Se murió Lola
This is a tricky rhyme to translate because it's based on the ending of the last word on one line being part a word on the next line. It's the same kind of untranslatable rhyme as "Hello-operator" but much more complicated. Even literally it's nonsense to translate and in Spanish it's already nonsense!
Se murió Lola
Lola Died
Rima encadenada
Nonsense Rhyme
(Spanish)
(English)
¡Se murió Lola!
¿Qué Lola?
Lo lamento
¿Que mento?
Mentosanto
¿Que santo?
San Tomá(s)
¿Qué ma?
Mata 'e coco
¿Qué coco?
Coco de agua
¿Qué agua?
Aguarrás*
¿Qué ra?
Rabo 'e mono
¿Qué mono?
Monopolio
¿Qué polio?
Policía
¿Qué cía?
Se acabó **
Lola died!
Which Lola?
I regret it.
Which regret?
Mention a saint.
Which saint?
Saint Thomas.
Which ma's?
Coconut plant.
Which coconut?
Coconut water.
Which water?
Turpentine.
Which tine?
Tail of a monkey.
Which monkey?
Monopoly.
Which poly?
Police.
Which ice?
It's over.
Notes
* Many people say "agua 'e rá"
** Due to our way of pronouncing Spanish, it should be "Ciacabó".
Comments
Arca sent this song with the note, "Here is the version of 'Se murió Lola' that is sung in Dominican Republic. I haven't included the last line of the song because it's a little vulgar and even if here everybody knows it, I don't know if it'd be family friendly according to other countries standards.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Arca Zaga for contributing the Dominican version of "Se murió Lola".
¡Muchas gracias!
