clamar al cielo — meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  Pan-Hispanicreligiousliterary
  • To cry out to heaven or to God for help, justice, or intervention.
  • To express an intense lamentation or plea directed at the heavens.

  Examples

  Beta

  • En la madrugada, la comunidad entera comenzó a clamar al cielo pidiendo lluvia para sus cultivos.

    At dawn, the entire community began to cry out to heaven asking for rain for their crops.

  • Cuando la injusticia fue evidente, los ciudadanos clamaron al cielo para que se hiciera justicia pronto.

    When the injustice was evident, the citizens cried out to heaven for justice to be done soon.

  • El sacerdote animó a la congregación a clamar al cielo en busca de fuerza y esperanza en tiempos difíciles.

    The priest encouraged the congregation to cry out to heaven seeking strength and hope in difficult times.

  • ¿Alguna vez has sentido la necesidad de clamar al cielo cuando todo parece perdido?

    Have you ever felt the need to cry out to heaven when everything seems lost?

• 2.

  Pan-Hispanicfigurativeformal
  • To describe an action, situation, or wrongdoing that is so flagrant or outrageous that it 'cries out to heaven'; i.e., to be intolerably unjust or scandalous.

  Examples

  Beta

  • La corrupción en el gobierno clama al cielo; es imposible que nadie haga nada al respecto.

    The corruption in the government cries out to heaven; it's impossible that no one does anything about it.

  • El maltrato a los animales en ese circo clama al cielo y debería ser sancionado inmediatamente.

    The mistreatment of animals in that circus is intolerably outrageous and should be sanctioned immediately.

  • Que una empresa contamine el río de esa manera clama al cielo y exige una respuesta urgente.

    That a company pollutes the river in that way is intolerably scandalous and demands an urgent response.

• 3.

  Pan-Hispaniccolloquialinformal
  • To express a strong wish or plea, often emphatic or hyperbolic, that some external force (heaven, fate, etc.) should cause a desired outcome.

  Examples

  Beta

  • ¡Clamo al cielo que esta vez ganemos el campeonato después de tanto esfuerzo!

    I strongly wish to heaven that this time we win the championship after so much effort!

  • Clamaban al cielo para que la tormenta pasara rápido y no arruinara la boda en la playa.

    They emphatically wished to heaven that the storm would pass quickly and not ruin the beach wedding.

  • Si pudiera, clamaria al cielo que me diera una oportunidad para demostrar mi valía.

    If I could, I would strongly wish to heaven that it gave me a chance to prove my worth.