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  3. Poetry & Literature

Como ayer contigo fui, hoy contigo también voy;

English translation: Just as yesterday I was by your side, today again I\'m with you

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Como ayer contigo fui, hoy contigo también voy;
English translation:Just as yesterday I was by your side, today again I\'m with you

16:45 May 23, 2011
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Poetry & Literature
Spanish term or phrase: Como ayer contigo fui, hoy contigo también voy;
The first two sentences of a Rafael Alberti's poem. The whole paragraph is
Como ayer contigo fui, hoy contigo también voy; que no sería quien soy
si no te siguiera a ti…
It is from 1963 and I cannot find a translation.
Thank you
Martha CF
Portugal
Local time: 10:38
Just as yesterday I was by your side, today again I'm with you
Explanation:
Just as yesterday I was by your side,
today again I'm with you

But of course it will all depend on whether you are using a certain meter or other devices like rhyme.
Selected response from:

Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:38
Grading comment
Thank you Simon and Oliver for the comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2As I went with you yesterday, I go again with you today.
Anthony Mazzorana (X)
3 +2Yesterday I was at your side , I'll be there again today
Marian Vieyra
5Since I was with you yesterday, I'll be with you today as well.
paragonc
4 +1As in the past I was with you, today I remain by your side;
James A. Walsh
4as I was with you yesterday, I am with you today
Lydia De Jorge
4Just as yesterday I was by your side, today again I'm with you
Simon Bruni
4"As yesterday with you I went, today too with you I go"
Rosmu
3Since I was with you yesterday, so today I will go with you;
DLyons
3 -1As yesterday I went with you, with you today too I will go
Lisa McCarthy
3 -1As I went with you yesrerday, so I will again today;
Andrew Bramhall


Discussion entries: 8





  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
as I was with you yesterday, I am with you today


Explanation:
sugg

Lydia De Jorge
United States
Local time: 04:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 133

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Andrew Bramhall: Needs 'so' in the middle to link the two clauses
41 mins
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
As yesterday I went with you, with you today too I will go


Explanation:
-

Lisa McCarthy
Spain
Local time: 11:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 104

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Andrew Bramhall: It's supposed to be artistic, not autistic, sorry, no native would say this. Sorry if it upsets you, no personal offence intended,but your answer, unusually for you, is linguistic dross.Think about it.//Sadly it is.
2 mins
  -> Just 'no'? Any reason why??? // Your comment is unjustified, highly insulting and rude!! You badly need classes in social skills.// "No personal offence intended" when you've just referred to my answer as 'autistic' and 'linguistic dross'???
neutral  Carol Gullidge: the use of inversion in EN poetry went out ages ago (don't ask me when, but it sounds archaic!) even though it is still used by other European poets. And I think this is (at least!) a double inversion :) Whatever, the 2nd half does sound awkward :(
1 hr
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
As I went with you yesrerday, so I will again today;


Explanation:
...for I would not know who I was if I didn't follow you along.'

Doubt there is an official translation somehow.Bur this covers the meaning and flows naturally IMHO.

Andrew Bramhall
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 70

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Lisa McCarthy: You can´t even spell 'yesterday'. Even a non-native could manage that!
10 mins
  -> Ha ha ha
neutral  Carol Gullidge: re yr explanation: isn't it "I would not BE who I am if..."?// "No SERIA..." = "I would not know"? Surely that would be "sabría..."
59 mins
  -> No, sorry, correct as it stands
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28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Just as yesterday I was by your side, today again I'm with you


Explanation:
Just as yesterday I was by your side,
today again I'm with you

But of course it will all depend on whether you are using a certain meter or other devices like rhyme.

Simon Bruni
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 151
Grading comment
Thank you Simon and Oliver for the comment

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Andrew Bramhall: 'so' before today
32 mins
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28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Since I was with you yesterday, so today I will go with you;


Explanation:
Como ayer contigo fui,
hoy contigo también voy,
que no sería quien soy
si no te siguiera a ti.

Mi mano y mi corazón,
¡contigo!, que Asturias grita,
como ayer:¡Viva el Nalón
y viva la dinamita!

DLyons
Ireland
Local time: 10:38
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 35

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Andrew Bramhall: Needs 'as well' at the end, or 'also' after 'so,' to sound natural.
24 mins
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38 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
As I went with you yesterday, I go again with you today.


Explanation:
If we try too hard to make language sound beautiful, we inevitably screw it up.





Anthony Mazzorana (X)
United States
Local time: 05:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Andrew Bramhall: You said it.If you put 'Just' before 'as', and 'so' before 'I go again', it would make sense.
18 mins
agree  Carol Gullidge: I'd move "again" immediately before "today", but that's only nitpicking perhaps. Also, I'd omit Oliver's "Just" and "so", which make it sound more like an essay than a poem. However I disagree that language shouldn't be made to sound beautiful in a poem
2 hrs
  -> Thanks Carol! I just meant that sometimes the simplest language sounds the most beautiful.
agree  Salloz: Yep, "again" immediately before "today". It sounds very nice to me.
3 hrs
  -> Thank you!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Yesterday I was at your side , I'll be there again today


Explanation:
ir con - to accompany

Thanks to DLyons for posting more of the poem. This seems to be about regional patriotism. Literal isn't very poetic and poetic licence isn't very accurate.

Marian Vieyra
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 47

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Carol Gullidge: My favourite so far. Also/Especially yr rhyming vsn in the Discussion box. But I'd remove "Just" for the sake of (a) metre, and (b) to prevent it sounding too heavy. And it's almost inevitable, when rhyming, to sacrifice a certain amount of accuracy
2 hrs
  -> Thanks, Carol. Agree re 'just' also needs extra 'you' - so I follow you today. My version makes the Spanish look good!
agree  Charles Davis
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Charles
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
"As yesterday with you I went, today too with you I go"


Explanation:
Another option.

Rosmu
Spain
Local time: 11:38
Works in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 60

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Carol Gullidge: nice rhythm, but those inversions (with you I went/with you I go) went out in English poetry a long time ago, even though they seem to be used in the poetry of other languages. The overall effect is rather archaic even for the 1960s :(
13 mins
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Since I was with you yesterday, I'll be with you today as well.


Explanation:
The poem seems to talk about loyalty in relationships.

paragonc
Spain
Local time: 11:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 24
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
As in the past I was with you, today I remain by your side;


Explanation:
My stab at it. I find yesterday to clumsy in there.

Como ayer contigo fui,
hoy contigo también voy;

As in the past I was with you,
today I remain by your side;


James A. Walsh
Spain
Local time: 11:38
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 48

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Suzanne Donnelly
1 day 3 hrs
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