Une Enfant du Siècle lyrics

[Chuck]

Originally Posted by Sir Wood

Note to all: As work on the translations are made and errors found, I often go back and update the original lyrics in the first post.

You know, Sir Wood, I sure would do that to make it easier for people to find the best translation, except then it would seem like I got it right, the first time, without any help. Which simply is not true! You, Roman, and Toc de have all been indispensably helpful on Grand Central, and I'm sure this next one, 14 décembre, is going to need you guys and more! Perhaps the best thing would be to have a separate thread for just the finalized versions?
...Discussion? Moderators?



But for the moment, I'ma borrow Roman's approach -- update the whole thing, and put it in blue. That looked good, Romie-O! So here's the way I see this one now, thanks to all y'all.


Grand Central

We're here (*)
Converse laced up
Hair let down
We've arrived
Inside
Ah how nice
In the echoes
Under the dome
It is better yet
Once outside
It is so blue
It is so loud
We are so small
(I am hungry, my God, I am hungry)

Grand Central
Grand Central
Everyone heads down

Two arrows
The grumpy signal lights
The crossed topcoat
Of the veteran
The policemen

Their Adam's apples
It is spring
The towers of steel
Forty-Second Street
Thousandth Avenue
The Salvation Army (**)
There is no skyline
(It is science fiction)

Grand Central
Grand Central
Nobody waits for her, but

She was waiting for a limousine under the canopy of Tiffany
One might have taken her for the daughter of the president, a real nuisance
Under the edges of her wide-brimmed hat crackled a Lucky
She asks me who I know on the east coast

Between azure and her blonde eyes, the sun chose
Edie, Edie, girl of straw, Edie of the Factory
Edie was of a rather beautiful sort

Grand Central
Grand Central
Everyone heads down
Grand Central
Grand Central
Nobody waits for her, but


* (according to the wiktionary post that sir wood pointed out, this is one possible meaning for "ça y est", and I think it's the best one for this case.)
**(i suspected that, but then i blew it!)


And, being a glutton for punishment, here's my stab at...

14 Décembre

December 14th at five to seven
Strong wind from the west, the city trembles
Five quaaludes, seven percosets
I go back to sleep among the cinders

Of belief and those crossed (***)

If tonight is war, I am dressed for it
Of all the army I have the nicest weapons
I shall not take prisoners
Evening after evening
Dexedrine and dollars
Night after night (****)
My life
Under a light fed on looks
Evening after evening

Fourteenth night of December
The moon opens one lysergic eye
My taxi with darkened windows
As if without a pilot it flies on automatic

Of belief and those crossed

At the end of a long corridor
Music reigns as a golden idol
Where humans gather pathetically

Evening after evening
One thousand thousand small departures
Night after night
My life
Under a light rolling on looks
Evening after evening

Evening after evening
Ten billion small departures
Night after night
My life
Under a light rolling on looks
Evening after evening


*** (this could also mean "of beliefs and crusaders", which may be equally apt, considering the war and armor references. I'd call it an intentional double entendre.)
**** ("nuit après nuit" could also mean "harm after harm". Another double entendre here? Probably, especially considering that: why else would the lyrics also repeat "soir après soir" ("evening after evening")?

...Okay? Well of course not, but we are more than halfway through the disc now, right?

And now it's officially Monday, March 29th here, per CDT. Release date! I wonder if any stores in France were actually open at midnight (seven hours ago) to start selling EDS at the first possible second? Prob. not, but hey -- Bigdan, or anyone, any info?

Cheers all! Great day in the morning!

Now 7 am in Paris. Scruffy, hope you're doing great!!!

[FanDeAliFee]

Originally Posted by Sir Wood

...was not published under that name "Oui" until October of 1972... Edie's life spanned from April 20, 1943 to November 16, 1971...

1972 > 1971?
Edie se demande: quel sujet de MON fantôme?

