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15 Aug 13 - 05:34 AM (#3549252) Subject: French songs in English translation From: Will Fly Being a bit of a sucker for French songs, it's been an interesting experience doing the ongoing trawl through my recently-acquired 3,000+ sheet music archive - in which a number of French songs in English translation have popped up. I've been struck by the way in which many of the translations have lost much of their bite when turned into English. It's understandable, of course, given the US/UK markets for which the translations were done, but the translated versions usually give a totally different spin to the originals. As an example, I've been looking at "Under The Bridges Of Paris" with English lyrics by Dorcas Cochran from 1952. The original French lyrics for "Sous Les Ponts De Paris" were written by Jean Rodor in 1914. To illustrate the point, I give below (a) the English words by Cochran (b) the original French by Rodor (c) my rough translation of the French... (a) My darling, why I sing this song is easy to explain. It tells what happens all along the bridges of the Seine. The vagabonds go there at night to sleep their troubles away, But when the moon is shining bright, my heart wants to sing it this way... How would you like to be down by the Seine with me? Oh what I'd give for a moment or two under the bridges of Paris with you. Darling, I'd hold you tight, far from the eyes of night, Under the bridges of Paris with you, I'd make your dreams come true. (b) Pour aller à Suresnes ou bien à Charenton Tout le long de la Seine on passe sous les ponts Pendants le jour, suivant son cours, tout Paris en bateau défile, L' cœur plein d'entrain, ça va, ça vient, mais l' soir lorsque tout dort tranquille… Sous les ponts de Paris, lorsque descend la nuit, Tout's sort's de gueux se faufil'nt en cachette, et sont heureux de trouver une couchette, Hôtel du courant d'air, où l'on ne paie pas cher, L'parfum et l'eau c'est pour rien mon marquis, sous les ponts de Paris. (c) To go to Suresnes or even to Charenton, All along the Seine one passes under the bridges. During the day, following its course, all Paris parades by in boats, With light hearts, that's okay, that's always okay, but in the evening when they all sleep peacefully… Under the bridges of Paris, when night falls, Every kind of beggar slips secretly out of hiding, and is happy to find a sleeping place, At the Hotel "Fresh Air," where payment is cheap, The perfume and water is free, my 'marquis', under the bridges of Paris. The next two verses of the original are even darker - poor workers meeting at the factory gates on a holiday and going down to the bridges to make love - with a final verse about a poverty-stricken mother and her three little children sleeping under a bridge. What struck me is how the 1914 song - probably sung in the caf'concs and cabarets of the time - is so much darker, more robust and socially conscious than the sickly 1950s version. And this contrast crops up again and again. It's odd, because American lyricists like E.Y. Harburg were equally capable of writing songs with "bite" - " Brother, Can You Spare A Dime" springs immediately to mind - but translated songs seem to be melted into sickly romantic offerings. |
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15 Aug 13 - 06:26 AM (#3549270) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Will Fly A kindly correction (from Mudcatter Monique) on the phrase "ça va, ça vient" - should read, "they come, they go". Zut alors! |
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15 Aug 13 - 07:55 AM (#3549311) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Nigel Parsons Puts a whole new view on the 1950s singer doesn't it? He wants to take his loved one for the night down among the outcasts of society. Maybe he should leave her at home a go alone for a 'bit of rough' |
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15 Aug 13 - 08:05 AM (#3549315) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: bubblyrat Brother Jack ! Brother Jack ! Sleep well , Ring the bell , And have a ding-dong ! Seriously though , I don't think that any foreign song sounds quite the same when translated ; for example , I accompanied a Breton lady at Bampton a few years ago when she sang that song about knights lying on the floor under the wine-barrels and opening their mouths to drink .It just wouldn't sound the same without the "Non!Non!Non! Oui! Oui !Oui ! " chorus , now would it Mike ? I translated "Knees Up Mother Brown" into Dutch and it is dreadful . So there ! |
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15 Aug 13 - 09:31 AM (#3549350) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: alex s That's a pretty faithful and sympathetic translation , Will. What I really dislike is a total departure from the original, eg La Mer/Beyond the Sea, Que reste-t-il de nos amours?/I wish you love (where did "bluebirds in the spring" come from?.) Les Feuilles Mortes/Falling Leaves isn't much better.... As an old lady once said to me "Tout en Anglais est moche" |
