Spring / Primavera

By auclairdelalune

I just love the transitional seasons. In an effort to embrace spring in a Spanglish way I thought I’d investigate what Spring y Primavera nos ofrecen en tandem:

En inglés, la palabra Spring is from spring (v.); the notion is of the "spring of the year," when plants "spring up" (cf. spring of the leaf, 1538). My research finds “O.E. springan "to leap, burst forth, fly up" (class III strong verb; past tense sprang, pp. sprungen), from P.Gmc. *sprenganan.” So, the image that comes to mind is definitely one of action – think time change, spring forward, water springs forth from a source...

In Spanish, the word primavera proviene del latín vulgar prima (primera) y ver, veris (primavera). El latín ver viene del indoeuropeo *ver- que se relaciona al crecimiento y donde vienen las palabras verde, verano, vergel, incluso verga. “La palabra primavera es por Ver Primum (a la entrada del verano) o estación previa del verano,” So, from this I think of looking forward to those first hints of summer, and of course images of verde (“Verde, que te quiero verde...”).

So, if we quit la lección de etimología, ¿Qué quieren decir spring y primavera para nuestras tiendas de etsy? We can obviously all find ways to look forward and take action, profesionalmente y personalmente. I will certainly be looking for ways to improve my shop both artistically and business-wise. What new ideas are waiting to germinate, needing attention to grow? Certainly team Spanglish is feeling the call of spring, energized with new marketing strategies y el cultivo de nuevas amistades. También podemos interpretar verde as eco-friendly. La primavera might be the right time to introduce that first bit of green into your business, whether it’s through the economy of using less or re-using more.

En mi pequeño rincón del mundo, aquí in Central Florida, we don’t have the dramatic contrasts of spring que nuestros amigos al norte get, but we do have a gentle whisper that hints at the scorching summer that is to come. It’s time to trabajar en el jardín before the arrival of longer, hotter days. I need to finish the spring cleaning and finally tackle that garment rack that collapsed in my workspace, making a disaster of all of my neatly folded and sorted fabrics. Yo leo Thoreau’s Walden with the Etsy Book Club, un texto que representa la celebración de la naturaleza, and is always a fitting choice for spring. Busco también oportunidades for volunteerism in my community with literacy & ESOL groups.

I encourage everyone to embrace spring/primavera, to look forward and take action, inviting both personal and professional growth into your corner of the world!

Reflexiones sobre la primavera:

Doña Primavera

De Gabriela Mistral


Doña Primavera
viste que es primor,
viste en limonero
y en naranjo en flor.

Lleva por sandalias
unas anchas hojas,
y por caravanas
unas fucsias rojas.

Salid a encontrarla
por esos caminos.
¡Va loca de soles
y loca de trinos!

Doña Primavera
de aliento fecundo,
se ríe de todas
las penas del mundo...

No cree al que le hable
de las vidas ruines.
¿Cómo va a toparlas
entre los jazmines?

¿Cómo va a encontralas
junto de las fuentes
de espejos dorados
y cantos ardientes?

De la tierra enferma
en las pardas grietas,
enciende rosales
de rojas piruetas.

Pone sus encajes,
prende sus verduras,
en la piedra triste
de las sepulturas...

Doña Primavera
de manos gloriosas,
haz que por la vida
derramemos rosas:

Rosas de alegría,
rosas de perdón,
rosas de cariño,
y de exultación.


I cannot meet the Spring unmoved

by Emily Dickinson


I cannot meet the Spring unmoved --
I feel the old desire --
A Hurry with a lingering, mixed,
A Warrant to be fair --

A Competition in my sense
With something hid in Her --
And as she vanishes, Remorse
I saw no more of Her.