Refraction

Vienna’s new album was released in Europe last week. Here’s a quick translation of a song (“the emo sad song”) off it.

(And in other news: I miss my translation class terribly. I think the prof who taught it has retired now; he’s no longer listed on the department website anywhere, nor do I see his name on the French faculty list posted in BuTo. Pity. He was quick and witty and cutting, equally at ease in English and French, and made me want to do well. Not that I ever don’t want to do well. But I’m not as motivated in some classes.)

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One of those (rare) cases where an English word is so much prettier than a French word:
“harbour” >>> “port (m.)”

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Okay, I’m doing it again. Here’s “Gravity”.

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Translating into your native language is easy. Translating out of it generally presents more of a problem. That being said, it can be a good way to increase vocabulary… or just to procrastinate. What follows is a translation of one of my favourite Vienna Teng songs into French.

It’s clumsy, and literal, and in no way captures the beauty of the English lyrics. But it was still fun.

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Comme mes études universitaires sont en voie d’achèvement, je me suis mise à songer à l’école secondaire. Mes amis, je ne sais pas si vous vous souviendrez de cette chanson, je crois que le prof nous l’a fait jouer.
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Okay, Utada Hikaru has just released a new single. Its incredibly deep title is: ぼくはくま (I’m a bear.)

And here, again, is a rushed translation:

ぼくはくま　くま　くま　くま
車じゃないよ　くま　くま　くま
歩けないけど踊れるよ
喋れないけど歌えるよ
ぼくはくま　くま　くま　くま

I’m a bear bear bear bear
Not a car; bear bear bear
I can’t walk, but I can dance
I can’t talk, but I can sing
I’m a bear bear bear bear

ぼくはくま　くま　くま　くま
けんかはやだよ　くま　くま　くま
ライバルはエビフライだよ
ゼンセはきっとチョコレート
ぼくはくま　くま　くま　くま

I’m a bear bear bear bear
??? bear bear bear
My rival is fried shrimp
I was probably chocolate in a past life
I’m a bear bear bear bear

Bonjour! Je m’appelle kuma
comment ca va?

Hello, my name is Kuma
How are you?

ぼくはくま　くま　くま　くま
冬は眠いよ　くま　くま　くま
夜は「おやすみ、まくらさん」
朝は「おはよう、まくらさん」
ぼくはくま　くま　くま　くま

I am a bear bear bear bear
Winter’s sleepy bear bear bear
At night, “Good night, Mr. Pillow”
In the morning, “Good morning, Mr. Pillow”
I am a bear bear bear bear

夜は「おやすみ、まくらさん」
朝は「おはよう、まくらさん」
ぼくはくま　九九　くま
ママ　くま　くま

At night, “Good night, Mr. Pillow”
In the morning, “Good morning, Mr. Pillow”
I am a bear ku-ku bear
Ma-ma bear bear

Man, is this an odd song, or what?

She’s not a car: “Car” in Japanese is kuruma, one syllable off from kuma (“bear”, but somehow I think you figured that out already).

Her rival is shrimp: Okay, at this I must admit I am utterly clueless. And chocolate in a past life? QUOI?!

Ca va?: Why is there French in the middle of this song? Just…. why?

Mama bear?: Part of that play on words with ku-ku (and ma-ma), see?