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15 Aug 13 - 09:38 AM (#3549354) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Monique About total departure, cf. also "My way" vs "Comme d'habitude" |
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15 Aug 13 - 10:27 AM (#3549382) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Anglo It goes the other way too. I always loved the French version of Hedy West's "500 miles," written with a very simple lyric. I think the Peter, Paul & Mary version already expanded the original: If you miss the train I'm on, you will know that I am gone You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles, A hundred miles, a hundred miles, a hundred miles, a hundred miles, You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles. Lord I'm one, Lord I'm two, Lord I'm three, Lord I'm four, Lord I'm 500 miles from my home. 500 miles, 500 miles, 500 miles, 500 miles Lord I'm five hundred miles from my home. Not a shirt on my back, not a penny to my name Lord I can't go a-home this a-way This a-away, this a-way, this a-way, this a-way, Lord I can't go a-home this a-way. If you miss the train I'm on you will know that I am gone You can hear the whistle blow a hundred miles.'' Jacques Plante wrote the French version for Richard Anthony: J'ai pensé qu'il valait mieux Nous quitter sans un adieu. Je n'aurais pas eu le cœur de te revoir... Mais j'entends siffler le train, {2x} Que c'est triste un train qui siffle dans le soir... Je pouvais t'imaginer, toute seule, abandonnée Sur le quai, dans la cohue des "au revoir". Et j'entends siffler le train, {2x} Que c'est triste un train qui siffle dans le soir... J'ai failli courir vers toi, j'ai failli crier vers toi. C'est à peine si j'ai pu me retenir ! Que c'est loin où tu t'en vas, {2x} Auras-tu jamais le temps de revenir ? J'ai pensé qu'il valait mieux Nous quitter sans un adieu, Mais je sens que maintenant tout est fini ! Et j'entends siffler ce train, {2x} J'entendrai siffler ce train toute ma vie... Hedy wrote a beautiful, simple song, and I wouldn't put her down for it at all, but the French adds so much more for me. |
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15 Aug 13 - 10:38 AM (#3549388) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Anglo And on the other hand, you've got Alisdair Clayre's translation of Jacques Brel's "La Colombe," which seems to me to be as good as it gets. |
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15 Aug 13 - 10:51 AM (#3549398) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Will Fly Alex - there's a similarity in part to the original, I'll grant you, but the rest of the song - which hasn't been translated or covered in the 1950s sheet music - is far darker and more bitter. Here are the last two verses in the original French: A la sortie d' l'usine, Julot rencontre Nini Ça va t'y la rouquine, c'est la fête aujourd'hui. Prends ce bouquet, quelqu's brins d' muguet C'est peu mais c'est tout' ma fortune, Viens avec moi; j' connais l'endroit Où l'on n' craint même pas l'clair de lune. Rongée par la misère, chassée de son logis, L'on voit un' pauvre mère avec ses trois petits. Sur leur chemin, sans feu ni pain Ils subiront leur sort atroce. Bientôt la nuit la maman dit Enfin ils vont dormir mes gosses. Fairly downbeat, I think - and the last verse is quite heartbreaking. |
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15 Aug 13 - 11:18 AM (#3549417) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Monique "J'entends siffler le train"... we were kids in the early 60's and would sing "Et j'entends pisser le chien / sur la porte du jardin / que c'est triste un chien qui pisse dans le soir" (it wasn't supposed to have literary qualities...) There's a thread here about French songs translated/adapted into other languages but there're only the titles. |
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15 Aug 13 - 11:32 AM (#3549425) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: alex s You're right, Will. That last verse makes Leonard Cohen seem positively jolly. |
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15 Aug 13 - 02:31 PM (#3549504) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: GUEST,Don Wise (@ alex s: are you refering to "The Partisan"? If so, where's the relevant posting?) "La complainte du partisan"......not only did the american translator apparently leave out a verse, he changed an old man to an old woman and removed the patriotic bits. The printed versions I've seen have 6 french and 5 english verses, even if Joan Baez found an english translation of the sixth verse somewhere. Substituting 'les soldats' for 'les Allemands' and 'la nation' for 'La France' brings the french version, to my mind, up-to-date and gives it a degree of universality. WWII has been over for a long time now but there are plenty of other conflicts rageing in the world. My translation:- "No-one ever asked me Where I've come from, where I'm going Those of you who know Erase all traces of me" I interpret the french last verse as being a return to 'normality'- "On nous oubliera, Nous rentrerons dans l'ombre"- we'll be forgotten- nobody will have any interest in our deeds, they, and we, will be too busy rebuilding our lives and so we'll fade away and become just memories........ Although the english version is apparently up-beat/jolly I look at it the same sense as I look at the original:- at last we'll be able to leave this clandestine life and pick up the pieces of our lives.......... The american, tin-pan-alley, composer("The twelth of never"?) who came up with the english version presumably followed standard tin-pan-alley practice and supplied an obligatory apparently up-beat ending. Quite why he turned an old man into an old women escapes me but it's not important. |
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15 Aug 13 - 02:37 PM (#3549507) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: alex s Guest Don Wise - no, I'm not. |
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15 Aug 13 - 05:38 PM (#3549563) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: GUEST Try the reverse direction: Mon Amour de la Lagan |
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16 Aug 13 - 03:54 AM (#3549732) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: GUEST,Don Wise @ alex: aha, I think I see what you're getting at regarding LC.... Of course there is the 'classic', according to legend spontaneous, Fairport translation of Dylan's "If you gotta go, go now" - "Si tu dois a partir".........My french is a bit too rusty to be able to judge the translation. |
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16 Aug 13 - 04:08 AM (#3549734) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: GUEST,Mikaël I don't know many french songs translated in english, except the Brel songs sung by Scott Walker. But a lot of english and american songs were translated in french throughout the 60's & 70's. i'm aware that translation, especially versified translation, is a hard work but "If I Had a Hammer" by Claude François ("Si j'avais un marteau") or "Santy Anna" by Hugues Aufray ("Santiano") lost almost everything what make the originals tremendous songs. |
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16 Aug 13 - 04:18 AM (#3549737) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Will Fly Song translation is a difficult art. Not only does the translator have to cope with rhyme patter, alliteration, metre, etc., but he/she also has to convey the meaning of the song and the allusions within it. Unless, of course, the song tune is just a vehicle for something completely different. All that's understood. But my caveat is with the different directions that the translations often take, losing the point of the original. Johnny Mercer's words for "Autumn Leaves" are no match for "Les Feuilles Mortes" of Jacques Prévert - and Dorcas Cochran completely glosses over the point of Jean Rodor's "Sous Les Ponts De Paris" to turn it into a sickly romantic offering. |
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16 Aug 13 - 04:59 AM (#3549742) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Nigel Parsons Seriously though , I don't think that any foreign song sounds quite the same when translated ; for example , I accompanied a Breton lady at Bampton a few years ago when she sang that song about knights lying on the floor under the wine-barrels and opening their mouths to drink .It just wouldn't sound the same without the "Non!Non!Non! Oui! Oui !Oui ! " chorus , now would it Mike ? I translated "Knees Up Mother Brown" into Dutch and it is dreadful . So there ! Chevaliers de la table ronde? And Here a translation. Presumably the Oui oui oui & non non non could also be replaced with yes yes yes,no no no, (or yeah yeah yeah (c) Beatles) |
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16 Aug 13 - 08:13 AM (#3549800) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Nigel Parsons Song translation is a difficult art. Not only does the translator have to cope with rhyme patter, alliteration, metre, etc., but he/she also has to convey the meaning of the song and the allusions within it. Unless, of course, the song tune is just a vehicle for something completely different. All that's understood. It can be done sympathetically, but is not necessarily a quick process. Here's one done by the Mudcat collective over a period of 3 months! |
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16 Aug 13 - 09:57 AM (#3549832) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: alex s Terry Jacks!! To add to what Will points out, there is also the fact that French words are (in general) longer than English - a French songwriter said that it's much easier for English writers to "fill the gaps", as it were. Also our English vocabulary is considerably larger than the French vocab, so we have more choice. |
