home

Author Topic: German translation of Chesterton poem needed  (Read 1315 times)

Offline PygmyHippo

  • The Old Ones
  • Members
  • Posts: 805
  • Washington, DC, U.S.A.
German translation of Chesterton poem needed
« on: August 16, 2005, 07:27:13 PM »
Hello,

I was wondering if a forum member who is fluent in German would be kind enough to help me locate an accurate translation of "The Last Hero" by G.K. Chesterton?  Here is a link to the poem at an English, online poetry database (so I'm figuring there are such databases online in German).

http://www.chesterton-library.net/lasthero.txt

Specifically, might someone be able to translate these Chesterton lines?

"The hour when death is like a light and blood is like a rose, --
     You never loved your friends, my friends, as I shall love my foes."

and these by Tennyson:

"My good blade carves the casques of men,
My tough lance thrusteth sure,
My strength is as the strength of ten,
Because my heart is pure."

Thank you for whatever assistance you can provide.

Marcus


P.S.:  As a side question, how are poetic devices like rhyme and meter translated into other languages?  My thought is that 99% of all poetry only "works" in the language in which it's created, but perhaps there is a linguist in the house who can offer more authoritative insights.

Offline Hagen_von_Loewenstein

  • Members
  • Posts: 2113
German translation of Chesterton poem needed
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2005, 08:38:30 PM »
Well, I've been searching the net for quite a while now but didn't really find much (not even at my university's online-library),so all I can offer you right now is what -I- can translate.
Is a translation enough, or would you prefer to keep it in a "poatical fashion", because the later one could be quite difficult.I'm just going for the shorter verses now:

Chesterton:
"In der Stunde, in welcher der Tod wie ein Licht ist, und das Blut wie eine Rose,---
Ihr habt niemals eure Freunde geliebt, meine Freunde, wie ich meine Feinde lieben werde."


Tennyson (I wasn't quite sure what a "casque" is, so I translated it as "Sarg" which is a casket... if that ain't right, just tell me and I'll try something else)

"Meine treue Klinge schnitzt die Särge von Männern,
Mein starker Speer stößt sicher,
Meine Stärke ist die Stärke von Zehn,
Denn mein Herz ist rein."


I tried to keep it in a more sophisticated and not so colloquial fashion. If you want "rhyming" versions, I'll need a little more time.

As for your sidenote: Of course it's quite a difficult task to translate poetry, but it's not impossible. In fact, some german Shakespeare-translations have been said to be even better than the original works. Same for many Things Poe did write ("The Raven" for example).

Offline PygmyHippo

  • The Old Ones
  • Members
  • Posts: 805
  • Washington, DC, U.S.A.
German translation of Chesterton poem needed
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2005, 09:18:27 PM »
Thank you very much!

I imagine trying to rhyme a translation in a second language, while attempting to get the rhyming words themselves to fall in the same place with the same meaning as the original must be time-consuming indeed.  There is no need to go that far, you have been most helpful already.

My understanding of "casque" is that it is a type of helmet,

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=casque

but I had always thought that it was a play on words with "cask", in that his blade carves the "containers" which are men themselves, rather than a container for or of men.  Of course, that was always my interpretation growing up, and I certainly could be wrong.  "Casket" would probably substitute just as well by my personal interpretation.  

Might it be possible to give the version using "casque" as that link describes (if it's not too much trouble)?

Thanks again.

Marcus

Offline Hagen_von_Loewenstein

  • Members
  • Posts: 2113
German translation of Chesterton poem needed
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2005, 11:22:58 PM »
In that case, the Tennyson-part would be:

"Meine treue Klinge schneidet durch Helme,
Mein starker Speer stößt sicher,
Meine Stärke ist die Stärke von Zehn,
Denn mein Herz ist rein."

(I left out the "men" in this case, since it's obvious anyway that helmets are worn by men and not by anything else ;) )

Just curious: What do you need all that for?

Offline valmir

  • Members
  • Posts: 1347
German translation of Chesterton poem needed
« Reply #4 on: August 17, 2005, 05:14:41 AM »
When people translate poetry into another language there is generally a conscious decision made whether to write in free verse, meter, or even prose. Different styles appeal to different people.

The meter in translation is rarely the same as in the original (I have a translation of Virgil's Eclogues in which the sung bits in Eclogues III and VII are set to the meters of English folk tunes...)

My personal preference is for a free verse translation in which each line corresponds to the line in the original. Thus the rhyme scheme will often be largely ignored in the interests of accuracy of meaning, but some form of meter may or may not be observed. I really like Charles Sisson's translation of Dante's Divine Comedy.
Quote from: rufus sparkfire
I'm pretty sure the dwarfs are carved from refined suck. I'd rather build an army out of lego.

Offline PygmyHippo

  • The Old Ones
  • Members
  • Posts: 805
  • Washington, DC, U.S.A.
German translation of Chesterton poem needed
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2005, 01:50:56 PM »
The Chesterton lines are to be used on a standard flying from my steamtank.  I intended to use the Tennyson on my Battle Standard, but I need to see what type of space I have to work with, as I'm planning a fairly large image for it, and I don't want to make the standard too huge.  

Marcus