"Alizée en Concert" - Translation Project 2020

[Bamagirl]

Originally Posted by joebanana

We are working on the best possible translation "Alizée en Concert" and we started with song Gourmandise.
Any suggestion, help, opinion ... is welcome.

I met with my translator today, and he had some pretty interesting things to say about the lyrics.
Below, I will type out the translation that he wrote. He explained that the word "spleen" in this translates to "sorrow" or "melancholy." He said it is similar to the way in English we will say something like "I feel it in my gut" but we aren't literally referring to our "guts."
He said the term was created by a poet named Charles Baudelaire, and he said he can tell there is influence by that poet throughout the lyrics. There is also a Russian theme. Not only the part with the tsarinas (the meaning of which he said is a bit obscure, even in the French) but also the part about the wolf of the Steppes. That, he said, refers to Russian vegetation.

He isn't sure about the whole "train" thing--he is going to actually listen to the song itself (I just gave him the typed out lyrics) and let me know if he thinks it means something else. But so far he thinks it means a literal train, as opposed to part of a dress. He said he can't see any idioms that it would refer to (like with "spleen"). He said he wasn't sure if "Tsarinas" was supposed to be plural or possessive (as in "Tsarina's").

The part about the "sea spray" translates more into "essence." There is not a term for this in English, but it is talking about how the person's essence is like a spray that comes outward from them. It has nothing to do with the actual sea. That is just the literal translation for something we don't have a word for in English

"Taste" is more just the meaning of "experience" rather than tasting as a flavor on your tongue.

He said he does not find that there is an overtly graphic sexual message--it is more one of want and love and need. The "wolf" represents a strong person who needs Alizée and who she needs and wants to protect her and take care of her.

All in all, it seems like I’m some places these lyrics are like what happens with a lot of poetry and song lyrics in English, too— parts are kind of hard to decipher. But I think he did a decent job with his translation.


Greediness

When you think about me
You the wolf of the Steppes
Deep inside of you
Do you feel intoxicated?
I am starving for you
You say it without end
And take care of me
Tell me if that hurts
Oh wolf, are you there for me?
You make the promise
And, if I offer myself to you
It is in thousands of tender kisses.

There are the kisses
The first taste of your essence
Taste of sorrow
There are stolen kisses
In the train of the Tsarinas
A summer of kisses
Where the hand travels
But Alizee's kisses
Are really delighful