Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Spanish term or phrase:
lana sube, lana baja
English translation:
the blade goes up, the blade goes down(not literal)
Added to glossary by
Lydia De Jorge
Jan 17, 2007 13:35
18 yrs ago
2 viewers *
Spanish term
lana sube, lana baja
Spanish to English
Art/Literary
Poetry & Literature
the situation is:
there is a fiesta in one of the New Mexico villages where people kill pigs for winter meat (a Matanza). the old men first leave it to the young who live in the cities, but after their failure to make a clean kill, the young challenge the old to handle this tough job. the patriarch says ok, and tells one of his 'compadres' to sharpen the knife:
"[The old man] took the knife and began sharpening it on a small whetstone. 'Lana sube, lana baja,' he whispered as the blade swished back and forth on the stone."
i was told the expression literally means "money comes, money goes," but i wonder if it possibly has any other, even if metaphoric, meaning. can you please explain?
there is a fiesta in one of the New Mexico villages where people kill pigs for winter meat (a Matanza). the old men first leave it to the young who live in the cities, but after their failure to make a clean kill, the young challenge the old to handle this tough job. the patriarch says ok, and tells one of his 'compadres' to sharpen the knife:
"[The old man] took the knife and began sharpening it on a small whetstone. 'Lana sube, lana baja,' he whispered as the blade swished back and forth on the stone."
i was told the expression literally means "money comes, money goes," but i wonder if it possibly has any other, even if metaphoric, meaning. can you please explain?
Proposed translations
(English)
Proposed translations
+1
1 day 15 hrs
Lydia De Jorge
United States
United States
Native in Spanish
&
English
Specializes in field
United States
Don't just say it, say it right!
Native in: Spanish 
, English
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
133
Selected
the blade goes up, the blade goes down
,
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
cele321
: because this sounds more alike the rhym the old man whisper. Maybe you should think in an analogy more that a literal translation. If I come up with something I´ll post it
13 hrs
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de acuerdo Maria y gracias!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "thanx"
+2
29 mins
John E. Kelleher
Ireland
Ireland
Native in Spanish
&
English
Ireland
Voiceover / Translator / Transcreator
Native in: English , Spanish
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish, French to English, and 5 more.
Penknife
Apparently according to the attached link, it is a native american riddle that means a penknife:
"Lana sube, lana baja,
el señor que la trabaja"
La Navaja
http://www.uv.mx/Popularte/Esp/scriptphp.php?sid=384
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Note added at 1 hr (2007-01-17 14:43:36 GMT)
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I am assuming it is just a type of rhyming slang for penknife... You could try the Cockney equivalent: "Drum and Fife"
http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/english/letter/K.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockney_rhyming_slang
"Lana sube, lana baja,
el señor que la trabaja"
La Navaja
http://www.uv.mx/Popularte/Esp/scriptphp.php?sid=384
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-01-17 14:43:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
I am assuming it is just a type of rhyming slang for penknife... You could try the Cockney equivalent: "Drum and Fife"
http://www.cockneyrhymingslang.co.uk/english/letter/K.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockney_rhyming_slang
Example sentence:
"Lana sube, lana baja, el señor que la trabaja"
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Elena Robles Sanjuan
: Maybe the correct way of doing it is explain what you have explained
9 mins
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| agree |
Juan Jacob
: Of course = la navaja. But not "native american riddle": 100 % mexican.
1 hr
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My sincerest apologies Juan! :-)
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2 days 7 hrs
knife´s in, life´s out or knife comes, life goes
An option that in english will do a similar interpretation and rhym, I really put my brains on this one, I hope it´s usefull!!!
1787 days
Wool goes up, wool comes down and the old man works it! What is it?
It is both a riddle and a rhyme in Spanish! Let's get the terms straight "lana" is actually a Spanish word for 'wool' so once inserted into translation it says:
Wool goes up, wool comes down and the old man works it! (works it how?with What?)
Lana sube y lana baja y el viejito la trabaja! Now the trick is to gauge the IQ level of the audience and since it is a children's riddle you want to give them a little hint of what the answer could be if they are really young. Instead of correctly pronouncing it "lana baja"(wool comes down) you say or pronounce it "la navaja" (knife) giving away the answer to the riddle. So works it how? or with what? a knife!! = la navaja!!
Yes I know your thinking it don't translate well: Wool goes up, knife and the old man works it! But rather it's Wool goes up, wool comes down and the old man works it! still don't rhyme! well then try
Wool goes up, wool comes down and the old man with it goes to town!
Cheers! Fue un placer! (no not flying saucer/ufo silly!) LMAO! You all really slaughtered this one though no joke!
Wool goes up, wool comes down and the old man works it! (works it how?with What?)
Lana sube y lana baja y el viejito la trabaja! Now the trick is to gauge the IQ level of the audience and since it is a children's riddle you want to give them a little hint of what the answer could be if they are really young. Instead of correctly pronouncing it "lana baja"(wool comes down) you say or pronounce it "la navaja" (knife) giving away the answer to the riddle. So works it how? or with what? a knife!! = la navaja!!
Yes I know your thinking it don't translate well: Wool goes up, knife and the old man works it! But rather it's Wool goes up, wool comes down and the old man works it! still don't rhyme! well then try
Wool goes up, wool comes down and the old man with it goes to town!
Cheers! Fue un placer! (no not flying saucer/ufo silly!) LMAO! You all really slaughtered this one though no joke!
Example sentence:
Morkatem\'s twist: Wool goes up, wool comes down and the old man with it goes to town!
Discussion
Wool goes up, wool comes down and the old man works it! (works it how?with What?)
Lana sube y lana baja y el viejito la trabaja! Now the trick is to gauge the IQ level of the audience and since it is a children's riddle you want to give them a little hint of what the answer could be if they are really young. Instead of correctly pronouncing it "lana baja"(wool comes down) you say or pronounce it "la navaja" (knife) giving away the answer to the riddle. So works it how? or with what? a knife!! = la navaja!!
Yes I know your thinking it don't translate well: Wool goes up, the knife and the old man works it! well then try
Wool goes up, wool comes down and the old man with it goes to town!
Cheers! Fue un placer! (no not flying saucer/ufo silly!) LMAO! You all really slaughtered this one though no joke!
"Agua pasa por mi casa.
Cate de mi corazón."
¿Qué es?
¡El aguacate!
Impossible to translate, as your question, I'm afraid.