https://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish-to-english/slang/6874894-pa-prender-y-pa-meterlo-en-el-paseo-de-las-estrellas.html
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Sep 24, 2020 08:47
3 yrs ago
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Spanish term

pa prender y pa meterlo en el paseo de las estrellas

May offend Spanish to English Other Slang Reggaeton lyrics
Hi all

This is a line from Cuando Perriabas by Bad Bunny (full lyrics below). It's used as part of an artwork, and my job is to find a suitable EN translation for it for a catalogue text. Something that's true to the tone of the original and would make some sort of sense to someone who didn't have the rest of the song as reference.... And it'd be helpful to have input from someone who really knows Puerto Rican Spanish to make sure I've captured the full meaning, and pitched it at the right level re innuendo (or not)!

Here's the text it's used in:

De igual forma, en [name of artwork], [name of artist] emplea el texto como material de una operación que podríamos entender como un contrasentido filológico, pues subvierte la dimensión lingüística, pero también cultural de estas palabras. "Ese culo es caro", "pa prender y pa meterlo en el paseo de las estrellas", "tú dijiste fiesta", "el diablo me llama", "la dura del perreo…" Como invocaciones, estos fragmentos que el artista extrae de canciones de reguetón contraponen la carga sexual, y desde luego política, de los cuerpos cuando bailan húmedos, sensuales, blandos y redondeados con la dureza real y simbólica de un material como el granito.

And here are the full lyrics:

Cuando Perriabas
Bad Bunny

Yeah-yeah-yeah
Yeah
Yo te llevo pa' Coachella
Yo te llevo pa' Singapur
A tu novio de novela, lo pongo en el logo de los Bulls
Como cuando perriabas
Baby no te hagas que yo sé que le metías hasta abajo cuando perriabas
En un party de marquesina, posteá' en una esquina
Yeah
Retirá' dice ella, pero se lo olvida después de las doce y par de botella'
Ey, que estoy puesto pa' ella
Pa' prender y pa' meterlo en el paseo a las estrellas
Eh-eh
La jeva está suelta como gata sandunguera
Eh-eh
Siempre con condones, y pasto en la cartera
Una galla, no se deja
No le cogen de pendeja
La Barbie que no venden en la tienda
La dura del perreo, una leyenda
Por la forma en que perriabas
Baby no te hagas que yo sé que le metías hasta abajo cuando perriabas
En un party de marquesina,…

Country: Puerto Rico
Proposed translations (English)
3 ... Walk of Fame
Change log

Sep 24, 2020 15:25: Yana Dovgopol changed "May Offend" from "Not Checked" to "Checked"

Discussion

Chema Nieto Castañón Sep 24, 2020:
Thank you, Lucy. I am really not sure how to express this in English. I agree the original song is as pathetic as it is offensive. And yet, the isolated phrasing can be read in many different ways, other than the (seeming) obscene intended meaning. As for translation, I would suggest not trying to sound too nice, and yet I feel it is hard to express in natural English the original obscene metaphor.
Something along the lines you suggest, "ready to fire things up" sounds fine for the first half (pa prenderlo; ready to fire "it" up). As for the second half, I wonder if "and to put it in through (the highway to the stars or whatever you feel appropriate here)" would sound strange in English without a clear reference of what that "it" is.
And so, no answer from me but just a few hints about my own reading of the original. Hope it helps anyhow!
¡Saludos!
neilmac Sep 24, 2020:
Agree with Tony I personally do find this kind of sexist macho tosh offensive, but I'm not fond of censorship either...
Lucy Phillips (asker) Sep 24, 2020:
@chema Thanks Chema (and some great slang there I hadn't heard ;) Do you want to post a suggested answer?... I'm thinking along the lines of some metaphor along the lines of turning on the ignition/firing things up...
Toni Castano Sep 24, 2020:
@Lucy Yes, go ahead and check it. The right preposition is "a", not "de", and this substantial aspect changes radically the interpretation possibilities.
Lucy Phillips (asker) Sep 24, 2020:
@Toni Although, as you can see, the phrase in the text is 'paseo de las estrellas' - the 'a' from the original source makes things clearer. It may be a typo, will check.
Lucy Phillips (asker) Sep 24, 2020:
oops, yes - mistake when entering the question! Thanks for pointing it out ;)
Chema Nieto Castañón Sep 24, 2020:
Ready to set it on fire and put it in through the "highway/way/walk to the stars".

The guy says "estoy puesto pa ella"; I am [ready] for her. The next line sounds like he is talking about his own dick; ready to set his dick on fire and put it in through the "walk to the stars" [the juice box / pink panther / hoo-haw / honey pot / pink taco / penis garage...]
Toni Castano Sep 24, 2020:
One more thing Lucy Please bear in mind that your source reads "paseo A las estrellas", not "paseo DE las estrellas", a change in the preposition can change the meaning of a phrase totally, and I´m afraid this is the case here. Your heading is therefore wrong. Careful.
Lucy Phillips (asker) Sep 24, 2020:
Hi Toni - yes, I did find that. I wanted to check and, in addition, an Argentinian colleague thought that a measure of ambiguity was better. I mean, the idea's fairly clear, I think ... And the register needs to be equivalent. The idea being I can suggest the same thing in English rather than spelling it out if that's not exactly what the Spanish does!
Toni Castano Sep 24, 2020:
@Lucy I ´m just wondering if you´ve come across this translation of the song by Bad Bunny (well, his name is quite meaningful, isn´t it?):
https://genius.com/Genius-english-translations-bad-bunny-cua...
(...)
Ey, I’m down for her
To light up and f*** her in the road to the stars
(...)
Sorry for the overtones. I warned about this before. Given the general tone of the song, this interpretation seems plausible to me.
However, "paseo de las estrellas" is driving me crazy, I´m not sure what it really means or what the author is hinting at. Hopefully, you can get some help from Puerto Rican colleagues.
Toni Castano Sep 24, 2020:
@Lucy I fully agree with you, we are (generally speaking) open-minded people. I was actually thinking of the site rules (if any applicable in this particular case, what I´m not sure of, really...).
Lucy Phillips (asker) Sep 24, 2020:
@Toni - actually, I'm not sure how to do that now I've posted the question, if anyone can help, I'd be grateful.
Lucy Phillips (asker) Sep 24, 2020:
Hi Toni - yes, fair enough - I generally think linguists are an open-minded bunch, but wouldn't want to upset anyone!
Toni Castano Sep 24, 2020:
@Lucy Have you considered the option of posting this question as potentially offensive? It´s not about me, I don´t feel offended, but given the general "tone" of the song, it might perhaps be appropriate for your query.

Proposed translations

11 mins

... Walk of Fame

.
Note from asker:
Thanks Antonio - yes, I get the reference to the Walk of Fame (or Walk of Stars in some cities, apparently) - I'm really looking for a translation of the phrase in context - I'm assuming the content has sexual overtones.
Peer comment(s):

neutral philgoddard : I think you should translate the whole phrase - I'm not sure what "-lo" refers to.
2 hrs
neutral Toni Castano : Your answer is incomplete and I have, say, legitimate doubts that any "walk of fame" is here meant. The correct source reads "paseo A las estrellas", not "paseo DE las estrellas".
3 hrs
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

8 mins
Reference:

??

Peer comments on this reference comment:

agree philgoddard
1 hr
neutral Toni Castano : Same misgivings as before, not sure at all of the meaning of "paseo de las estrellas". Perhaps it´s used in a figurative sense...? // I´m meanwhile quite certain that "paseo A - not DE- las estrellas" is used figuratively.
3 hrs
Something went wrong...