A Tasso da Silveira
Dame la mano y danzaremos;
Dame la mano y danzaremos;
dame la mano y me amarás.
Como una sola flor seremos,
como una flor, y nada más…
El mismo verso cantaremos,
al mismo paso bailarás.
Como una espiga ondularemos,
como una espiga, y nada más.
Te llamas Rosa y yo Esperanza;
pero tu nombre olvidarás,
porque seremos una danza
en la colina y nada más…
Glossary
|
WORD
|
DEFINITION
|
POSSIBLE SYNONYMS
|
|---|---|---|
| a (prep.) | directed toward or for someone | to, for |
| al (prep.) | contraction of a and el—indicates direction or position in reference to a thing | to the, for the, at the |
| amarás (v.) | future tense of the verb amar—to feel affection or desire for; to cherish | you will love, you will fall in love, you will be devoted |
| bailarás (v.) | future tense of the verb bailar—to move rhythmically, usually to music | you will dance, you will frolic, you will cavort, you will swing |
| cantaremos (v.) | future tense of the verb cantar—to produce musical tones by means of the voice | we will sing, we will recite, we will chant |
| colina (n.) | slight elevation of the earth’s surface | hill, bluff, dune, ridge |
| como (prep.) | in the manner of; similar to | like, akin to, similar to, not unlike |
| dame (v.) | command form of the verb dar—to put into the possession of another for his or her use | give me, lend me, present me with, hand over |
| danza (n.) | movement with rhythmical steps, usually to music | dance, strut, jive, movement |
| danzaremos (v.) | future tense of the verb danzar—to move with rhythmic steps, usually artistically to music | we will dance, we will sway, we will frolic |
| el (masc. art.) | indicating one as distinct from another | the |
| en (prep.) | indicates state | in |
| esperanza (n.) | a desire for certain events to happen; also a woman’s name | hope, desire, expectation, the name Esperanza |
| espiga (n.) | a shoot; tall and thin plant stem | grain, sprig, sprout |
| flor (n.) | the part of a plant with petals and from which the seed or fruit develops | flower, blossom |
| la (fem. art.) | indicating one as distinct from another | the |
| mano (n.) | the end part of the human arm below the wrist | hand, mitt, palm, paw |
| más (adv.) | greater than | more, in addition, further, besides, else |
| me (pron.) | refers to the speaker | me |
| mismo (adj.) | equal in shape, size, value, or importance | same, twin, copy |
| nada (n.) | the absence of things; no thing | nothing, zero |
| nombre (n.) | a word or phrase that labels a person, place, or thing | name, alias, nickname, namesake, label |
| olvidarás (v.) | future tense of the verb olvidar—to not be able to remember | you will forget, will escape your memory, will leave your mind |
| ondularemos (v.) | future tense of the verb ondular—to rise, fall, or move in waves | we will undulate, we will ripple, we will flutter, we will sway |
| paso (n.) | a movement made by raising the foot and bringing it down elsewhere | step, stride, footfall, beat |
| pero (conj.) | except for the fact | but, however, except |
| porque (conj.) | for the reason that; seeing that | because, since, as |
| rosa (n.) | the many-petaled, thorned flower; the color pink; also a woman’s name | rose, pink, rose-colored, the name Rosa (Rose) |
| seremos (v.) | future tense of the verb ser—to equal in meaning; to have identity with | we will be, we will exist as, we will become, we will transform into |
| sola (adj.) | one only | single, lone, unique, without company |
| Tasso da Silveira | name of a Brazilian writer and poet to whom this poem is dedicated | |
| te llamas (reflex. v.) | from the verb llamarse—to give a name to | you call yourself, your name is, you are called |
| tu (adj.) | belonging to you | your |
| una (art.) | used to distinguish something | one, a |
| verso (n.) | words subjected to rhythm or meter | verse, line, song, poetry |
| y (conj.) | in addition to | and |
| yo (pron.) | refers to the speaker | I |
Background
About Quatrains
A quatrain is a four-line stanza, rhyming with various forms for example:
- ABAC or ABCB (known as unbounded or ballad quatrain), as in Samuel Taylor
Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”
It is an ancient Mariner,
And he stoppeth one of three.
Now wherefore stopp’st thou me?
The Bridegroom’s doors are opened wide
And I am next of kin
The guests are met, the feast is set:
May’st hear the merry din.
- AABB (a double couplet); see A.E. Housman’s “To an Athlete Dying Young.”
The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by.
And home we brought you shoulder-high
Today the road all runner come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home.
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.
Bio
The only Latin American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature,* Gabriela Mistral was born Lucila Godoy Alcayaga. She published all of her work under the pseudonym Gabriela Mistral, which she created by combining the names of her two favorite poets. Lucila, or Gabriela, a name she used for most of her life, grew up in a small Andean town in Chile and was educated by her older sister who taught at the local primary school. Though she only attended school until the age of twelve, she later became a teacher and then a diplomat. Mistral was dedicated to defending the rights of women, children, and the poor and the freedoms of democracy. Because she was so beloved by the people of Chile, the Chilean government declared three days of national mourning when she died of cancer in 1957.