Café Austria...Today in our Andean Literature class we took it easy. We didn't have anything really pressing to go over -- we've covered all of the material and are ready for the final exam on Friday. So, instead, we just goofed around all class and translated a couple of (North) American songs from English to Spanish and then, eventually, to Quechua. Quechua is one of the languages native to the Andes and existed in pre-Colombian times. The Incans spoke in Quechua, the Quitu spoke in Quechua, the people before the Quitu spoke in Quechua, so on and so on...
Anyways, we ended up translating the songs Dust in the Wind and Stand by Me from English, to Spanish, and then to Quechua.
Dust in the Wind
I close my eyes
only for a moment
and the moment's gone
All my dreams, pass before my eyes
a curiosity
Dust in the wind,
all they are is dust in the wind
Same old song,
just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do,
crumbles to the ground,
though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind,
all we are is dust in the wind
Don't hang on,
nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away,
all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind,
all we are is dust in the wind
___________________________
Polvo en el Viento
Al cerrar mis ojos
un momento nada más queuno
pienso en lo pasado
aquellos buenos días que no volveran
Polvo en el viento
polvo somos y en polvo nos uniremos
Dile hoy adios
a toda esa nostalgia que hoy vive en ti
y si ella ya no está allí
solitarias noches tendrás que pasar
Polvo en el viento
en polvo tu llanto luego se verá
polvo en el viento
te ruego ya no mires hacia atrás
Ella dijo que me amaba
pasaron unos meses luego se olvido
ya no están aquellas noches
que juntos compartimos amor y placer
Polvo en el viento
quizás ya no recuerdes como te amaba
polvo en el viento
en polvo tu recuerdo se acabara
___________________________
Wayrapi Pullaka
Ñukapa ñawimuzukuna paskani
shuk pacha
shuklla mana nima
ñawpa pachapi yuyani
chay alli puncha kunalla
mana tikramukum
Wayrapi pullaka
pullaka kanchik
pullapika tantashunchik
Kunan puncha rinimi ninki
choy tukuyllatallaki
kunan pachaka kikinpi kawsan
warmika chaypi manatiyan
kanka shuklla tutakuna kawsanki
Wayrapi pullaka
kanpa wikipika pullaman karka
wayrapi pullaka
washaman mana rikurinki
Warmika ñukaman kuyay nisha
killakuna kipaka ñukaman sakisha
chaytuta kunaka mana kanchik
karintin warmintin kuyaka kushillapish kunchik
Wayrapi pullaka
ñukapak kuyaka mawa yuyankiri
wayrapi pullaka
kampa yuyaka pullaman tukuchirka
___________________________
I don't think that Kansas really deserves to be translated in to Quechua but it is indeed a mad world.
