Empieza el llanto
de la guitarra.
Se rompen las copas de la madrugada.
Empieza el llanto de la guitarra.
Es inútil callarla.
Es imposible callarla.
Llora monótona
como llora el agua,
como llora el viento
sobre la nevada.
Es imposible callarla.
Llora por cosas
lejanas.
Arena del Sur caliente
que pide camelias blancas.
Llora flecha sin blanco,
la tarde sin mañana,
y el primer pájaro muerto
sobre la rama.
¡O guitarra!
Corazón malherido
por cinco espadas.
Glossary
|
WORD
|
DEFINITION
|
POSSIBLE SYNONYMS
|
|---|---|---|
| agua (n.) | a transparent liquid that is the basis of the fluids of living organisms | water |
| arena (n.) | a loose granular substance, typically pale yellowish brown, which forms a major constituent of beaches, riverbeds, the seabed, and deserts | sand, gravel |
| blancas (adj.) | the color of milk or fresh snow, due to the reflection of most wavelengths of visible light; the opposite of black | white, colorless, bleached, pale, pearly |
| blanco (n.) | a mark or point at which someone fires or aims | target, mark, bull’s-eye, goal, objective, desire |
| caliente (adj.) | having a high degree of heat or a high temperature | hot, burning, heated, sizzling, scalding, scorching, steaming |
| callarla (v. + art.) | to cause something to be come silent | to silence it, to silence her, to quiet it, to quiet her, to hush it, to hush her |
| camelias (n.) | evergreen eastern Asian shrubs related to the tea plant, grown for their showy flowers and shiny leaves | camellias |
| cinco (adj.) | a cardinal number equivalent to the sum of two and three; one more than four, or half of ten | five |
| como (conj.) | used in comparisons to refer to the extent or degree of something | as, like, just as, while, even as |
| copas (n.) | drinking glasses with a foot and a stem | goblets, chalices, glasses, cups, beakers |
| corazón (n.) | the organ regarded as the center of a person’s thoughts and emotions, especially love or compassion | heart, love, soul, sentiment, ardor |
| cosas (n.) | objects that one need not, cannot, or does not wish to give a specific name to | things, belongings, stuff, possessions, objects, matters |
| de (prep.) | expressing the relationship between a part and a whole | of |
| del (prep. + art.) | expressing the relationship between a particular part and a whole | of the |
| el (m. art.) | denoting one person or thing already mentioned | the |
| empieza (v.) | from the verb empezar—to come into being; begin or be reckoned from a particular point in time or space | starts, begins, initiates |
| es (v.) | from the verb ser—to be | it is, this is, that is |
| espadas (n.) | weapons with long metal blades and hilts with hand guards, used for thrusting or striking | swords, sabers, rapiers |
| flecha (n.) | a shaft sharpened at the front and with feathers or vanes at the back, shot from a bow | arrow |
| guitarra (n.) | a stringed musical instrument with a fretted fingerboard and six or twelve strings, played by plucking or strumming with the fingers or a plectrum | guitar |
| imposible (adj.) | not able to occur, exist, or be done | impossible, preposterous, unimaginable, hopeless, absurd |
| inútil (adj.) | not fulfilling or not expected to achieve the intended purpose or desired outcome | useless, futile, to no avail, pointless, fruitless, no good |
| la, las (f. art., singular / plural) | denoting one or more people or things already mentioned | the |
| lejanas (adj.) | far away in space or time | distant, far away, far off, far-flung, outlying |
| llanto (n.) | the shedding of tears | cry, howl, weeping, crying, sobbing, bewailing, bawl |
| llora (v.) | from the verb llorar—to shed tears | weeps, sheds tears, cries, she/it sobs, she/it cries, she/it wails |
| madrugada (n.) | the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise | dawn, daybreak, early morning, dawning, sunrise, sun up, crack of dawn, first light |
| malherido (adj.) | harmed, damaged, or impaired | wounded, injured, hurt, pained |
| mañana (n.) | the day after today; time to come | tomorrow, hereafter, future, destiny |
| monótona (adv.) | in a dull, tedious, and repetitious way; lacking in variety and interest | monotonously, repetitively, dully, tediously, drearily, flatly, mind- numbingly, mechanically |
| muerto (adj.) | no longer alive | dead, expired, departed, no more, lifeless |
| nevada (n.) | a fall of atmospheric water vapor frozen into ice crystals and forming a white layer on the ground | snowfall, blizzard, flurry, snow flurry |
| o (exclamation) | a lament or emotional statement of grief, awe, excitement, or surprise | oh |
| pájaro (n.) | a warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate distinguished by the possession of feathers, wings, and a beak and (typically) by being able to fly | bird, fowl |
| pide (v.) | from the verb pedir—to request or have an intense feeling of longing for something, typically something that one has lost or has been separated from | yearns for, covets, longs for, asks for, hungers for, thirsts for, requests, calls for, craves, demands |
| por (prep.) | with the object or purpose of; identifying the agent performing an action | for, by, as a result of, by way of, by means of |
| primer (adj.) | coming before all others in time or order | first, initial, primary |
| que (conj.) | used to introduce a new clause | that, which |
| rama (n.) | the part of a tree that grows out from the trunk or from a bough | branch, bough, offshoot, tree branch |
| se rompen (v.) | from the verb romperse—to separate or cause to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain | break, crack, shatter, fracture, fragment, demolish, fall to bits, fall to pieces, are broken |
| sin (prep.) | in the absence of | without, in the absence of, deprived of, in need of, lacking, devoid of, minus |
| sobre (prep.) | physically in contact with and supported by a surface | on, touching the, supported by, upon |
| sur (n.) | the southern part of the world or of a specified country, region, or town | south |
| tarde (n.) | the end of the day, either from noon to evening or from about 6:00 p.m. to bedtime | afternoon, evening, end of day, close of day, twilight, nightfall, dusk, sundown |
| viento (n.) | the perceptible natural movement of the air, especially in the form of a current of air blowing from a particular direction | wind, current of air, air, breeze, gust, draft, zephyr |
| y (conj.) | in addition to | and, along with, together with, plus |
Bio
Federico García Lorca is probably Spain’s most famous poet and playwright. He was particularly inspired by the landscape and folklore of the Spanish countryside. Before he ever wrote poetry, García Lorca was a classical pianist. Music continued to play a role in his life as a poet. He often imitated the styles and rhythms of Spanish ballads and flamenco music. The first play he wrote, about an impossible love between a cockroach and a butterfly, was laughed off the stage. But over time he was recognized as a major figure in Spanish literature. He was assassinated in 1936 at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War for his liberal views. His writing was banned and then heavily censored in Spain until after the death of the fascist dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.
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