[Criss_pl]

Freak

I was working on Eden, Eden translation, but you were first

Tough, at least, you won't steal my Polish translation, that I'm going to make, it'll be hard try, but I'm ready for adventure

When I get to that génie du lieu I visited my great friend - wordreference, and there were only one topic regarding this phrase. But before clicking I had the impression that I know what I'll see inside and I was right

My translation is pretty similar, so I won't post it.

Now I'm taking for A coeur fendre, so by tomorrow it'll be ready Don't take it, as I'm finishing it

Your 14 décémbre translation seems very 'accessible' for non-native English.

And Yes, we are even further than a halfway of album, only last 4 French songs left out of seven/eight total.
Btw.
IT'S happening, NOW.

[Sir Wood]

Originally Posted by Chuck

You know, Sir Wood, I sure would do that to make it easier for people to find the best translation, except then it would seem like I got it right, the first time, without any help. Which simply is not true! You, Roman, and Toc de have all been indispensably helpful on Grand Central, and I'm sure this next one, 14 décembre, is going to need you guys and more! Perhaps the best thing would be to have a separate thread for just the finalized versions?
...Discussion? Moderators?

I was thinking of updating the first post with the translated work next to the original. I'm just not sure if there's a max character limit per post. Though as you've suggested, each song could use a separate thread after this in order for folks to discuss them on an individual basis.

[Roman]

Man! Some of these songs have really gotten under my skin. I'm really loving Factory Girl at the moment. Like Idéalise, it's very sing-along-able. Cela donne l'envie de chanter avec. Like Alizée says, they have very catchy melodies.

It's like, it's too bad they weren't making the movie right now. It so has the quality of a song rolling in the background, especially during some kind of montage or someone driving down the road with a serious look on her face. :P So many times I've thought how cool it would be to have one Alizée song or another (or all of them) in a movie and so far I only know of Moi... Lolita making it in. Still think Psychédélices got short shrift. Trying to translate the Clark magazine article at the moment, then back to songs.

[Criss_pl]

First the original French text:

À Cœur fendre

J'ai forcé la porte des enfers
J'ai rompu le sceau défendu
Pour toi

Détourné le cours d'un volcan
Pour réchauffer tes bras tremblants
Pour toi

Le ciel est noir
La vie est sombre
Il gèle à pierre fendre
J'ai froid

J'ai avancé l'heure de l'aurore
J'ai brusqué le retour des fleurs
Pour toi

J'ai fait les vitres, changé l'ampoule
Etouffé les cris de la foule
Pour toi

Le siècle s'effondre
Débris, décombres
Il gèle à cœur fendre
J'ai froid

Il n'y a plus un bruit dans le jardin d'hiver
Nous nous abritons sous les ramures contraires

Sans toi, le monde
Vacille, succombe
Il gèle à coeur fendre
J'ai froid

(Sans toi)

Now for the English translation. Feel free to criticize and list all my faults I'll edit it.

A Cœur fendre

I forced the door of hell
I broke the forbidden seal
For you

Diverted the course of a volcano
To warm up your trembling arms
For you

The sky is dark
The life is bleak (*1)
It's freezing, enough to split stone(*2)
I'm cold

I advanced the hour of dawn
I hurried the return of flowers
For you

I cleaned the windows, changed the light bulb (*3)
Silenced the screams of the crowd
For you

The century collapses
Debris, rubble
It's freezing, enough to split heart (*4)
I'm cold

There's no more noise in the winter garden
We shelter under the opposite branches

Without you, the world
Wavers, succumbs
It's freezing, enough to split heart (*4)
I'm cold

Without you



This song, as every song, needs a set of footnotes

*1 Could be also 'sombre', as in French lyrics

*2 'Il gèle a pierre fendre' literally means "It's so cold, that the rocks split."; Roman proposed that this verse should be better elucidated, so I spelled it a bit more

*4 'Il gèle a cœur fendre' literally "It's so cold, that the heart splits". The same as above, but with heart instead of rock

*3 I had so many problems with the verse: "J'ai fait les vitres, changé l'ampoule"
My imagination bring me a lot of possible fantastic interpretations. But still, those words about silence, wrecks, scraps, winter, cold bring me a thoughts that maybe it's a song about the death. She misses a person, who she is singing about. She made everything ready, but he doesn't come. It brings me a Cœur déjà pris song on my mind; it's very similar.