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16 Aug 13 - 12:00 PM (#3549878) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Monique Also our English vocabulary is considerably larger than the French vocab, so we have more choice. SNIP (from here, the bold is mine). "The vocabulary of English is undoubtedly very large, but assigning a specific number to its size is more a matter of definition than of calculation – and there is no official source to define accepted English words and spellings in the way that the French Académie française and similar bodies do for other languages. Archaic, dialectal, and regional words might or might not be widely considered as "English", and neologisms are continually coined in medicine, science, technology and other fields, along with new slang and adopted foreign words. Some of these new words enter wide usage while others remain restricted to small circles... ...The current FAQ for the OED further states: How many words are there in the English language? There is no single sensible answer to this question. It's impossible to count the number of words in a language, because it's so hard to decide what actually counts as a word. The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition (OED2) includes over 600,000 definitions, following a rather inclusive policy: It embraces not only the standard language of literature and conversation, whether current at the moment, or obsolete, or archaic, but also the main technical vocabulary, and a large measure of dialectal usage and slang (Supplement to the OED, 1933).[92] The editors of Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged include 475,000 main headwords, but in their preface they estimate the true number to be much higher. Comparisons of the vocabulary size of English to that of other languages are generally not taken very seriously by linguists and lexicographers. Besides the fact that dictionaries will vary in their policies for including and counting entries, what is meant by a given language and what counts as a word do not have simple definitions." SNIP |
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16 Aug 13 - 02:45 PM (#3549902) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: GUEST,Grishka English has many short words, and often longer alternatives exist in reasonably common usage. Also, normally several grammatical constructions can be chosen from, some of which are very brief. On the other hand, suitable rhymes and rhythms are harder to find than in French. As an example of rhythm problems, it is not a good idea to sing "Let us drink, knights of the round table" for "Chevaliers de la table ronde", because of the stressed "the". Moreover, the word "knights" demands the longest note. "All ye knights of King Arthur's table, let us taste if the wine is good!" might be a better solution, if a singable translation is desired at all. Some songs would fail to work in a different cultural context even if translated in perfect craftsmanship. The song in the OP may be such a case. Commercial lyricists often prefer to write entirely new lyrics when they smell a hit melody. Some such products have become classics in their own right - many others have become objects of ridicule or at least deprecation. — Those of us who consider performing translated songs publicly should be very cautions indeed. If authenticity is the main point, insist on a close and meaningful translation; for entertainment purposes, insist on entertaining lyrics. |
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16 Aug 13 - 04:43 PM (#3549943) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Steve Parkes As has been discussed above, we have to distinguish between an English translation and an English version. Somewhere on the 'Cat I believe there's a thread about Lili Marlene, with an excellent translation which is closer than the well-known version. |
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16 Aug 13 - 06:02 PM (#3549972) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Gurney YouTube has both Brassons' 'Le Gorille' and Thackray's translation 'Brother Gorilla.' Not being a Francophone, I'll leave it to one of you scholars to say which is the funniest. |
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17 Aug 13 - 03:15 AM (#3550072) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: GUEST,BobL Presumably there are songs with versions in different languages written by the same bilingual poet - can anyone give examples? |
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25 Aug 13 - 07:25 PM (#3552794) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Gaffer Gurney, Francophone or not, you have hit on one of the very best song translations out there. Jake was a real admirer of Georges, and he did impossibly well when he translated "Le Gorille". He did a pretty good job with "Marinette" -> "Isabella" as well. Although I'm no scholar, I'd declare the result a draw, and a draw is the result to which every song translator should aspire. Gaffer |
