https://www.proz.com/kudoz/spanish-to-english/poetry-literature/4006885-prenda-m%C3%ADa.html
This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
la factibilidad de una modalidad
recursos aportados por los Mercados para realizar la función de responsable
Sep 6, 2010 16:10
13 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Spanish term

prenda mía

Spanish to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
In the song "Que nadie sepa mi sufrir", there occurs the following verse:

Ay, amor de mis amores
prenda mía, ¿Qué me hiciste?
Que no puedo conformarme
Sin poderte contemplar.

I have heard this phrase "prenda mía" many times, and I am quite aware that we are not talking about garments here! But how to translate this? A prenda can also be something left as a guarantee, but how to translate this?

¿Quién de ustedes es muy poeta, que me pueda dar la palabra más apta para expresar esta idea? Francamente su significado se me escapa...

Gracias,

Bob
Proposed translations (English)
4 +2 my darling/my dearest ...
4 +1 my darling
4 my darling, my pet
4 my sweetheart
4 (ah) my sweet (love)...
3 +1 my jewel/my treasure
3 my beloved
3 my beloved one/my darling/sweetheart
Change log

Sep 6, 2010 16:35: Travelin Ann changed "Term asked" from "\"prenda mía\"" to "prenda mía"

Discussion

Christine Walsh Sep 6, 2010:
On reading my posting, I find something's not clear: the term 'prenda' as 'loved one' is archaic in Argentina, not its other uses.
Christine Walsh Sep 6, 2010:
Prenda
A couple of ideas, in an attempt to bridge the gap… The term here can be found in gauchesco literature, and would sound very archaic outside this genre.

• For a gaucho, ‘prendas’ are not only his clothes, but all his most valuable possessions, often in worked silver and intricately woven leather –real works of art and nowadays costly collectors’ items. They are not for everyday wear, but on feast days the gaucho –and his horse- are decked out in the best he can afford (or has inherited). He would literally wear his wealth on his back (still true to a certain extent)

• ‘Mi prenda’ (often pronounced ‘prienda’) refers to his woman (note the possessive). The word would never be used to refer to the man.

http://www.depaginas.com.ar/fotosde__prendas_criollas.htm
Greg Hunt Sep 6, 2010:
Steven's answer is also a possibility for the same reasons
Greg Hunt Sep 6, 2010:
Approximating meaning of "pawn" I don't think there is a word that would be an exact fit (the more common modern word, surety, is not much of a term of endearment). But "dear" or "my dearest" do have that sense of "thing of value".

OED entry on dear (link needs subscription/library card):

I. 2. a. Regarded with personal feelings of high estimation and affection; held in deep and tender esteem; beloved, loved.
to have dear, hold dear: to love [= Ger. lieb haben, Du. liefhebben].
The earlier sense was that of ‘esteemed, valued’ rather than ‘loved’ (= Ger. teuer, not lieb), but the passage of the one notion into the other is too gradual to admit of their separation.
II. Of things.

4. a. Of high estimation, of great worth or value; precious, valuable. Obs.

6. a. Of a high price, high-priced, absolutely or relatively; costly, expensive: the opposite of cheap.

http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50058180?query_type=word...

It's interesting that the notions of "valued" and "loved" are seen as similar, but the Catalans take it one step further with estimar...

Proposed translations

+2
4 mins
Spanish term (edited): "prenda mía"
Selected

my darling/my dearest ...

Or
beloved
dearheart
etc.

My feeling is, since the literal meaning is "mujer amada/novia" and you already have "love of my life" or similar above, that I would use something like "darling" or "dearest".
A suggestion, anyway.
Note from asker:
Yes, "my darling" is the easiest, and probably the best...
Peer comment(s):
agree Greg Hunt : "My dearest" is the one, I think. I'll see if I can post something in the discussion area to explain why I think so.
16 mins
Thanks Greg! :)
agree Rocio Barrientos
52 mins
Gracias Rocio! :)
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Everybody's suggestions were good... Thanks to all. "My dear (and dearEST) seem the most appropriate and simple way to translate it..."
+1
2 mins
Spanish term (edited): "prenda mía"

my darling

-
Peer comment(s):
agree philgoddard : You were first!
55 mins
Something went wrong...
4 mins
Spanish term (edited): "prenda mía"

my darling, my pet

from the Oxford spanish dictionary. It's simply a colloquial term of affection. Insert your favourite!!
Note from asker:
Right. I'm wondering, though, if there's a way to approximate the meaning inherent in having something as a guarantee, a "pawn"... and I can't quite get my mind around why they use that word...
Something went wrong...
6 mins
Spanish term (edited): "prenda mía"

my beloved

Una de las definiciones de prenda en el DRAE que puede aplicar en este contexto:

6. f. Persona a la que se ama intensamente.

Note from asker:
Thanks!
Something went wrong...
7 mins
Spanish term (edited): "prenda mía"

my sweetheart

Saludos
Note from asker:
Hello again! ¡Hace mucho! "sweetheart" is a perfectly good translation... thanks...
Something went wrong...
13 mins
Spanish term (edited): "prenda mía"

(ah) my sweet (love)...

Another option.
Something went wrong...
+1
18 mins
Spanish term (edited): "prenda mía"

my jewel/my treasure

"prenda" could also mean a piece of jewelry, not only garments, it means something of value, something that enhances the appearance, a decoration...
Peer comment(s):
agree Christine Walsh : All the answers are very good, but I think this is closest because as well as love it implies possessiveness.
4 hrs
Thank you, Christine!
Something went wrong...
5 mins
Spanish term (edited): "prenda mía"

my beloved one/my darling/sweetheart

it means "querida"

Significado de "prenda ":
prenda

1. f. Ropa,cada una de las vestimentas de una persona:
prendas de abrigo.
2. Cosa que garantiza la seguridad o el cumplimiento de una obligación:
no tengo nada que dejar en prenda.
3. Lo que se da o hace en señal de algo:
lo hizo como prenda de su integridad.
4. Lo que se aprecia intensamente. Se usa también como apelativo cariñoso:
lo que tú quieras,prenda mía.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 mins (2010-09-06 16:18:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

"prenda" en glosario de términos gauchescos y criollos de Argentina:

Mujer querida, manceba. Tratamiento popular afectuoso dado a la amada.
"prenda" en glosario de jergas y modismos de Argentina:

(pop.) Novia; mujer amada.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 mins (2010-09-06 16:24:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hola Bob, es que en mi opinión no están relacionados, son diferentes significados para la misma palabra. ¡Buena suerte!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2010-09-06 17:34:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Another thing that might intest you is the meaning of "estar prendado de alguien" meaning: "estar perdidamente enamorado", look here:

-prendado.da: to be infatuated with Bb - estar prendado de ...
books.google.com.ar - Más ediciones - Añadir a Mi biblioteca▼
Note from asker:
Todavía no he podido cruzar el puente entre los significados 2 y 3, y el 4... como que se me da un amor como garantia de ... ¿del cielo? ¿del amor de Dios? Me perdonará, pero siempre busco la conexión entre las raíces de las palabras... Puede ser que no haya, a veces... pero se me hace que sí con esta expresión...
Interesting! (a propósito, una de mis metas es conocer Buenos Aires; siempre me contaba mi papá de sus tiempos gloriosos de marinero mercantil allá, durante la Guerra Mundial...)
Something went wrong...