Words, words, words II

OK Sleeptaker of Montreal, let's see how I do.

first the "d' " or the "l' ". These make a slight difference, unless you are picky. "Chanson l'automne" would mean "The Autumn Song" and "Chanson d'automne" would mean " Song of autumn ". Really, I would translate both to just mean " Autumn Song". The French language is rather more technical with its articles than is English. Plus English has been de- genderizing nouns, even if doing so is inelegant, as " Chairman" has become "Chairperson" over the past 20 years. Most other languages, at least the European ones, have every single noun as being specifically masculine or feminine. Really every one, calculators, USB ports, clocks everything!




Autumn Song
by Paul Verlaine


The long winds
The violins
of autumn
bless my heart
of a sound
montone

All suffocating
and choked
When sounds the hour
I am sovereign
of ancient days
and I cry

And here I go
and the wind
who that blows
me here and there
like a dead leaf


Hmmm. I guess it sounds better in French. I think what it's about is making an analogy with the end of the year and with the end of a lifetime.

BuffaloAl,

Was this the correct poem? .... The one you said you liked so much?

Hope I got the right one.

Yes, the Paul Verlaine one is the one.

and "Je me souviens" should be " I remember", as I remembered that it is on the Quebec license plate. I usually think of the verb "reconnais" for remember. So it is


I remember
the days of old
and I cry

A little bit more liberal translation and it would be

I am old now
but I remember
when I was young
and it makes me sad

It's interesting that the translations can be slightly different, even though meaning the same thing. Bet it sounds nice in French. If I can only get someone to say it to me.


Linda

Basic French pronounciation guide:

90% of the time do not say the last consonant of a word. ( Ballet, Bouquet )
French is nasal. Say "n" way up in your sinuses.
If you have to say the last consonant, say only the first half of it.

The French word for "violet" is " violet " say it "Vee O let" only say the the "t" gently. The French are scared of harsh sounding words, which probably explains their fear of Deutschland.

Wow,
I am impressed with your French BuffaloAl, your translations are very well done. you are right about chansons L'automne and Chansons de L'automne, the only thing I would add is that you would rarely if ever see the former, the way you would say 'Autumn songs' and 'songs of Autumn' is the same; Chansons de l'automne. Id tell you why but I can't think of it at the moment. I am afraid I take some language rules for granted since I've been immersed in french since kindergarten.
In Quebec, we have to have all movies translated in French, for the English ones to be available. You should hear how some of the Hollywood movies translate - it's a hoot. I'll message you some the next time I come back from the videostore.
Be well,

Sleeptalker,
I sometimes watch movies in French. I change the language selection on the dvd. Sometimes the dubbed voices are hysterical. In Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda and Luke were OK but Han Solo and Darth Vader were making me laugh. James Earl Jones has a one of a kind voice.
Often the dialogue is too fast for me, but I can keep up when it's on subtitles.

I thought this amusing.

Ballad of the Gypsy
by Langston Hughes


I went to the Gypsy's.
Gypsy settin' all alone.
I said, Tell me, Gypsy,
When will my gal be home?


Gypsy said, Silver,
Put some silver in my hand
And I'll look into the future
And tell you all I can.


I crossed her palm with silver,
Then she started in to lie.
She said, Now, listen, Mister,
She'll be here by and by.


Aw, what a lie!

I been waitin' and a-waitin'
And she ain't come home yet.
Something musta happened
To make my gal forget.

Uh! I hates a lyin' Gypsy
Will take good money from you,
Tell you pretty stories
And take your money from you--


But if I was a Gypsy
I would take your money, too.

CPAP Misery


Misery is when you hear snoring
only to realize it's you
yet you start yelling at yourself anyway.

Misery is when
you'd really rather go party
with your friends
but napping seems
like the better alternative.

Misery is finding
that you sleep all day
but can't figure out why
you can't sleep right at night.

Misery is going to the doc
only to hear you're alright
but could lose a few pounds,
should drink more water
and buy a new mattress.

Misery is when you're
told you have to go
sleep at a clinic all night
and it's gonna cost
a few thousand dollars.

Misery is going to the clinic
for a sleep disorder test
only to learn you're to be strapped
up with wires and belts and
told to sleep like normal.

Misery is being wired to the max,
attached to some machine,
so's you can't move an inch,
and the light's turned out
only to find you now have to pee.

Misery is finding out
you have a condition only
to learn you've had it all along
and likely for two decades
out of your life.

Misery is telling your family
about what you've got
and it finally dawns on a relative
to tell you, finally, "Yeah, for years
you've been breathing funny."

Misery is wanting
very much to punch out
the face of your relative.

Misery is being told
you're gonna be wearing a mask
attached to a hose,
attached to a machine not unlike
a canister vacuum cleaner.

Misery is now learning to
stop breathing through your mouth
only to need some darn strap
to make you look aluring to your dates.

Misery is knowing you're
gonna be attached to this thing
for the rest of your life,
if the strokes and insurance
don't kill you first.

Misery is hearing music at night
only to find that it's your mask
leaking to the tune of the theme
from Gilligan's Island.

Misery is explaining this condition
to your family when they'd
rather have multiple root canal surgeries.

Misery is feeling all alone with this
only to find out your neighbor
has had it all along but laughed at
you for snoring funny.

Misery is begging the doctor for
a copy of your sleep study report
only to find he's used it to
line the bottom of his parakeet cage.



[got any more, folks?]




inspired by the poetry:
Black Misery
by Langston Hughes (published 1969)

kind of clever, I thought.....



Invisible Man


I walk by

I see you

You see me

A glance is exchanged

I quickly hide

You don’t know me

And I might not even cross your mind

But I would give you the world

Who am I you ask?

I am a shadow

To you I don’t even exist

I am nothing but The Invisible Man



By Angel of Mons