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Glossary entry

Spanish term or phrase:

no es venganza sino desquitanza

English translation:

It's not wreaking revenge but seeking redress

Added to glossary by Carol Gullidge
Apr 20, 2014 02:26
10 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Spanish term

no es venganza sino desquitanza

Spanish to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature literature (Mexican)
Hi Folks,

I am trying to translate a Mexican variation on the expression "No es buena la venganza pero sí la desquitanza" (the variation is basically "ésta no es venganza sino desquitanza"). The meaning is essentially "This isn't revenge, it's getting even" but of course the originaal has the rhyme xxx-anza, xxx-anza (and the colloquial-ness of the fact that "desquitanza" is not necessarily an accepted word)

So far I have come up with "It's not just revenge, it's just desserts" and "It's not exactly revenge, more like exacting retribution" but I'm not 100% satisfied and would love any other options involving rhyme, wordplay, alliteration, etc.

Suggestions?
Many thanks in advance!!

xLisa
Proposed translations (English)
4 +1 It's not wreaking revenge but seeking redress
5 it is not revenge, but rematch
4 +1 it’s not (just) vengeance — it’s comeuppance!
4 this isn't vengeance, it's payback
3 it's not revenge, it's retribution
3 it's retaliation rather than revenge
3 it is not revenge, but requital
3 it is not revenge.... but what you deserve
3 It is not revenge, but avenge
3 It's not about getting revenge, but getting even
Change log

Apr 21, 2014 13:20: Carol Gullidge Created KOG entry

Discussion

Carol Gullidge Apr 21, 2014:
This wasn't revenge, and I'm telling the truth, But an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
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OK, this is too long and flowery to be a serious contender, but I couldn't resist posting it just for fun!

RE CONTEXT: OK, it always helps to have as much as possible from the outset, but at least you did help by offering your own well-thought-out ideas, which is more than some people do!
ldillma (asker) Apr 20, 2014:
Mea Culpa - context Hi All, Very sorry for not having given more context. In my mind, providing the "meaning" (what I was taking to be the meaning) of the expression was the context, but obviously that was, as I say, "in my mind"! I should add that it is just my _assumption_ that it is intended tongue in cheek, because from what I gleaned from asking people and Google, "desquitanza" was used as "getting even", and therefore there appeared to be no difference between the two. So I think (thought?) it is (was) a joke, not in the "ha-ha, funny" sense but simply the irony of pretending that "revenge/vengeance" is bad, but "getting even" is not.

At any rate, again I am truly sorry, for a bit more appropriate context: in a dialogue, a criminal has kidnapped someone and claims that his action "Esto no es venganza sino desquitanza".

Carol has now got me wondering if perhaps I am wrong and the idea _is_ in fact that "desquitanza" is seen as less vindictive.

At any rate, I really like a LOT of these options you've given me.
Juan Jacob Apr 20, 2014:
Desquitanza no existe. Es desquite. Ojo con el registro lingüístico ahí.
Cecilia Gowar Apr 20, 2014:
Context I thought about that but then it seemed it was just an expression, not necessarily within a context. If that is not the case, obviously more context would help.
Carol Gullidge Apr 20, 2014:
@ Janice and Phil Janice: a good idea, but would't work 100% because if you say "it's not just XXX, it's YYY", then the YYY idea has to be stronger/more intense than XXX for it to make sense. And in this case, reversing the terms wouldn't work either - pity though!

Phil: Agrel re context - I hadn't appreciated the joke, which has now been explained to me… Or maybe I'm just extra thick, and it was obvious all the time! But I guess not, judging by some of the other answers
philgoddard Apr 20, 2014:
How come no one is asking for the context?
Janice Giffin Apr 20, 2014:
@Idilma Not just revenge but just desserts is very clever! Why not use that?
Ray Ables Apr 20, 2014:
I'm not familiar with the expression. Every time I heard "desquitarse" used in Mexico it was in the sense of "venting."

Proposed translations

+1
7 hrs
Selected

It's not wreaking revenge but seeking redress

OR

Not wreaking revenge but seeking amends

----

an attempt at (half!) rhyme and also at keeping it reasonably catchy, hence the higher CR

I would prefer something like 'atonement/atone', but can't think of anything catchy right now. More later, perhaps…?


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Note added at 8 hrs (2014-04-20 10:28:50 GMT)
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more vindication than vindiction

---

no rhyming, but it works in a different way. And, yes, "vindiction" is made up (combination of conviction and vindictiveness), or you could just use 'vindictiveness' instead.

I feel it's important to use two words that are NOT exact synonyms, as the whole point is that one is not comparing like for like: "It's not A but B" makes no sense if A = B!
Also, in this context, the 2nd adjective/noun... (the proposed alternative to vengeance) needs to somehow appear more conciliatory/justifiable or less drastic/wicked/sinful than vengeance/revenge. Here, the writer is presumably trying to justify his/her (or whoever's) actions: Call it X if you like, but not vengeance!

