22:57 Aug 1, 2011 

If she really is a harpist, then it seems important _not_ to translate it as a relationship that "didn't work out" or was "on the ropes." That means that it was over, done for, kaput. But, if she's a harpist, then even if there were difficulties, she did make it work out, just as was the case with her husband. If you try to make the verb into some musical play on words, you risk making it sound awfully artificial. Unless it were something mild like, "It was never easy for me to get in tune with the harp."

16:54 Aug 1, 2011 

А может быть, "my relationships with the harp always seemed out of tune" ?

16:41 Aug 1, 2011 

думаю, стоит сыграть на harp-Harpy
Например: I'm a husband-hating Harpy and I hate my harp too!

16:35 Aug 1, 2011 

Thank you for the replies,

I am looking for a play on words such as Inna's 'has always been on the ropes' does anyone have any other alternatives to ropes that would fit with a stringed instrument?
Doesn't заладить also mean 'to harp on about something'?