TravelCent

What Happens to the Moon in Spanish?

The moon is without a doubt one of the most central and powerful metaphors. It speaks across time and culture, and is almost invariably linked to love, instinct and intuition, inspiration and dreams, and all the watery emotions that make life worth living. The english to spanish translation of “moon” is “luna,” and that particular version of the word has the root that recurs most recognizably in this hemisphere. The lunar calendar and the notion of the lunatic have origins in this Latin root. In many different languages, then, the lunar root is one that makes it a recognizable word as well as a symbol.

In Borges’ meditation on the word , the English one is probably the most fitting. It’s one syllable that extends, giving it the space it needs to play out all of its poetic work on the flesh of the human in love. Luna is one syllable too many, but the sounds are certainly right. While it may be impossible to know if the words have an effect on our metaphorical imaginations, although it seems reasonable to suspect this is true.

Travel in the Americas, where there are opportunities to speak Spanish and English in many different countries and regions, reveals some fascinating notions of the moon. While the mainstream ideas of magical realism can suggest that there must be more poetry in Latin America, travel unravels these ideas, and shows that poetry is everywhere, and both languages hold capacities for poetry. The tongues may not entirely understand each other, but they have more similarities than differences.

There are definitely local variations on themes, however. The European vision of the man in the moon is not universal in the English-speaking world, but it’s there, and it can also be found in Spanish. It is probably a little more unusual, though, to hear about the rabbit in the moon in English-speaking regions. There are a few different versions of the story, and the stories repeat with variations in Aztec and Maya cultures. The usual story is one where the solar deity is alone and hungry, and a rabbit offers itself to him (solar deities are usually conceived of as male in this part of the world). As a reward for its sacrifice, the rabbit is sent in spirit form to the moon, where it can be admired by anyone with eyes.

It’s a gorgeous and romantic story, and one that speaks of a reciprocal relationship between humans and the natural world. It also gives attention to the virtues of self-sacrifice, and humility. And it’s one more notion of the moon that goes into a very full coffer, and every one of these stories has a resonance that ripples through language.