaban en los tejados
farolillos de hojalata.
Mil panderos de cristal
heran la madrugada.

The two friends now climb up

toward the high balconies.
Leaving a trail of blood.
Leaving a trail of tears.
On the rooftops were trembling
tiny tin lanterns.
A thousand glass tambourines
were wounding the dawn.

Verde que te quiero verde,

verde viento, verdes ramas.
Los dos compadres subieron.
El largo viento dejaba
en la boca un raro gusto
de hiel, de menta y de albahaca.
Compadre! Donde est, dme?
Donde est tu nia amarga?
Cuntas veces te esper!
Cuntas veces te esperara,
cara fresca, negro pelo,
en esta verde baranda!

Green, how I love you green,

green wind, green branches.
The two friends climbed up.
The long wind was leaving,
strange taste in the mouth
of bile, of mint, and of basil.
Friend, where is she? Tell me!
where is your bitter girl?
How many times she waited for you!
How many times would she wait for you;
fresh face, black hair,
on this green balcony!

Sobre el rostro del aljibe

se meca la gitana.
Verde carne, pelo verde,
con ojos de fra plata.
Un carmbano de luna
la sostiene sobre el agua.
La noche se puso ntima
como una pequea plaza.
Guardias civiles borrachos
en la puerta golpeaban.
Verde que te quiero verde.
Verde viento. Verdes ramas.
El barco sobre la mar.
Y el caballo en la montaa.

Over the face of the cistern

the gypsy girl was swaying,
green flesh, green hair,
with eyes of cold silver.
An icicle of moon,
holds her up over the water.
The night became intimate
like a small plaza.
Drunken Civil Guards
were hammering on the door.
Green, how I love you green.
Green wind. Green branches.
The ship upon the sea.
And the horse on the mountain.

QUESTIONS:
I. SOUND
Sound Painting /Patterning: Point out an onomatopoeic word in line 52. Describe the sound patterning in the
surrounding lines (50-52), pointing out the repetition and interweaving of vowel and consonant sounds. Does
this sound pattern amplify the sound imitated by the onomatopoeic word or does it do something else? Why do
you think the poet called attention to these lines with such elaborate patterning? What function do these lines
play at this point in the poem?

Rhyme: What type of rhyme is found in this poem? Can you identify any regular rhyme scheme? If so,
describe it. Point out any unusual rhymes you see and explain its/their poetic effect and contribution to the
poem.

II. METER (Practice reading the poem aloud to bring out the sounds, rhythm, and meter. Since this is a long
poem, the Spanish students may divide it up and each read a section.)
Describe the meter of this poem. Break lines 1-8 into syllables, counting the number of syllables in each line
and marking any cases of sinalefa (joining of a final vowel with the vowel beginning the next word to make a
single syllable) or cesura (strong pause within a line). Why do you think Garca Lorca chose this type of meter
and rhyme?

III. DICTION AND SYNTAX

Collocation: The poet draws on at least three collocations for the word verde; the first appears in line 1, the
second in line 2, and the third in line 7. In each case explain what the collocation (context) is and show how
another word or words in the line bring this differing context to the mind of the reader.

Connotation: What are the connotations of the words compadre and mocito, and how does Garca Lorca use
these connotations to give hints about the two speakers in the poem and their relationship without telling us
directly?

Paradigmatic Figures: Identify a paradigmatic figure that uses semantic deviation in line 51. What is the
unexpected word, and what type of word does it replace? Explain the hidden significance of this figurewhy
is this unexpected word used here and how does it relate to other uses of this word in the poem and to the
poems overall meaning?

Syntagmatic Figures: Which type of syntagmatic figure is used in lines 33-34? Explain how it is achieved
and what it contributes to the poem.

Which type of syntagmatic figure is used in lines 41-42? Explain how it is achieved and what it contributes to
the poem.

IV. IMAGERY AND FIGURATION

Imagery: Find two images in line 43; to what senses does each appeal? What effect do these images have on
this section of the poem?

Metaphor: Find a metaphor in lines 17-18 and explain the vehicle, tenor, and connection. Describe how this
metaphor is enhanced by personification, imitative sound painting (in l. 18), and a paradigmatic figure (the
object of the verb in l. 17).

Metaphor: Find a metaphor in lines 19-20 and explain the vehicle, tenor, and connection. Describe how this
metaphor is enhanced by elaborate sound patterning and the connotations of the words gato garduo.

Simile: Find a simile in lines 79-80 and explain the vehicle, tenor, and connection. How is this enhanced by a
suggestion of personification? What is the effect of this simile and how does it lead directly into the closing
scene of the poem?

Symbolism: What imagery in the poem takes on symbolic resonance by the end of the poem? How is this
symbolism developed as the poem progresses? Describe what you think this symbolism means in terms of the
overall theme of the poem.

V. VIRTUAL WORLD
Genre: To what genre does this poem belong? How do you know? Describe how this poem reflectsor seeks
to changemajor characteristics of this genre.

Plot and Characterization: This poem tells a story, but is it possible to determine exactly what happens and
the precise relationship between the three characters? Explain what you think the story may be. Do you think
other interpretations are possible? Why might Garca Lorca have chosen not to pinpoint details of the story?

VI. TONE
Speaker, Addressee, Subject: These issues are extremely complex in this poem, as is the nature of the
narration is extremely complex, shifting between first- and third-person and dialogue. If we have time we will
discuss some of these complexities in class. However, it is possible to answer the following question: Is the
narrator of this poem intrusive or objective? Give reasons for your answer and explain how this affects the tone
and expression of emotions in the poem.