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Y si es al zafiro natural natural el hielo....

English translation: If sapphire is by nature icy

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:Y si es al zafiro natural natural el hielo....
English translation:If sapphire is by nature icy

19:55 Feb 15, 2015
    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2015-02-19 05:54:08 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)


Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Cinema, Film, TV, Drama / subtitling of a fragment
Spanish term or phrase: Y si es al zafiro natural natural el hielo....
Context:
"Ojos de mayor gracia
y hermosura,...

...que han dado envidia al sol,
color al cielo.

Y si es al zafiro natural
el hielo...

... ¿cómo encendéis en vuestra
lumbre pura?"


gracias
Maria Iglesia Ramos
Spain
If sapphire is by nature icy
Explanation:
This is the first quatrain of a sonnet (no. 105) by Lope de Vega.

The "Y" at the beginning is not in the original, and it doesn't make sense, so leave it out of the translation.

The sonnet is addressed to the lady's eyes. This line literally means "if ice is natural to sapphire". It then continues "how do you inflame in your pure fire (or light)?".

In other words, the eyes are sapphire blue (the ideal Renaissance beauty had blue eyes), and sapphire is by nature icy, so how can ice burn/inflame people? The reference to ice also means that her gaze is cold, because she rejects or resists the poet's passion. The paradox of icy fire is the supreme topos of Renaissance poetry in the Petrarchan tradition (like this). In fact it's the title of a well-known book on the subject by Leonard Forster.

The association of sapphire with ice makes sense; blue is a cold colour, and indeed ice sometimes appears blue.
Selected response from:

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 03:32
Grading comment
Excellent!!!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3If sapphire is by nature icy
Charles Davis
3And (filled) natural sapphires with ice...
Helena Chavarria


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
And (filled) natural sapphires with ice...


Explanation:
My suggestion!

The eyes fill the sun with envy, the sky with colour and sapphires with ice.

...which have filled the sun with envy,
the sky with colour.

And (filled) natural sapphires
with ice...



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2015-02-15 21:36:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

But I never do subtitling work, I'm sure I'd be no good at it.

Helena Chavarria
Spain
Local time: 03:32
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
If sapphire is by nature icy


Explanation:
This is the first quatrain of a sonnet (no. 105) by Lope de Vega.

The "Y" at the beginning is not in the original, and it doesn't make sense, so leave it out of the translation.

The sonnet is addressed to the lady's eyes. This line literally means "if ice is natural to sapphire". It then continues "how do you inflame in your pure fire (or light)?".

In other words, the eyes are sapphire blue (the ideal Renaissance beauty had blue eyes), and sapphire is by nature icy, so how can ice burn/inflame people? The reference to ice also means that her gaze is cold, because she rejects or resists the poet's passion. The paradox of icy fire is the supreme topos of Renaissance poetry in the Petrarchan tradition (like this). In fact it's the title of a well-known book on the subject by Leonard Forster.

The association of sapphire with ice makes sense; blue is a cold colour, and indeed ice sometimes appears blue.

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 03:32
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 99
Grading comment
Excellent!!!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Helena Chavarria: I'm afraid I've always found Spanish Baroque literature difficult to digest, especially Lope de Vega's works!
16 mins
  -> I sympathise! It can be a bit off-putting, though at its best it's great stuff. Thanks, Helena!
agree  lugoben
1 hr
  -> Many thanks, lugoben :) Saludos
agree  Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
18 hrs
  -> Thanks, Bea :) Saludos
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