Tomorrow I post Mes fantômes translation.

[Toc De Mac]

Originally Posted by Criss_pl

First the original French text:

I had so many problems with the verse: "J'ai fait les vitres, changé l'ampoule"
My imagination bring me a lot of possible fantastic interpretations. I didn't know how to translate it, but just a while ago I have an enlightenment and get the meaning. I thought about the glass, vials with medicals, narcotics or even poisons. But still, those words about silence, wrecks, scraps, winter, cold bring me a thoughts that maybe it's a song about the death; it well composes with that vial. She misses a person, who she is singing about. She made everything ready, but he doesn't come. It bring me a Cœur déjà pris song on my mind; it's very similar.
What do you think?

You did a great job with the translation, especially seeing as you are translating from one foreign language to another!

For the line about the windows and the "lightbulb," I think your interpretation is entirely possible. It might therefore be appropriate to translate "ampoule" as "vial." As to the windowpanes, I can't think of any other meaning that would fit.

J'ai rompu le sceau défendu: I would say "forbidden." The word "prohibited" has too much of a legal connotation.

Le ciel est noir/La vie est sombre: The sky is dark/Life is bleak. Because the lyrics refer to the physical sky, the word the is needed.

J'ai avancé l'heure de l'aurore: I advanced the hour of dawn. Again, the definite article is needed. I think that I prefer the word "hour" here, as it carries a more precise meaning in relation to the rising of the sun.

J'ai fait les vitres, changé l'ampoule/Etouffé les cris de la foule: Definite article needed for both "the vial (lightbulb?)" and "the screams."

Débris, décombres: I would translate the second word as "rubble."

There's no more noise in winter garden: "...in the winter garden"

Sans toi, le monde/Vacille, succombe: "Without you, the world/Wavers, gives way," perhaps?



I can't think of any equivalents at the moment for à pierre fendre and à cœur fendre. Perhaps you might simply just translate it directly to convey (as it does in French) the image it evokes. Thus, "It's cold enough to split a rock," and "It's cold enough to split a heart," or something similar.

According to this thread (http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=371718), bone-splitting cold might be used.

Edit:

Originally Posted by Chuck

You know, Sir Wood, I sure would do that to make it easier for people to find the best translation, except then it would seem like I got it right, the first time, without any help. Which simply is not true! You, Roman, and Toc de have all been indispensably helpful on Grand Central, and I'm sure this next one, 14 décembre, is going to need you guys and more! Perhaps the best thing would be to have a separate thread for just the finalized versions?
...Discussion? Moderators?



But for the moment, I'ma borrow Roman's approach -- update the whole thing, and put it in blue. That looked good, Romie-O! So here's the way I see this one now, thanks to all y'all.


Grand Central
We are so small

Again, "Nous sommes si peu" means, to me, "We are so few." Little would rather be "petit."

Between azure and her blonde eyes, the sun chose
Edie, Edie, girl of straw

I just saw this when skimming back over the lyrics. "L'azur" is just a poetic way of saying "le ciel [bleu]", and so it might be appropriate to have the word "sky" included.

Edit:

Hi Chuck, very nice job with the lyrics! I have some suggestions (please don't feel like you have to change it just because I proposed it :

Originally Posted by lyrics on pg. 1

Des crois et des croisés

The first noun should actually be "croix," as in crosses, which, as you pointed out, has very much to do with the battle imagery.

I have the nicest weapons

Maybe the “finest” weapons? The “loveliest” weapons? I don’t know...

Under a light fed on looks

Maybe just a “fire” fed with looks/glances?

As if without a pilot it flies on automatic

I would remove the “it” here.

Où s'accolent les humains dérisoirement

S’accoler appears especially to evoke physical contact. Dérisoirement comes from dérisoire, which comes in turn from dérision. I think that all of these have to do with contemptuously laughing at something, whereas pathetic seems to be related to pity and possibly disdain. Maybe this could be translated as “Where humans laughably huddle about/around.”

