Hello everyone!
Last one -- I promise!
I have found a translation of the lines I need -- again for my Swed-English translation (my author cites Rilke extensively) ... but I did not like the version I found.
I need
Noch ist die Welt voll Rollen, die wir spielen.
Solang wir sorgen, ob wir auch gefielen,
Spielt auch der Tod, obwohl er nicht gefällt.
Many thanks in advance!
Gunilla
Todeserfahrung in English
Hallo Gunilla,
I don't know what you didn't like in the lines you found... this is how I would translate it:
The world is still so full of roles that we are playing.
As long as we are worrying how others like us,
E'en Death is acting, though not liked.
And you made me very curious: the Swedish book you're translating: what is it about? Does it quote a Swedish version or the original Rilke? And are you trying to translate it poetically?
Good look!
stilz
I don't know what you didn't like in the lines you found... this is how I would translate it:
The world is still so full of roles that we are playing.
As long as we are worrying how others like us,
E'en Death is acting, though not liked.
And you made me very curious: the Swedish book you're translating: what is it about? Does it quote a Swedish version or the original Rilke? And are you trying to translate it poetically?
Good look!
stilz
"Wenn wir Gott mehr lieben, als wir den Satan fürchten, ist Gott stärker in unseren Herzen. Fürchten wir aber den Satan mehr, als wir Gott lieben, dann ist der Satan stärker." (Erika Mitterer)
Todeserfahrung in English
hello stilz!
thanks for your reply!
the lines i found online and did not like are the following:
Now the world is still full of roles which we play
as long as we make sure, that, like it or not,
Death plays, too, although he does not please us.
in the swedish text, the poems are included in german with a swedish translation. i have been trying to find published english versions for my translation of the essay. the essay is on signals of survival: in cells (apoptosis), in animals (ant and bee communication) and in humans (music, art, literature). and that is where rilke plays a big role in the author's life! it is a very nice essay!
best wishes,
gunilla
thanks for your reply!
the lines i found online and did not like are the following:
Now the world is still full of roles which we play
as long as we make sure, that, like it or not,
Death plays, too, although he does not please us.
in the swedish text, the poems are included in german with a swedish translation. i have been trying to find published english versions for my translation of the essay. the essay is on signals of survival: in cells (apoptosis), in animals (ant and bee communication) and in humans (music, art, literature). and that is where rilke plays a big role in the author's life! it is a very nice essay!
best wishes,
gunilla
Hi Gunilla,
that sounds like an interesting essay indeed. I would very much like to read it when you've finished your translation (alas, I don't understand Swedish...)!
And yes, both the translations I posted are mine. I just tried to translate it as literally as possible, so that you'll get at the meaning. Of course, the "Stundenbuch" is not easy to understand if you've only such a little bit ... but hopefully the author of the essay makes it clear what he/she is quoting it for!
You were very right not to like the translation of the "Todeserfahrung" you found online. The second line has been totally misunderstood. But yes: "gefallen" means "to please". So it would be even more literal to say "As long as we are worrying if we are pleasing", and in the last line: "... though not pleasing".
If ever again you have a question - feel free to ask!
stilz
that sounds like an interesting essay indeed. I would very much like to read it when you've finished your translation (alas, I don't understand Swedish...)!
And yes, both the translations I posted are mine. I just tried to translate it as literally as possible, so that you'll get at the meaning. Of course, the "Stundenbuch" is not easy to understand if you've only such a little bit ... but hopefully the author of the essay makes it clear what he/she is quoting it for!
You were very right not to like the translation of the "Todeserfahrung" you found online. The second line has been totally misunderstood. But yes: "gefallen" means "to please". So it would be even more literal to say "As long as we are worrying if we are pleasing", and in the last line: "... though not pleasing".
If ever again you have a question - feel free to ask!
stilz
"Wenn wir Gott mehr lieben, als wir den Satan fürchten, ist Gott stärker in unseren Herzen. Fürchten wir aber den Satan mehr, als wir Gott lieben, dann ist der Satan stärker." (Erika Mitterer)
Hello you two...
Yesterday, before you, stilz, put in your attemt, I also (with my bad, bad school english) tried to translate this sentence.
And - I wouldn't have wrote this text in here, if you haven't said: „The second line has been totally misunderstood.“
Don't you think that there are the two possibilities?
On the one hand, the part "wir sorgen" could be your version, stilz; - then in german it would be "sich um jem./etw. sorgen" - but in my opinion, the second way to translate it, is also correct. Because we could also understand it as "für etwas sorgen"; and then the english translation would be "to make shure".
A way to combine the two ones is perhabs the old english word: to cark.
Thus - here is my attemt...something from you, stilz and something from me...
Still the world is full of roles, we play
as long as we just cark to please the others
death plays as well, although not pleasing us.
Best wishes
Dominik
Yesterday, before you, stilz, put in your attemt, I also (with my bad, bad school english) tried to translate this sentence.
And - I wouldn't have wrote this text in here, if you haven't said: „The second line has been totally misunderstood.“
Don't you think that there are the two possibilities?
On the one hand, the part "wir sorgen" could be your version, stilz; - then in german it would be "sich um jem./etw. sorgen" - but in my opinion, the second way to translate it, is also correct. Because we could also understand it as "für etwas sorgen"; and then the english translation would be "to make shure".
A way to combine the two ones is perhabs the old english word: to cark.
Thus - here is my attemt...something from you, stilz and something from me...
Still the world is full of roles, we play
as long as we just cark to please the others
death plays as well, although not pleasing us.
Best wishes
Dominik
Oh - that is a very good point you made, Dominik!
When I said "worry" I didn't mean just "Sorge haben", but I meant something like: If I want to please others then I will take good care to behave in a "pleasing" way.
I don't know the word "cark" - you wrote it two times, still I ask: did you type it correctly? Or did you mean the word "care", which I now think would fit perfectly, much better than my first attempt.
However, I still think the mentioned online-translation misunderstands Rilke.
They even omissed the dot after the first line, thus connecting the lines to one sentence. And though "make sure" is quite a good choice, "like it or not" doesn't hit it at all.
Thank you, Dominik, for interfering
stilz
When I said "worry" I didn't mean just "Sorge haben", but I meant something like: If I want to please others then I will take good care to behave in a "pleasing" way.
I don't know the word "cark" - you wrote it two times, still I ask: did you type it correctly? Or did you mean the word "care", which I now think would fit perfectly, much better than my first attempt.
However, I still think the mentioned online-translation misunderstands Rilke.
They even omissed the dot after the first line, thus connecting the lines to one sentence. And though "make sure" is quite a good choice, "like it or not" doesn't hit it at all.
Thank you, Dominik, for interfering
stilz
"Wenn wir Gott mehr lieben, als wir den Satan fürchten, ist Gott stärker in unseren Herzen. Fürchten wir aber den Satan mehr, als wir Gott lieben, dann ist der Satan stärker." (Erika Mitterer)
Todeserfahrung in English
hello!
how does this sound?
Now the world is still full of roles which we play.
As long as we care if we have pleased,
Death plays, too, although he pleases no one.
best wishes,
gunilla
how does this sound?
Now the world is still full of roles which we play.
As long as we care if we have pleased,
Death plays, too, although he pleases no one.
best wishes,
gunilla