Dang, I need a new French English Dictionary

posted by [identity profile] anniemal.livejournal.com at 04:21am on 2004-03-30
I think I get the gist, but am not positive about some things that may have nuances I don't get offhand. I'm supposed to do other things today. Maybe I'll dig up my fraying pink friend later.

At one point, I could think fairly fluently in either language. Kind of parallel think. But songs and poems in French frequently lose a lot in translation. (something from Clea in Durrell's Alexandria Quartet: "It doesn't English well." I should reread that bunch, too.

If it's not to much trouble, I'd love to see the translation.

Yeah, a definite buttered popcorn jellybean moment.
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Re: Dang, I need a new French English Dictionary

posted by [identity profile] dglenn.livejournal.com at 07:05am on 2004-03-30
It's a renaissance version of "Pretty Woman", and I'm tempted to say that a modern version is, "You're so hot, you've got me hot and bothered, I'm gonna die if you don't kiss me, come on and kiss me," and in a later verse, "Hey, why do you keep moving away from me?" But that would be both cynical and crass to do to such a beautiful song (it's got to be respectable -- it's old and it's in French), so I'd better not say anything like that.

I'm not sure whether it counts as Middle French, or just Modern French with some old words and spellings (like Shakespeare and the King James Bible are Modern English. My dictionary says MF was 14th-16th C., and this song is late 16th so it should be pretty close to the transition period, I guess.

Beautiful woman who holds my life
Captive in your eyes
Who ravishes my soul with a graceful smile
Kiss me or I must die
Kiss me or I must die
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Brain Fart

posted by [identity profile] dglenn.livejournal.com at 07:33am on 2004-03-30
Whoops -- fingers got ahead of eyes. "Give me a kiss" is in a later verse. The last two lines of this one should be:

Come quickly, rescue me, or I must die
Come quickly, rescue me, or I must die
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Re: Dang, I need a new French English Dictionary

posted by [identity profile] anniemal.livejournal.com at 12:25pm on 2004-03-30
I was closer to it than I thought. I only missed "kiss". Heh. Still do.
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Re: Dang, I need a new French English Dictionary

posted by [identity profile] anniemal.livejournal.com at 12:52pm on 2004-03-30
Okay, I'm still getting hang of new browser. It doesn't work like netscape did when Netscape worked. Things don't always appear in a timely fashion. Still arguing with my own notorious learning curve.
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