naked translations Stripping a text bare to reveal its mechanisms, its internal logic and its meaning to then transfer it into another language as faithfully as possible while using appropriate terminology and style.
On Friday evening I was lucky enough, along with a few friends, to have tickets to see Madeleine Peyroux at The Dome in Brighton. She performed songs from her latest album, Half The Perfect World, including a cover of "La Javanaise", a Serge Gainsbourg song which he wrote in 1962. The song makes it sound like "la Javanaise" is a dance, when in fact javanais is a form of French slang which sticks "av" between a word’s consonants and vowels. I’ve always loved this song and its undulating alliterations (including, cleverly enough, the sound "av"), which give an excellent idea of Gainsbourg’s mastery of language. My appalling attempt at translation is only there to give you an idea of the story the song is telling, as I have neither the time nor the talent to try and convey its stunning poetry. Also below, a video of Pauline Croze’s version, just so you can hear how musical the lyrics themselves are.
J'avoue
J'en ai
Bavé
Pas vous
Mon amour
Avant
D'avoir
Eu vent
De vous
Mon amour
Ne vous déplaise
En dansant la Javanaise
Nous nous aimions
Le temps d'une chanson
A votre
Avis
Qu'avons-
Nous vu
De l'amour
De vous
A moi
Vous m'a-
Vez eu
Mon amour
Ne vous déplaise
En dansant la Javanaise
Nous nous aimions
Le temps d'une chanson
Hélas
Avril
En vain
Me voue
A l'amour
J'avais
Envie
De voir
En vous
Cet amour
Ne vous déplaise
En dansant la Javanaise
Nous nous aimions
Le temps d'une chanson
La vie
Ne vaut
D'être
Vécue
Sans Amour
Mais c'est
Vous qui
L'avez
Voulu
Mon amour
Ne vous déplaise
En dansant la Javanaise
Nous nous aimions
Le temps d'une chanson
I had
A few
Tough years
Didn’t you
My true love
Until
At last
You crossed
My path
My true love
If you don’t mind
While dancing the javanaise
Our love lasted
As long as a song
What do
You think
That we
Have seen
Of true love
Let me
Tell you
I was
Deceived
My true love
If you don’t mind
While dancing the javanaise
Our love lasted
As long as a song
Alas
April
In vain
Draws me
To true love
I was
Willing
To see
In you
This true love
If you don’t mind
While dancing the javanaise
Our love lasted
As long as a song
Life is
Pointless
When it's
Devoid
Of true love
But that’s
The choice
You made
For us
My true love
If you don’t mind
While dancing the javanaise
Our love lasted
As long as a song
Posted by céline, in Culture, on December 18, 2006
Comments
I agree that Mlle Peyroux is indeed gifted. And yes, "la Javanaise", is fantastic. A song of love, in a way, to the letter V. It sort of purrs.
J'avoue, bavé, pas vous, eu vent, de vous, a votre, qu'avons, nous vu, de vous, vous m'a, vez eu,avril, en vain, nous voue, avais, envie, de voir, en vous, la vie, ne vaut, vécue, c'est vous, avez, voulu, etc.
Try and translate it keeping that unique alliterative effect ! No, I'm not volunteering. Perhaps someone like Gilbert Adair could: you know... the man who translated "La disparition" by Georges Perec (English title: "A void").
As for performances, I'm probably betraying my age when I say that one of my favourite versions is by Juliette Gréco. Ah, the charm, that voice! It does things to my blood pressure. And to think that she'll be 80 (!!!) next year...
