Translation Help!!!
I have a favour to ask of any of my German-speaking lj friends. My daughter is singing a song called "Minnelied" by Felix Mendelssohn, and she needs a literal translation of the words. Any help would be greatly appreciated
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How that Spring so lovely sounds
and the tender Flowers kiss,
like the Finch in the Shadow sings,
and the close Sweethearts greet!
How the Lights trembling curve,
and the Grass itself is greener in its joy,
how the Firs far away seize,
and the Linden-tree, and the Linden-tree Blossom strews!
In that Linden-tree sweetly Gedüfte,
in that Firs Riesellaut,
in that Play of Summer-air
it shines like a Spring-bride.
But Forest-tone, Birdsong,
Smell of that Blossom, keep,
Light, darken, it can never succeed,
never succeed, in being like you!
It can never succeed, in being like you!
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PS How'd you do this if you don't speak German?
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As for the translation thing, I just broke down the German text into smaller segments (stanzas, lines, single words) and plugged it into several free German-to-English translators until I got the closest literal translation possible. (I first tried this technique on several German poems in a college class, since I disliked the artistic liberties the translators had taken and wanted more literal translations closer to the poets’ original text.)
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Here it is (so you don't have to follow the link):
"Love song"
Translated into English by Carl Johengen
How the fountain so lovely sounds
and kisses the tender flowers,
how the finch in the shade sings
and greets the nearby sweetheart!
How the lights curve trembling
and the grass rejoices in its green,
how the firs reach out far
and the lime tree strews its blooms!
In the lime tree's sweet fragrance,
in the firs loud rustling,
in the play of summer air
She appears as a spring bride.
But forest sounds, birdsong,
Fragrance of blooms, cease,
light, die away, you can never
Be like unto her!
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