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25 Aug 13 - 10:51 PM (#3552851) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: GUEST Jake Thqckrqy did some prettygood trqnslqtions of Brassens songs |
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25 Aug 13 - 11:04 PM (#3552853) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: GUEST Hugues Aufray changed the words to house of the Rising Sun and the theme about prostitution to being about a prisoner. it was a big hit for johnny Halliday and most French people think this is the original song written by Aufray, although he hs released a faithful translation of Le soleil Levant last year. Les portes du pénitencier Bientôt vont se fermer Et c'est là que je finirai ma vie Comm'd'autres gars l'ont finie Pour moi ma mère a donné Sa robe de mariée Peux-tu jamais me pardonner Je t'ai trop fait pleurer Le soleil n'est pas fait pour nous C'est la nuit qu'on peut tricher Toi qui ce soir a tout perdu Demain tu peux gagner. O mères, écoutez-moi Ne laissez jamais vos garçons Seuls la nuit traîner dans les rues Ils iront tout droit en prison Toi la fille qui m'a aimé Je t'ai trop fait pleurer Les larmes de honte que tu as versées Il faut les oublier Les portes du pénitencier Bientôt vont se fermer Et c'est là que je finirai ma vie Comm'd'autres gars l'ont finie |
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25 Aug 13 - 11:10 PM (#3552855) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: GUEST ....and this is Aufrays translation of the traditional House of the Rising Sun on his new album. i dont know how it works for copyright on foreign translations of songs. L'hotel Du Soleil Levant: Y'avait jadis à New Orléans Un lieu de filles perdues Une maison de femmes aux yeux brûlant L'hôtel du soleil levant Des filles venues d'un peu partout Poussées par un vent de misère S'en venaient sombrer pour quelques sous Dans les rêves des cœurs solitaires Vous tous qui m'écoutez ce soir Ne jetez pas la pierre Car ces filles se vendent au prix du désespoir Et elles portent leur croix sur la terre Elle n'avait pas encore quinze ans Quand elle est allée Vendre son âme son cœur d'enfant Vendre sa vie aux passants Entre ses bras je me suis couché Le temps d'une triste chanson Mais je garde encore de ses baisers Le goût et l'odeur de sueur sur son front As-tu jamais imaginé Qu'à l'ombre des volets clos C'est le bagne c'est l'enfer des amours sans repos La prison des cœurs naufragés Que Dieu accueille dans son grand pardon Ces enfants aux ventres meurtris Et qu'il ouvre pour elles sa maison Les portes de son paradis Un train s'en va dans le brouillard Je chante au soleil couchant Pour ces filles sans joie Qui partent un soir vers l'hôtel du soleil levant |
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26 Aug 13 - 03:29 AM (#3552887) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Monique "Le pénitencier" lyrics were co-written by Hugues Aufray and Vline Buggy (alias for Evelyne et Liliane Koger). @ Guest: re.copyright, if you mean how it works to translate lyrics (or anything): if the original work has a copyright you first need to get permission from the author and usually pay fees then the usual copyright laws apply to your translation; if the work is public domain, then you need neither permission nor pay fees but then the current copyright laws apply to your translation (= author's life +70 years in most countries, author's life + 90 years in the US). |
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26 Aug 13 - 08:35 AM (#3552956) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: GUEST,Ian Burdon (without cookie) I have dabbled in translating Brassens to English and was chatting about this with a French friend of mine who translates Jake Thackray into French. There are a number of problems, some perhaps specific to Brassens. Firstly, he often deliberately uses archaic French. Secondly his lyrics are frequently strung out from start to last in the subjunctive which is not without its difficulties in English. Thirdly he frequently rhymes on the closing "...re". Fourthly some of the songs either have specific French references which don't resonate in English and fifthly some just fall flat in English. Some are pleasingly filthy, though, including the excellent "Melanie" about a parishioner who pleasures herself with church candles - but only the best beeswax "because she was a good catholic". |
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27 Aug 13 - 09:13 AM (#3553346) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: GUEST,Grishka Brassens is an icon, very hard to reproduce at all, even in French. Take the Beatles songs: their semantic meaning is at most half of the message. Anybody else doing them, in the original language or translated, has the choice between close mimicry (being a "Beatles Revival Band" still can earn you a decent living, but no artistic reputation) and reinterpretation. Many lyrics acclaimed for their suggestive quality look mediocre when examined with a magnifying glass, like the splendid colours of some tropical butterflies. No chance of extracting the pigment. (Recently we discussed "Me and Bobby McGee" to that effect.) What do you mean by 'rhymes on the closing "...re"'? GB chooses between classical and colloquial metric rules as suits him, which you may regard as an unfair advantage, but not making your task any more difficult. |
