Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Dec 28, 2017:

@Alison You always amaze me with your research treasures! That's the poem!

Herbmione Granger Dec 27, 2017:

it could help From Alison's reference by Titus Heydenreich:
Wie ihre Themen, so entnimmt Maria Elena Walsh auch ihre Sprache dem alltaeglichen Lebensraum. Sinnentleerte Redewendungen, Gemeinplaetze der Alltagessprache werden auf ihren metaphorischen Ursprung zurueckgefuehrt oder in neuen Wortkombinationen poetisiert.

It would also be helpful if someone could find the original poem or song in Spanish. I tried but couldn't get a match.

Alison MacG Dec 27, 2017:

Very similar usage although it doesn't help with the translation ...

From: Denis Diderot 1713-1784. Zeit-Werk-Wirkung. Zehn Beiträge

Andrea Pagni:
Maria Elena Walsh und die Alltagslyrik in Buenos Aires
(…)
Aber manchmal geschehen / Wunder im Sommer
Zum Beispiel an dem Tag, / als wir ungeheuer plötzlich / ohne jede Vorahnung / gedrängt zu erstaunen sahen, / wie sich die Luft veränderte, / und daß ein Fluß kam an des Zuges Stelle.
Und sie spielten mit Fischen, / mit Seetang und mit Taubonbons.
Hohe Persönlichkeiten / in einem Land aus Rauhreif, / Kinder kalter Langeweile / und versteinerter Ewigkeit
Schlafe mit viel Theater, / regier nicht: schlafe! / Schon halten dir Studenten / die Totenwache.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AQVmAAAAMAAJ&q="mit Taub...

Daniel Arnold (X) Dec 27, 2017:

Just a thought here, tau could, just theoretically, also relate to "tauen", which means melting. The river might have tiny little frozen bits in it or something (maybe it comes from a mountain). I could see kids play with that... but I must say that Seetang is unlikely to be found in freshwater..... definitely some story you got there :-) Good luck with it.

Herbmione Granger Dec 27, 2017:

I think "water beads" also works, especially if the author was thinking of Lutschbonbons.

Herbmione Granger Dec 27, 2017:

In daily speech, I don't distinguish "drops" and "droplets." I am thinking that it is gummy candy, also because water drops can be squished or reshaped.
Here is another usage of "Taubonbons," in a similar dreamlike/surreal context, although the meaning is not necessarily the same:
http://www.schlafraum.symbiose.at/traumtag.htm
Oft ist es nur ein einfacher Wolkenstrauß, eine Flasche Regenduftwasser oder eine Tüte Taubonbons.

Anne Schulz Dec 27, 2017:

"Drops" (the English word) is, or was used as a name for certain little Lutschbonbons (hard candies?) in German. Unless this is a false friend, I would keep the "drops" for "Bonbons", rather than using droplets or similar.

Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Dec 27, 2017:

Hi Phil & Herbalchemist they are not referring to Taufbonbons (I think), although the river could be a place of Christening, this is more a Southern States tradition as a South American one.
Herbalchemist, please post your suggestion, it's a good one. I'd like to see what the colleagues think.

Herbmione Granger Dec 27, 2017:

Hi Phil I didn't think of Taufbonbons. Fits with the children and river and droplets :)

Herbmione Granger Dec 27, 2017:

Hi Ramey I thought you were looking for a surreal expression? "Gum drops of dew" is a suggestion.

philgoddard Dec 27, 2017:

There must be a reference to Kaubonbons and to Taufbonbons.

Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Dec 27, 2017:

Thanks Herbalchemist but don't you think we could just stick with the dewdrops? The water's already there. It just occurred to me that the bonbon aspect may refer to the children with their mouths open. Another option is dewy drops.

Herbmione Granger Dec 27, 2017:

Kaubonbons I agree with Brigitte that this is water condensed into drops. However, I would call these "gum drops" (never heard of Dew Drops candies) and add something "watery," rather than add the sugar to the water.

BrigitteHilgner Dec 27, 2017:

I think ... "bonbons" just relates to the shape (see writeaways' link).
When I lived in London (ages ago), Hustenbonbons were called "lozenges" (because of their shape). Decades later I was deeply surprised that British people here in Vienna did not relate "lozenges" to cough drops. I don't think you need to stress the aspect "sweet".

Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Dec 27, 2017:

I'm tending toward sweet spume at the moment (gotta get those bonbons in there)

BrigitteHilgner Dec 27, 2017:

spray might be too fine, it lacks substance

Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Dec 27, 2017:

Indeed, it is NOT! Hence, droplets, spume, spray...

BrigitteHilgner Dec 27, 2017:

Oh dear! The new sentence makes me think of some of the stations which I know, in London, Paris, Vienna ... (oops, wrong part of the globe).
If we think in terms of transformation, "dewdrops" might mean any kind of water drops (which look like dewdrops) - or is this idea too bold?

Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Dec 27, 2017:

Here is the preceding text: Träumen Sie sich, für einen Augenblick, von der Nord- auf die Südhalbkugel und stellen sich einen Bahnhof vor, an einem heißen Sommerabend. Eine traurige Menge wartet hier, erschöpft von der Arbeit, in erstickender Routine, auf den immer gleichen Regionalzug, der sie aus wieder ins Umland bringen soll.

WE are certainly dealing with surrealism, typical of South American poetry. The text goes on to compare the author's work with Ovid's Metamorphoses, the continuous transformation of all things.

BrigitteHilgner Dec 27, 2017:

Is there any indication ... that all this is happening in the morning and that there a plants on the river bank where dewdrops might have collected?

Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Dec 27, 2017:

Yes, it's surreal, can you post dewdrops? Then we'll see what the colleagues think.

BrigitteHilgner Dec 27, 2017:

Hello, Ramey, I fully agree with you: the children spring into the water, so there must be a lot of splashing (i.e. drops of water). But: the text does not seem too realistic ("... fährt in das Gleisbett ein Fluß ein...") - maybe this is all about poetic licence?

Ramey Rieger (X) (asker) Dec 27, 2017:

Hi Brigitte! Thanks for the nudge! Although 'dew' would be illogical in a river, perhaps drops of water, splashing water, whitecaps...

BrigitteHilgner Dec 27, 2017:

Definitely not a common word One google hit:
http://webstories.eu/stories/story.php?p_id=115436
I thought immediately of "dew" (not rope, no idea why) and reading your text I stick to dew - Taubonbon = dew drop?