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sin que la carencia
relotificación
Dec 6, 2009 14:32
14 yrs ago
Spanish term

Que se me va de las manos entre el humo de los coches, el verano

Not for points Spanish to English Other Music Spanish pop music
This is the first line from a song by Ella Baila Sola. For the full lyrics, see http://www.lyricsdownload.com/ella-baila-sola-que-se-ma-va-d...

I have two questions about this line: 1) What does "se me va de las manos" mean? I think its literal translation would be something like "my hands are leaving me", but this makes no sense, so it must be an idiom. 2) Is "el verano" the subject of this phrase or is the line simply saying that something (whatever "se me va de las manos" means) is happening in the summer?
Proposed translations (English)
5 +1 It slips through my fingers amongst car smoke, the summer
4 +1 The summer slips away (through my hands) like the fumes of cars
4 That it slips from my hands among the cars' smoke (or smog), the summer
4 Smoke from cars surrounds me and summer, beyond my grasp...
3 Summer's slipping away, like city smoke through my fingers

Discussion

Evelyn Montes Dec 6, 2009:
Phil In Spanish, when something "se te va de las manos", you lose control over it. I believe it's used in a general sense in this song, it's not that something slips, but that she's losing control over everything (or something that is actually not explicit in the song)... Good luck!
Leonardo Lamarche Dec 6, 2009:
Phil, I like Sandra's suggestion also. Mine is more literal.
margaret caulfield Dec 6, 2009:
Phil, I suggest you split this into 2 different questions for 2 reasons: 1) According to Kudoz rules, you cannot post a question with more than 10 words and 2) If you ask 2 questions, you may get 2 answers, each of which can be put into the Kudoz glossaries.

Proposed translations

+1
9 mins
Selected

It slips through my fingers amongst car smoke, the summer

:)

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Note added at 11 mins (2009-12-06 14:44:10 GMT)
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And about your 2 questions. for Q1: it literally means it slips through my fingers and Q2: Yes, the subject is summer, so we could say The summer is slipping through my fingers amongst car smoke
Peer comment(s):
agree Carmen Schultz : I would change the adverb from' amongst' to 'amid'
25 mins
Something went wrong...
Comment: "I like this translation with Carmen Schultz's change of amongst to amid. Thank you!"
10 mins

That it slips from my hands among the cars' smoke (or smog), the summer

I believe that's the meaning.
Something went wrong...
+1
19 mins

The summer slips away (through my hands) like the fumes of cars

Summer is the subject here. It passes by like the fumes/gas of passing cars.

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Note added at 30 mins (2009-12-06 15:03:06 GMT)
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Make that: fades away. :)
Peer comment(s):
agree Carmen Schultz : It passes by like the ... sounds good
16 mins
Thank you, Carmen. :)
Something went wrong...
51 mins

Summer's slipping away, like city smoke through my fingers

Here is a way to preserve some of the imagery
Something went wrong...
2 hrs

Smoke from cars surrounds me and summer, beyond my grasp...

I just like the poetic tone and style here...

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Note added at 4 hrs (2009-12-06 18:37:39 GMT)
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or... and summer, is beyond my grasp.

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Note added at 5 hrs (2009-12-06 20:23:34 GMT)
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or... "Somewhere in the car fumes, summer slips from my grasp."
Something went wrong...
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