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21 Feb 15 - 07:26 PM (#3688725) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: GUEST,Jim Dixon (17 Feb 2015) The French version of this song was recorded by Charles Aznavour, Edith Piaf, Martha Wainwright, Les Compagnons del la Chanson, and Karen Akers. The English version was recorded by Oscar Brown, Jr., Peter and Gordon, Noel Harrison, Cher, and Howard Kaylan. I like Brown's best. I verified the English lyrics against a recording by Brown. I downloaded the French text from the internet, and I'm afraid I'm not quite fluent enough to vouch for their accuracy. On the whole, the translation seems pretty good to me. A YOUNG GIRL (UNE ENFANT) English lyric by Oscar Brown, Jr., original French lyric by Charles Aznavour, Music by Charles Aznavour and Robert Chauvigny. As sung by Oscar Brown, Jr. on "Tells It Like It Is" (1963) She left her neighborhood in which Everyone was filthy rich. She left her parents' home and strayed With a vagabond who made Vows of love she'd never heard And she believed his every word. She left no forwarding address, Just took her youth and happiness, As with the boy she vanished in The secret sweetness of their sin. A young girl, a young girl of sixteen, Child of springtime still green, Lying here by the road. He told her love demanded space, So they roamed from place to place. Although she realized she sinned, She threw caution to the wind As she followed him around, While he just slowly dragged her down. So overpowering was her love, That it had made a captive of The young girl's heart and soul and mind. In other words, love drove her blind. A young girl, a young girl of sixteen, Child of springtime still green, Lying here by the road. Too much emotion for a girl, She let her heart become her world, But worlds that God has never wrought Fall asunder, we are taught. Had she been wiser, she'd have known She couldn't feed him love alone. She should have known the day would come When he would quit her just for crumbs. He wanted fresh new meat to carve, And left her heart, soul and mind to starve. A young girl, a young girl of sixteen, Child of springtime still green, Lying here by the road, Dead! [Here are Aznavour's original lyrics:] Une enfant, une enfant de seize ans Une enfant du printemps Couchée sur le chemin. Elle vivait dans un de ces quartiers Où tout le monde est riche à crever Elle avait quitté ses parents Pour suivre un garçon, un bohème Qui savait si bien dire "je t'aime" Ça en devenait bouleversant Et leurs deux coeurs ensoleillés Partirent sans laisser d'adresse Emportant juste leur jeunesse Et la douceur de leur péché Une enfant, une enfant de seize ans Une enfant du printemps Couchée sur le chemin. Leurs coeurs n'avaient pas de saisons Et ne voulaient pas de prison Tous deux vivaient au jour le jour Ne restant jamais à la même place Leurs coeurs avaient besoin d'espace Pour contenir un tel amour Son présent comme son futur C'était cet amour magnifique Qui la berçait comme d'un cantique Et perdait ses yeux dans l'azur Une enfant, une enfant de seize ans Une enfant du printemps Couchée sur le chemin. Mais son amour était trop grand Trop grand pour l'âme d'une enfant Elle ne vivait que par son coeur Et son coeur se faisait un monde Mais Dieu n'accepte pas les mondes Dont il n'est pas le Créateur L'amour étant leur seul festin Il la quitta pour quelques miettes Alors sa vie battit en retraite Et puis l'enfant connut la faim Une enfant, une enfant de seize ans Une enfant du printemps Couchée sur le chemin Morte!
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21 Feb 15 - 07:27 PM (#3688726) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: GUEST,Monique (17 Feb 2015) Aznavour's rendition. The lyrics above are accurate.
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21 Feb 15 - 07:27 PM (#3688727) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: GUEST,Ged Fox (18 Feb 2015) "Song translation is a difficult art etc." but it is a good game. My attempt at "Le Forban," a traditional French song - close enough in sense to the original, but well... "A moi, forbans" in English And here a translation from the Occitan of Nadau, with a bit of help from a crib in French.. "Lo dia Maria" in English
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21 Feb 15 - 10:40 PM (#3688805) Subject: RE: French songs in English translation From: Mrrzy We had twin albums, one in English and one in French, of Alan Mills singing the same childrens' songs... I think he was Canadian. I'd have loved to have heard his Sea Chanteys album in French! |