Quote:
Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA
Translating emotion, meaning, and the feel of the words *is* a challenge. I have only tried to translate a few poems or songs from German to English, one poem being my own that I wrote when a teenager. I tried to maintain the meaning *and* the rhyme. That was difficult but fun.
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Well, it could be worse. For instance, to translate from German to French, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese (or other languages with
grammatical gender) and vice-versa. For example, remember all those classic poetic love allusions to the Moon:
- French: La Lune (feminine). Italian and Spanish: La Luna (feminine). Portuguese: A Lua (feminine).
- German: Der Mond (masculine).
Songs become gay!
Apart from that,
Belinda Carlisle found a lyrical possibility and made a love song:
About a year ago, I had to do (just as a hobby) a curious translation. Spanish band Radio Futura made a song inspired by
Anabel Lee, a famous poem by Edgar Allan Poe. So I faced the bizarre situation that certain lines were very similar to Poe's verses, and apparently I had to "re-translate" them. But, obviously, in those cases I preferred to transcribe the original.
Here is the final result (I hope it isn't bad
).
Quote:
Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA
Terry Jacks - "Seasons in the Sun"
Is Michelle a child, do you think? Who is Michelle?
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Hmmmm...I'm not sure.
That line is an addition by Terry Jacks, isn't it? I mean, it wasn't included in Brel's version.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA
First, a nostaglic song about romantic (failed) love along the seaside:
Don Henley - "Boys of Summer"
Second, the ol' famous "Seasons in the Sun" song about all sorts of love...of friends, family, lover (?), children, nature...of life. When I was a child I really loved "Seasons in the Sun."   Ah, love!
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Yes, I know, that kind of "waterfall of memories"....
Personally, I always think of some famous Italian love songs. For instance, Gino Paoli's
Sapore di sale ("
Taste of Salt"). And, of course, I bear an
ideal Mediterranean beauty in mind every time I listen to it.
Ah, l'Amore!
"Sapore di sale, sapore di mare ................................ Taste of salt, taste of sea
che hai sulla pelle, che hai sulle labbra ................................ that you have on your skin, that you have on your lips
quando esci dall'acqua e ti vieni a sdraiare ................................ when you come out the water and you come to lay
vicino a me, vicino a me. ................................ near to me, near to me.
Sapore di sale, sapore di mare ................................ Taste of salt, taste of sea
un gusto un po' amaro di cose perdute ................................ a taste a bit bitter of lost things
di cose lasciate lontano da noi.............................of things left far away from us
dove il mondo è diverso, diverso da qui. ................................ where the world is different, different from here.
Il tempo è nei giorni che passano pigri ................................ The time is in the days that pass lazily
e lasciano in bocca il gusto del sale ................................ and leave in the mouth the taste of the salt
ti butti nell'acqua e mi lasci a guardarti ................................ you jump in the water and you leave me to watch you
e rimango da solo nella sabbia e nel sol. ................................ and I stay alone in the sand and the sun.
Poi torni vicino e ti lasci cadere......................Then you come back near and leave yourself fall down
così nella sabbia e nelle mie braccia ................................ like this in the sand and in my arms
e mentre ti bacio sapore di sale ................................ and while I kiss you taste of salt
sapore di mare, sapore di te. ................................ taste of sea, taste of you."