KeithD
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Re:Tra La La (French version of Lah-Di-Dah) - 2008/01/07 10:47
OK, so I'm still half asleep - the reverse translation is precisely what you asked for. By the time you've finished reading this, you're likely to be half asleep too!
What I've found on my computer is the not-quite-finished result of an exercise I did for fun back in April 2003, when a few of us were working on translating Brassens songs into singable English versions - Ian Burdon's 14-18 War and one or two more from him are the only tangible results.
I was interested in discovering what compromises Jake had had to make for his translation. I wanted to try for a translation that stuck fairly closely to the French lyrics AND had the same rhyming scheme (as the French version, not the English) AND used words from Lah-di-dah where possible. This was quite a challenge because the rhyming scheme is so irregular, with many internal rhymes - even more so than in other Jake songs. French is much easier to rhyme in than English, since it lacks stressed syllables and has a limited number of word-end sounds, so there had to be compromises - eg "rupture" became for Jake "hémorroïdes", which for the rhyme I turned into "blisters". I also 'translated' the constant pairing of "Parole" ("On my word") and "Alors je" into a variety of phrases, to reflect Lah-di-dah.
Anyway, for your possible interest, here it is: almost finished but still with a few clunky bits. Do bear in mind it was just an exercise for fun, to see what the result would look like. If you're looking for a strictly literal translation, I'll do one for you. Even then it might be better to further translate some idioms into equivalent idioms rather than word for word (eg "que de pie" - magpie tail - is a tail coat, which we might idiomatically call a "penguin suit").
Tra-la-la in English
Since I love you oh! so much
I'll put up with all the tra-la-la
I promise
All of your family pantomime
I love you oh! so much
By God, I’ll keep a straight face
When your crazy Aunty Grace
Hands me fruit-gums. I'll play dumb,
I'll keep shtum, even when
Your bumbling uncles look me over.
Even if they say I’ve got a head like a cucumber
And when I'm talking with your mum
I'll come all over tra-la-la
No lying
Even though she turns my stomach, dear,
I love you oh! so much
So I will smile and go for broke
When she nudges me to stroke
Her flea-bag puss
I'll stay calm while she knits
And witters, and I vow
When I kiss the silly cow I won't nibble her moustache
When it comes to your daddy
I'll be completely tra-la-la
Scout's honour!
Although the sad sod wears me out
I love you oh! so much
Doubt not. I won't push my luck with
The boos and the chuckles
When he starts to reminisce.
His reign as mayor I can ignore
And how he won the war, the sad old bore
But I'll have to grit my teeth when he goes on about his blisters
And when at last we tie the knot
I'll put up with all the tra-la-la
Believe me
This and that, in tux and hat
I love you oh! so much
Believe me. I won't cuss and swear
When the old goats want to share
Their savoir faire, whispering in my ear
I won't let myself go and I'll grin like billy-oh
For the photos
And I promise you I'll go nice and easy on the beer, dear
When we're alone just us two
No more tra-la-la-la-la-la
No messing
We just won't have the time
There won’t be any time,
For your family pantomime
I'll love you far too much.
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