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Note added at 13 hrs (2014-04-20 16:09:47 GMT)
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Thanks Idillma! Have to admit I hadn't realised that the 2 had to be exact synonyms, as it made sense (to me!) that they are justifying their actions with something that at least sounds less vindictive, even if it isn't!

I tend to agree with you re "vindication"!

In order to maintain (exaggerate, even?) the 'joke', I suppose you could always consider something clownishly obvious like

"It's not wreaking revenge but seeking vengeance"

Btw, I also like "comeuppance" (although it might not fit the 'new' criteria, as it isn't really synonymous with revenge), but see that Javier beat James to it by a couple of hours!


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Note added at 13 hrs (2014-04-20 16:11:48 GMT)
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Re "I tend to agree with you re "vindication"!", above - that should of course read "…. vindiction"

Wretched auto-correct - grrrh!
Note from asker:
Hi Carole, I really like some of these options. Especially the "wreaking" and "seeking". I am going to wait the requested 24 hours before selecting my top choice but also just wanted to say that I think the "joke" is supposed to be essentially the fact that indeed A _does_ equal B. I love the inventiveness of "vindiction", too, but within the context don't think I can make it work.
Peer comment(s):
agree Janice Giffin : Veru clever!
1 day 8 hrs
Wow - thank you Janice :)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "I really like so many of the answers proposed, but the "wreaking" and "seeking" has the rhyme I most prefer. Thanks to everyone!"
1 hr

it is not revenge, but rematch

the re and re beginings and their simplicity as well as reduced length certainly meet literature requirements
Peer comment(s):
neutral Charles Davis : "Rematch" does have the "re-" beginning but it's the wrong meaning.
3 hrs
neutral Carol Gullidge : Not really. :(
3 hrs
Something went wrong...
3 hrs

it's not revenge, it's retribution

Retribution being a synonym for revenge. However, I do like both your own renderings: getting even / just desserts.
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5 hrs

it's retaliation rather than revenge

Or the other way round:

It's revenge rather than retaliation

Or it's more tit for tat than retaliation.
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6 hrs

it is not revenge, but requital

Both start by "re-" and moreover requital is similar to "desquitanza".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 7 hrs (2014-04-20 10:22:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Another option involving rhyme, even if a bit long:

It's not revenge I'm looking for, it's just settling the score

(or "evening the score")

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Note added at 8 hrs (2014-04-20 10:27:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

And even another one (although I like it less than the previous):

It's not vengeance, but comeuppance
Peer comment(s):
neutral Carol Gullidge : sadly, those "re"s are unstressed, and therefore don't make any impact, i.e., they don't count in any rhyming scheme// only to a certain extent. However, I do think you've captured the meaning
50 mins
They count as alliteration though :)
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+1
10 hrs
Spanish term (edited): ésta no es venganza sino desquitanza

it’s not (just) vengeance — it’s comeuppance!

My take. The double "ance" doesn't work as well as the double "anza" in the Spanish, but that's about all I can come up with...
Example sentence:

ésta no es venganza sino desquitanza

it’s not (just) vengeance — it’s comeuppance!

Note from asker:
I like these "-ance"s. I agree that it's not quite as good as the "anza"s but the informality of "comeuppance" suits the context quite well. I am still debating and will wait for the 24 hours but wanted to say thanks! (Have another doozy I'll be sending soon).
Peer comment(s):
agree Cecilia Gowar : I like this...
20 mins
Thanks a lot :)
neutral Carol Gullidge : I like comeuppance too, even though it doesn't really rhyme (in EN, rhymes are on the last stressed syllables - here = 'up' and 'en'). However, I see that Javier had already posted this idea a couple of hours before you!
2 hrs
I tried to come up with something that would genuinely be understood in English. I had no idea Javier suggested it hours before me (honest0.
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11 hrs

it is not revenge.... but what you deserve

I also like your option "just deserts", if you want to keep the rhyme, which is not going to be as good as "anza" as John pointed out....
I suppose you are aware the word "desquitanza" is a twisting of the correct word, "desquite", probably to make it rhyme with "venganza".
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18 hrs

It is not revenge, but avenge

Or:

It is not revenge, it is avenge

Or you could turn it around like Wendy did - It is avenge rather than revenge?

Just some thoughts ...
Note from asker:
Thank you Sharon. I really like the "revenge" and "avenge" just could not come up wit a way to make them both nouns!
Something went wrong...
21 hrs

this isn't vengeance, it's payback

In light of the additional context provided in the discussion.
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1 day 8 hrs

It's not about getting revenge, but getting even

I think your initial proposal was OK. I've just added a little twist so that we have the symmetry 'getting - getting'.
Note from asker:
Hi Denis, I like this! (and many suggestions offered). If I could have thought of a way to work in Sharon's idea of "revenge" and "avenge" with the double "getting" it would be perfect!
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