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Gestor I
Levantar el evento
Nov 17, 2020 19:51
3 yrs ago
46 viewers *
Spanish term

? Como agua en mayo.

Spanish to English Other Government / Politics current affairs
This is again from an opinion piece in a Mexican publication, on the U.S. presidential election, etc.
The short paragraph in which it occurs is:
"Las otras son razones más locales, si quieren llamarlas así. ¿Necesitamos aquí un baño de democracia? ***Como agua en mayo***."
What I think I understand about this is that it is a saying that one runs across occasionally, which I think refers to rains that in certain places come in May, & then bring flowers later in the season. I haven't been able to come up with an idiomatic phrase in English that might be close to equivalent.
Any help greatly appreciated.
Proposed translations (English)
3 +4 Like rain after a drought
4 +1 Like the deserts need the rain
4 Like a breath of fresh air
4 long awaited
3 April showers bring May flowers
3 Like sunshine after the rain
References
Como agua de mayo

Discussion

Chema Nieto Castañón Nov 22, 2020:
While I basically agree with everyone here, I just wanted to point out that "como agua en mayo" (rather than "como agua de mayo") is used here to convey "desesperadamente"; (we need it) badly";

Do we need a bath of democracy here?
Yes. Badly!
(Like rain after a drought)...

Sin duda, por supuesto, naturalmente, vaya si no... como agua en mayo.
Stuart and Aida Nelson Nov 17, 2020:
Agree with everyone I know the expression as 'como agua de mayo" (see Sofia). I would say something along these lines:

We need here a downpour (see Robert) of democracy as a refreshment for this political drought (see Juan)
Sofia Bengoa Nov 17, 2020:
(La necesitamos) Como agua de mayo En España yo lo he oído siempre "como agua de mayo" o "me vino como agua de mayo" y la empleamos para decir que algo inesperado (como la lluvia para el campo) vino en el momento más oportuno y cuando más se necesitaba.
Juan Jacob Nov 17, 2020:
with Robert... No conocía la expresión, pero concuerdo: las lluvias llegan por mayo después de largos meses de sequía (Solo hay dos estaciones por acá... secas y lluvias) = haría mucho bien, es muy necesario.
Robert Carter Nov 17, 2020:
Hi Tom. In Mexico (particularly central and southern Mexico) the rainy season usually begins in earnest in May, after a long dry spell with very little rain from around early November. I think it just means it will be a very welcome change or in the case of this metaphor "a downpour."

Proposed translations

+4
42 mins
Selected

Like rain after a drought

One possibility
Example sentence:

When information finally comes, it is like rain after a drought.

It felt like rain after a drought, it felt like a rites of passage movie from the 80's.

Peer comment(s):
agree Stuart and Aida Nelson : I think this could work well with the rest of the sentence
17 mins
Thanks, Aida :-)
agree Michele Fauble
20 hrs
Thanks, Michele :-)
agree AllegroTrans
5 days
Thank you!
agree Chema Nieto Castañón
11 days
Muchas gracias, Chema :-)
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks, Marie, & all who participated in the discussion."
44 mins

April showers bring May flowers

April showers bring May flowers
As you mentioned flowers and this concept of relief, there is a song by Frank Sinatra called April Showers that has taken a couplet wrote by English poet Thomas Tusser. According to some magazines and some scientific evidence, in the US, April showers bring May flowers.

there's always a rainbow after the rain/a storm
There are many popular quotes in English people use all over the Internet, this is one of them and it may convey the message with less "intellectual effort".

a sigh of relief
A more general and less creative option may be "a sigh of relief". Taken from https://www.google.com/amp/s/dictionary.cambridge.org/es/amp...
Reference:

https://www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/why-april-showers-bring-may-flowers-what-science-has-recently-taught-us/

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/rainbow

Peer comment(s):
neutral AllegroTrans : Poetic, but doesn't capture the essence of relief about the US election
5 days
Something went wrong...
8 hrs

Like sunshine after the rain

As we're looking for something idiomatic, I would turn the whole thing round and use this expression as it conveys the meaning (and that's what it's all about) in the sense of something good after a bad spell.

lateral thinking involved here and might be hard to swallow I know....

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Note added at 8 hrs (2020-11-18 04:01:55 GMT)
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would sound ok to English ears

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Note added at 8 hrs (2020-11-18 04:24:46 GMT)
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more literal would be "after a long drought"

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Note added at 8 hrs (2020-11-18 04:26:45 GMT)
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it being understtod that the Trump presidency is seen by many as a political drought

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2020-11-18 04:28:19 GMT)
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so: "As a welcome drop of rain after a long drought"

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Note added at 8 hrs (2020-11-18 04:29:50 GMT)
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depends how free you can be with this...
Something went wrong...
11 hrs

Like a breath of fresh air

Well, it's another possibility, and widely used.
Reference:

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2012/1/4/a-rare-breath-of-fresh-air-in-us-politics

Something went wrong...
+1
11 hrs

Like the deserts need the rain

Stolen (and slightly adapted) from the British group Everything But The Girl's classic song 'Missing':

"And I miss you, like the deserts miss the rain..."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 11 hrs (2020-11-18 07:47:16 GMT)
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https://youtu.be/U56Ns66Qrb8

https://genius.com/Everything-but-the-girl-missing-lyrics
Reference:

https://genius.com/Everything-but-the-girl-missing-lyrics

https://youtu.be/U56Ns66Qrb8

Peer comment(s):
agree AllegroTrans : Doesn't capture the essence of relief about the US election
5 days
Something went wrong...
12 hrs

long awaited

Since I can't think of a set phrase other than the ones already posted, I'm suggesting this, because that's what it means (rainfall long-awaited after a dry spell). "Sorely needed" could be another similar option. I don't really see the point of trying to preserve the original metaphor.
Example sentence:

PM Erdoğan announces the long awaited 'Democracy Package'.

Hong Kong unveils long-awaited democracy blueprint...

Reference:

https://carnegieendowment.org/hkjournal/PDF/2008_summer/3.pdf

Peer comment(s):
neutral ormiston : Sounds nice but I think it emphasises a wish rather than a need
55 mins
neutral AllegroTrans : doesn't quite capture the essence of profound relief
5 days
Something went wrong...

Reference comments

1 hr
Reference:

Como agua de mayo

Como agua de mayo
Al igual que sucedía en otras frases, la expresión española de hoy proviene del mundo del campo. Abril y mayo son meses en los que la lluvia es fundamental para que las plantaciones de gramíneas (básicamente, cereales) y los árboles frutales florezcan con su mayor esplendor. Si hay suficiente lluvia en esos meses, normalmente se asegura una buena cosecha que nos dará alimento hasta el próximo año.
https://expresionesyrefranes.com/2011/10/17/como-agua-de-may...

Utilizamos esta frase para expresar que algo llega o se produce en un momento muy deseado. Se usa la expresión “Como agua de mayo” para decir que una circunstancia o algo surge en el momento ideal, perfecto, y por eso es recibido con mucha alegría.
Ejemplos
– Llevo 3 meses sin trabajo y ahora empiezo a tener problemas económicos… ¡por eso esta oportunidad en la compañía más fuerte de España llega como agua de mayo!
– Tiene algunos problemas económicos… por eso este premio de la lotería llega como agua de mayo para él.
https://www.academia.andaluza.net/practicar/como-agua-de-may...
Something went wrong...
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