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patrón de trabajo
querer más a costa de lo que fuera
Oct 1, 2016 07:26
7 yrs ago
Spanish term

vulano

Spanish to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
Speaking about time. "Nos persigue, llega, se nos acerca, nos precipita, nos adelanta, huye como un vulano en el aire". I understand vulano is volcano in Italian, but it doesn't seem to fit well, although the entire text is highly "poetic".

TIA
Proposed translations (English)
3 +3 gossamer
4 +1 pappus
4 chaff

Discussion

Charles Davis Oct 1, 2016:
I agree with Carol But the crucial question to try to answer is not whether there is a typo but what it is a typo for. That there is a typo is beyond doubt; there is no such word as "vulano" in Spanish, nor in Italian, for that matter (and anyway, even if vulano could mean a volcano in Italian, why a volcano, and why in Italian?). It should be either vilano or milano, as people have said, but we can't be sure which it is and it will inevitably affect the translation.

If you can't get this point confirmed, you'll have to make a choice, and I think vilano is a bit more likely.
Carol Gullidge Oct 1, 2016:
@ASKER Even if you can be creative, it is still worth checking if there is any chance at all of a typo. You can only really be genuinely "creative" if you have a perfect grasp of the ST in the first place!
matt robinson (asker) Oct 1, 2016:
Spelling It is vulano in the text, but I'm not sure if it is a mistake or not. In any case, I can be quite creative with the translation, in this case. I was just wondering if there was a literal translation, as I have never come across the word before. Thanks for the suggestions.
franglish Oct 1, 2016:
From the context the bird of prey milano, kite in English, could fit.
franglish Oct 1, 2016:
@Matt are you shure the spelling is right?
franglish Oct 1, 2016:
in Italian vulcano not vulano.

Proposed translations

+3
1 hr
Selected

gossamer

a contraction of "Vuelo arácnido" = Hilos de la Virgen.
Peer comment(s):
agree neilmac : Gossamer! I knew there was a better option than "pappus"...
3 mins
Thanks Neil :-)
agree Charles Davis : I like this. Is the "vuelo arácnido" connection your own idea or does it have a documentary basis? Vilano is supposed to come from milano.
24 mins
Thanks Charles. A totally home-grown idea - I haven't checked the literature but doubt if any exists.
agree Beatriz Ramírez de Haro
25 mins
Thanks Beatriz.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Ta!"
+1
15 mins

pappus

typo 'vilano'

vilano
De milano.
1. m. Apéndice de pelos o filamentos que corona el fruto de muchas plantas compuestas y le sirve para ser transportado por el aire.
2. m. Flor del cardo.
3. m. desus. milano (‖ ave).
Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pappus_(flower_structure)
Peer comment(s):
agree Beatriz Ramírez de Haro : Sí, vilano.
43 mins
muchas gracias, Beatriz. Saludos :-)
Something went wrong...
1 hr

chaff

OK, so it actually means things like dandelion seeds, but poetic licence offers us "like chaff in the wind"....

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Note added at 1 hr (2016-10-01 08:34:51 GMT)
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Or you might consider "will'o the wisp"....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will-o'-the-wisp

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Note added at 1 hr (2016-10-01 08:39:13 GMT)
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I mean, nobody knows what "pappus" is. Something along the lines of "fleeting, like a will o' the wisp in the wind" looks a bit more accessible...

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Note added at 1 hr (2016-10-01 08:40:44 GMT)
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IMHO franglish's suggestion (milano/kite) could work well (fleeting like a kite in the wind)...

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Note added at 1 hr (2016-10-01 08:42:53 GMT)
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Fleet
verb (used without object)

2. to move swiftly; fly.
Archaic. a.to glide along like a stream.
b.to fade; vanish.


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Note added at 1 hr (2016-10-01 08:45:48 GMT)
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"fleeting like gossamer filament"....
Reference:

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/263407/origin-and-meaning-of-chaff-before-the-wind

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