Mille milliers de petits départs

Mille milliers is another way of saying million. I would say maybe “A million short absences” or, to keep the original French, “A thousand thousand...”

Sous un feu roulant de regards

I am not sure at all of the meaning of this. Maybe “Beneath a fire rolling with glances/looks..” Maybe a native speaker can help us here.

Edit:

I hope this post won't merge into my last one like my past two responses did.

I was rereading this post and, hearing "flocon" in Eden Eden and being only able to think of "flocons de neige," I did a quick search on WordReference. Given the biblical references of the song, I think it's a reference to the verse "for dust you are and to dust you will return."

[Criss_pl]

Thanks for all your suggestions to A cœur fendre. I agree with them. Most of them were a lack of the define articles before the words, my obvious faults In Slavic languages we don't have the articles before words, hence all those errors in text. Here the articles are one of the biggest problems for English learners

Originally Posted by Toc De Mac

Again, "Nous sommes si peu" means, to me, "We are so few." Little would rather be "petit."

I just saw this when skimming back over the lyrics. "L'azur" is just a poetic way of saying "le ciel [bleu]", and so it might be appropriate to have the word "sky" included.

The first noun should actually be "croix," as in crosses, which, as you pointed out, has very much to do with the battle imagery.

I would remove the “it” here.

Agree with you, si peu refers to quantity, not quality. And croix should be crosses, it nicely composes with rest of lyrics.

Originally Posted by Toc De Mac

Maybe the “finest” weapons? The “loveliest” weapons? I don’t know...

I would take "finest", as loveliest is not the best expression for weapon for me.

Originally Posted by Toc De Mac

I was rereading this post and, hearing "flocon" in Eden Eden and being only able to think of "flocons de neige," I did a quick search on WordReference. Given the biblical references of the song, I think it's a reference to the verse "for dust you are and to dust you will return."

Good, good
I thought about the same; we end up alone as a dust. But that whole phrase is just beautiful:
"Dans la vie on se quitte, on rompt
On finit seul sous les flocons, Oh, adieu"



Ok. Now promised Mes Fantômes translation.

Mes Fantômes

Oh mes fantômes, mes zones sombres, mes heures d'ombre, mes dangers, mes mirages
Oh mes erreurs, mes faux-fuyants, mes cousus blanc, mes histoires, mes calvaires
Oh mes enfants, mes feux filants, dieux innocents, mes héros solitaires
Oh mes amours, nos jeux troublants, tes yeux brûlants, mes larmes, mes miracles

Oh mes secrets, mes œuvres au noir, sans l'air d'y croire, mes regrets, mes silences
Oh mon enfant, mon diamant noir, mon solitaire, mon petit, ma prière
Oh mes instants, mes incendies, mes drames éclair, mes incidents, mes siècles.

Mes Fantômes

Oh my phantoms my dark sides, my hours of darkness, my dangers, my illusions
Oh my mistakes, my excuses, my gross insubtleties*, my histories, my ordeals
Oh my children, my lights, innocent gods, my lone heros
Oh my loves, our troubling games, your burning eyes, my tears, my miracles

Oh my secrets, my dark works, without seeming to believe, my regrets, my silences
Oh my child, my black diamond, my loner*, my little one, my prayer
Oh my moments, my fires, my brief dramas, my incidents, my centuries.

* solitaire may also refer to a diamond, so a bit of word-play here

[Toc De Mac]

Originally Posted by Criss_pl

Thanks for all your suggestions to A cœur fendre. I agree with them. Most of them were a lack of the define articles before the words, my obvious faults In Slavic languages we don't have the articles before words, hence all those errors in text. Here the articles are one of the biggest problems for English learners

Not a problem!

I thought about the same; we end up alone as a dust. But that whole phrase is just beautiful:
"Dans la vie on se quitte, on rompt
On finit seul sous les flocons, Oh, adieu"

On rompt... those are lovely sounds.

[Zack -Alizee Lover-]

Thanks for the translations.
I can understand them better now