Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
Dios da al ser,
English translation:
God grants to those
Added to glossary by
Julie Thurston
Jun 10, 2013 20:42
10 yrs ago
Spanish term
Dios da al ser,
Spanish to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
¡Pero qué placentero
es el gozo
que en el alma y espíritu
Dios da al ser,
que en su divino fuego,
se convierte en brasa candente
de irradiante calor celestial!
"God brings into being"? I'm not sure how to word it, any help would be appreciated. Thanks
es el gozo
que en el alma y espíritu
Dios da al ser,
que en su divino fuego,
se convierte en brasa candente
de irradiante calor celestial!
"God brings into being"? I'm not sure how to word it, any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 +4 | God grants to those |
Charles Davis
|
| 5 +2 | A gift from God bestowed |
638556 (X)
|
| 3 | God gives to our being |
Rachel Salter
|
| 2 | God gives to mankind |
Patricia Bower
|
Proposed translations
+4
47 mins
Selected
God grants to those
A more or less literal translation of these lines would be something like this:
But how exquisite
is the joy
which in soul and spirit
God gives to the being
who in His divine fire
is turned into a burning ember
of radiant celestial heat!
So the main question is: what does "el ser" refer to? Is it mankind (el ser humano), or our being (the being of each of us)? I don't think so. This is really mystical language. It's talking about the ultimate spiritual joy of being consumed by divine fire, something that in Christian tradition is accessible only to those who attain the highest state of union with God. Attaining paradise through being consumed by fire echoes the ancient (pre-Christian) idea of Empyrean heaven, the highest heaven occupied by the element of fire. This idea was absorbed into Christian tradition through Neo-Platonism. In this tradition, only a select few could attain it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empyrean
So I think "el ser" is referring to a particular kind of being, the kind that attains this rare state of mystical union. That is why I would put "God grants to those [who are consumed by divine fire]".
You could say simply "God gives those", but "grants" sounds a little more elevated, and the rhythm is better if you include "to".
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Note added at 1 day6 hrs (2013-06-12 03:01:45 GMT) Post-grading
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Thanks, Julie. You're welcome!
But how exquisite
is the joy
which in soul and spirit
God gives to the being
who in His divine fire
is turned into a burning ember
of radiant celestial heat!
So the main question is: what does "el ser" refer to? Is it mankind (el ser humano), or our being (the being of each of us)? I don't think so. This is really mystical language. It's talking about the ultimate spiritual joy of being consumed by divine fire, something that in Christian tradition is accessible only to those who attain the highest state of union with God. Attaining paradise through being consumed by fire echoes the ancient (pre-Christian) idea of Empyrean heaven, the highest heaven occupied by the element of fire. This idea was absorbed into Christian tradition through Neo-Platonism. In this tradition, only a select few could attain it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empyrean
So I think "el ser" is referring to a particular kind of being, the kind that attains this rare state of mystical union. That is why I would put "God grants to those [who are consumed by divine fire]".
You could say simply "God gives those", but "grants" sounds a little more elevated, and the rhythm is better if you include "to".
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day6 hrs (2013-06-12 03:01:45 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
Thanks, Julie. You're welcome!
Note from asker:
| Thanks Charles, this is really helpful! |
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks Charles, this really fits beautifully, without any fuss, clearly getting the meaning across. "
+2
16 mins
A gift from God bestowed
I think this is what it means, that God gives the amazing gift of transformation in the presence of his divine light. I think "a gift from God bestowed" works well with the verse.
Reference:
Note from asker:
| Thanks Jo, This fits perfectly! |
| Thanks, Jo. I really liked this one, but finally decided to go with the answer that Charles gave. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Zilin Cui
: this one flows better
14 mins
|
|
Thank you :)
|
|
| agree |
Yvonne Gallagher
2 hrs
|
|
Thank you!
|
18 mins
Patricia Bower
United States
United States
Native in English
United States
Translation is a Passion, not just a job
Native in: English 
Works in: Spanish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
God gives to mankind
Or something like that possibly. Usually you see ser humano, but I am thinking since it is poetry they left off the humano.
Note from asker:
| Thanks, Patricia. A good one too. |
32 mins
Rachel Salter
Native in English
Specializes in field
the pen is mightier than the sword
Native in: English
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English
God gives to our being
I would keep the word 'being' as that is what 'ser' means. it's very broad and general because God gives to all living things not just humans
Example sentence:
in the centre of my being, I know
Note from asker:
| Thankyou, bebop. Another good option. |
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