Glossary entry (derived from question below)
May 25 07:42
23 days ago
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Italian term
Australia
sparvieri
Italian to English
Art/Literary
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters
The word "sparvieri" occurs in an unpublished, handwritten text dated "31 Dicembre 1944". It's part of a "Diario della guerra" covering the last two years of WW II. The work is composed as a poem, and these are the relevant lines:
"Non spade terse, non destrier, ne amore,/ma esplodenti atomici e sparvieri /spargenti ovunque lacrime e squallore.
The only meaning I can get from "sparvieri" in this context is "hawk(-like)" in reference to the hovering cloud of an atomic explosion. Or am I missing some other meaning? I'd appreciate any illuminating comments, and thanks in advance. Isobel Grave
"Non spade terse, non destrier, ne amore,/ma esplodenti atomici e sparvieri /spargenti ovunque lacrime e squallore.
The only meaning I can get from "sparvieri" in this context is "hawk(-like)" in reference to the hovering cloud of an atomic explosion. Or am I missing some other meaning? I'd appreciate any illuminating comments, and thanks in advance. Isobel Grave
Proposed translations
(English)
| 3 +1 | war hawks |
tradu-grace
|
| 4 +1 | menacing |
Lisa Jane
|
| 3 | bombers |
martini
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| 2 | sparrowhawkish / ruffling feathers far & wide |
Adrian MM.
|
Proposed translations
+1
6 hrs
tradu-grace
Italy
Italy
Native in Italian
Works in field
Italy
15y in translation
Native in: Italian 
, French
Works in: English to Italian, French to Italian, Italian to English
Related KudoZ points
:
28
Selected
war hawks
just another option that may help you
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_hawk
In politics, a war hawk, or simply hawk, is someone who favors war or is continuing to escalate an existing conflict as opposed to other solutions. War hawks are the opposite of doves. The terms are derived by analogy with the birds of the same name: hawks are predators that attack and eat other animals, whereas doves mostly eat seeds and fruit and are historically a symbol of peace.
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Note added at 2 giorni 5 ore (2024-05-27 13:21:33 GMT) Post-grading
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Isobel, thank you indeed. Glad I could help you. :-)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_hawk
In politics, a war hawk, or simply hawk, is someone who favors war or is continuing to escalate an existing conflict as opposed to other solutions. War hawks are the opposite of doves. The terms are derived by analogy with the birds of the same name: hawks are predators that attack and eat other animals, whereas doves mostly eat seeds and fruit and are historically a symbol of peace.
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Note added at 2 giorni 5 ore (2024-05-27 13:21:33 GMT) Post-grading
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Isobel, thank you indeed. Glad I could help you. :-)
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks for this great suggestion. I found all the debate really helpful but Tradu-grace's suggestion seems the one that preserves the metaphor wwhile allowing the literal to show through. Thanks again to you and everyone, Isobel Grave "
25 mins
bombers
forse si riferisce ai bombardieri
lo sparviero è un rapace predatore
i bombardieri come predatori di vite umane
un'idea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-29_Superfortress
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Note added at 26 mins (2024-05-25 08:08:03 GMT)
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hawk(-like) bombers?
lo sparviero è un rapace predatore
i bombardieri come predatori di vite umane
un'idea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-29_Superfortress
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Note added at 26 mins (2024-05-25 08:08:03 GMT)
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hawk(-like) bombers?
+1
28 mins
menacing
as an adjective it can mean rapacious/dangerous/menacing, I think the last of these fits best
from vocabolario Treccani:
c. In funzione di agg. (f. -a), letter., da sparviero, quindi audace e rapace a un tempo: il suo piglio di ardito e spicciativo furfante, la sua faccia sparviera (Bacchelli).
from vocabolario Treccani:
c. In funzione di agg. (f. -a), letter., da sparviero, quindi audace e rapace a un tempo: il suo piglio di ardito e spicciativo furfante, la sua faccia sparviera (Bacchelli).
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
martini
: si deve rendere la metafora, e non vedo nessun uso metaforico
1 hr
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It could be but it's not certain. In that case the noun 'menace' could be used instead. Thanks Martini.
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| agree |
Edoardo Urbani
1 hr
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Thanks Maria.
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| agree |
Lara Barnett
: This is what is normally used in this context. As for using a metaphor, the usage here is metaphorical anyway..
8 hrs
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Thanks Lara.
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1 day 15 hrs
Adrian MM.
Austria
Austria
Native in English
Austria
Retd.T&I, Barrister & Austro-Advokat
Native in: English (Variants: Scottish, British)
Works in: Spanish to English, English to Spanish, French to English, and 5 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Italian term (edited):
sparvieri / spargenti ovunque
sparrowhawkish / ruffling feathers far & wide
The only thing I - yes, as an erstwhile Regency Press-published teenage poet - can suggest is to reflect the clever 'spar-' root repetition or 'alliteration' in the words of sparvieri / spargenti.
Example sentence:
hawkish: having a militant attitude (as in a dispute) and advocating immediate vigorous action, especially : supporting war or warlike policies
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