a Czech song - Náruživá

Discussion in 'Culture' started by rsalc1, Jun 10, 2009.

  1. rsalc1

    rsalc1 Well-Known Member

    Here is my translation of the song Náruživá by the group Žlutý pes.
    I marked in green font the phrases/words that gave me problem in the translation.


    Náruživá
    Nečekala na nic a nebyla hloupá
    a já jsem jí výjimečně do voka pad,
    najednou koukám, jak se život houpá (subject???)
    a nikdo neví, co se může stát.

    She wasn’t waiting for anything and wasn’t dumb/stupid
    And I am to her exceptionally _________________
    Suddenly I watch how life rocks(?)
    and no one knows what’s going to happen.

    Pojedeme spolu někam na procházku,
    probereme život hezky ze všech stran,
    já budu hvězda jako na obrázku
    a vona se mnou pěkně zamává.

    We’ll go together somewhere for a walk
    We’ll examine life from every side
    I will be a star like on a picture
    And she will nicely swing(?) with me

    Je totiž náruživá a nekouká, co kolem lítá,
    život užívá, tak jak to umí a jak se jí to líbí.

    She is excessive/passionate(?) after all and she doesn’t see what is flying around(?)
    She uses life (is ona the subject?), just as she knows how and as it pleases her(?)

    Vo jiný věci už nemám zájem,
    musím ji vidět ještě dnes,
    vona bude moje cesta rájem
    a já budu její žlutej pes.

    I am not interested anymore in other things,
    I must see her again today
    She will be my way to paradise
    And I will be her yellow dog

    Není to žádná laciná holka
    a kdyby chtěla nudit ani neví jak,
    já bych ji pořád jenom líbal,
    vona to vidí taky tak.

    She ist hardly a sleazy girl
    And if she would like to bore
    she doesn’t even know how
    I would kiss her all the time
    She sees it just like that(?)
     
  2. Alexx

    Alexx Well-Known Member

    Tough one... I am not sure how to explain most of the expresions :)
     
  3. wer

    wer Well-Known Member

    You are somehow st(r)uck by Hejma. 8)

    Please, add always the Youtube link for the benefit of others.

    “Pad jí do voka” is colloquial form of “padl jí do oka” (lit. he fell (to) her into eye) which is idiom equivalent to English “catch somebody’s eye”.

    (za)mávat s někým = lit. wave/flop/wag(gle)/swing with somebody

    The idiomatic meaning of this expression is hard to translate. It could mean “lead somebody by nose” or “pack a punch with somebody” or “send somebody into spin” or…
    Simply, it means he could not resist to be manipulated/affected by her.

     
  4. rsalc1

    rsalc1 Well-Known Member

    Oh yes. I like the songs of Ondřej Hejma very much.
    I will add the Youtube link in future posts.

    Oops. I had a typo :)
    I certainly didn't want to write "Sie ist schwerlich kein verkommenes Maedchen"
    ... please pardon my German... I haven't used it in years :oops:

    wer: this song was full of idioms and you were able to explain them all.
    Děkuji pěkně! 8)
     
  5. wer

    wer Well-Known Member

    But Hejma is not only Žlutý pes. He writes and translates songs for other Czech performers. For the Yo Yo band, for example. He also translated the musical Grease into Czech. The most oldest piece by Hejma which I found on Youtube is this song by Jana Kratochvílová (Oh my God, 1982, that’s 27 years ago. I’m must be so old to remember this. It’s from the communist era and even from before Kratochvílová got completely crazy).

    I hope so, because “schwerlich” works as one negation, “kein” makes the second negation, and altogether it makes one nice litotes.

    BTW, the translation through English is hardly good idea, you have better chance with direct word by word translation from Czech into German:

      Sie ist kein billiges Mädchen.
     
  6. rsalc1

    rsalc1 Well-Known Member

    Well, I am just getting started learning about Hejma's songs. I started with his work with Žlutý pes and will eventually listen to some of his other work. Thanks for the youtube links!

    Hehe.
    Sometimes a simple sentence "Sie ist kein(e) ..." works better than my poor attempt at using schwerlich or kaum :roll:
     
  7. scrimshaw

    scrimshaw Well-Known Member

    Ha..that is a nice saying....Věděl jsem jednou holku, která se mnou pěkně zamávala.
    Byl jsem tehdy její blbec. No, to je jen jak si na věci vzpomínám.
    Vona si asi vzpomíná na věci jinak.
    Láska z každého dělá blbce.
     

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