*
“Goblined” is a lame translation of “imbunchado”, but the one offered in the dictionaries, “bewitched”, is
even worse. “Imbunchado” comes from “imbunche”. What’s an “imbunche”? Here’s my answer to an
English speaking person who asked me after reading the poem titled “Vamos a hacer un imbunche” (“Let’s
Make an Imbunche”) from “Norte in Elocoyán”:
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As in the Celtic folklore there exists the tradition of children kidnapped by goblins or fairies and replaced
by a monstrous baby I though of “goblined”, although may be the word doesn’t even exist. May be we
could just use the word in Spanish, “imbunchado”, but in any case I think a footnote is called for here.
**
“The ferret, it runs, it runs” is the first line of a French traditional song which accompanies a children game
as is very aptly described in this link: http://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=118&c=22
The same game and song exists in Italy and most European countries, including Spain, from where it
travelled to the New World. In every country the lyrics change but the game is basically the same.
In Chile it goes like this:
“Corre el anillo por un portillo,
Pasó un chiquillo comiendo huesillos,
A todos les dio menos a mí.
Corre el anillo por un portillo.
Cayó una teja mató a una vieja,
Cayó un martillo, mató a un chiquillo,
Cayó un ratón
Mató a un guatón,
Cayó una horquilla
Pinchó a una chiquilla,
Cayó una tagua, aplastó a una guagua
Cayó una rama de matico,
Aplastó a un milico”.
Although in my family the song was slightly bowdlerised to prevent children being contaminated by
extreme violence, so it went “Pasó una vieja vendiendo lentejas, etc.” after the fourth line. Old biddies
shouldn’t suffer violent deaths, apparently… I am not very sure, but I believe the game in English speaking
countries is called “Pass the Ring” but I don’t know the song…