The response to the video post to the Rammstein FB page has been interesting. The majority of reactions to the English lyrics have been critical of the inaccuracy, i.e. my adaption is not a verbatim translation. This is a given, since my goal is to produce working English lyrics, rather than a literal translation. I don't speak German. I leave that to the Jeremy Williamses of this world. Jeremy speaks German like a native, and has a solid grasp of attractive English prose, so his translations are very elegant, and come with useful notes where English falls down. He's most definitely the guy you go to for Rammstein translations.
I, on the other hand, am a poet. I make every effort to be faithful to Till's intent where it is apparent, and to his words where it isn't. I try to inject as much clever word-play and subtle or unsubtle humour (where appropriate) as I can. I also have the singer foremost in my mind at all times. If someone were to perform Rammstein's songs with my lyrics in place of Till's the idea is that they could ride Till's rhythmic and rhymic rails with my words, and it should work, musically. If that means a shift in the actual wording then so be it. I am not trying to mirror the man's work verbally at the expense of usability. I am writing English lyrics.
I think part of the problem is also that Soeren, who made the video, has replaced some of my lines with more accurate translations, so it's a mixture of literal but rhythmically dissonant lines, and my texturally correct but verbally shifted English lyrics. This inconsistency is probably a little confusing to the uninitiated. Why use the shifted English lyrics at all when you can translate it literally? Or why use the literal translation when you have English lyrics that fit the music?
I'm not sure what his reasoning was for mixing it up, but I think either way the video is effective and fun.
Another response has been a pretty serious up-turn in German traffic to LILT. I am not sure why. Most of my readers have been from the US until last week. Now suddenly up to 50 % of my traffic has come from Germany. I can only assume that the official FB page attracts domestic fans more than my usual referrers.
Anyway, if you're from Germany and reading this please forgive me the liberties I have taken with Till's German lyrics. In order for me to do what I aim to do it is entirely necessary, and by no means reflects badly on the original German lyrics. My appreciation for Till's German lyrics is what drives me to do this in the first place.
The less said about his English lyrics the better...
Showing posts with label Till's intent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Till's intent. Show all posts
2010-04-11
2009-11-13
The Agony of the Germ...man
Cystitis, acne, fucking, digestion, tears, death, defecation, cuddles, flatulence, kissing...I could go on forever, but I won't.
What do all of these things have in common? You know it.
Okay, now consider, just for a moment, that I am serious. My tongue, which is incidentally crawling with bacteria, is very firmly planted in my cheek, but I do have a point. I'm just going to rampage through and plant some ideas in your head. Jeremy's proper translation is there for you if you need to refer to it:
Bacteria live all over us, inside and out. Without them we would probably die. We have a symbiotic relationship with them, in that they form part of our immune arsenal (pun incidental) and they aid us in extracting nutrients from our food. We're riddled with bacteria, and every time we look at another living creature we are also looking at, if not seeing, vast armies of bacteria.
We are the entire world for our personal germs. They inhabit us, the way we inhabit this planet. We are theirs and they are ours. If a bacterium was as arrogant and self-aware as humanity I'm sure it would consider us here to service, house, feed, and care for it. We're their planets and they probably care for us as much as we care for the world we live in. They certainly harm us to a similar extent (I wonder if we will kill Earth in the end). They don't love us, but we're preoccupied with them.
I like the idea that I am a ship for a crew of germs to ride through oceans of life. I also get a kick from the knowledge that I am forever locked in a bacterial embrace, either fighting or benefiting from them. The bondage humanity is in is one of infection and disease, and even our greatest weapon, our immune system, isn't enough to beat them completely, and part of it is made up of the enemy's siblings.
They do major damage as the cause of Tetanus, they bring us agony through cystitis, they scar us via acne, and I won't go into detail about syphilis. They get into us via contact with animals, tools (blunt saw, anyone?) and weapons, with food, and because our own bodily functions rely on orifices, and damage to our armour (skin), opens up more.
They mark us up, and break us down. They torture us, help us, and ultimately they eat us. After you die you continue to live in all the little bastards that hasten your decomposition. Does that console you?
The line that might be a little odd in this context is the sticking of medals on faces. What is a medal if not a badge signifying what we have done? Is an acne scar a badge of honour for a bacterium? I don't know, but it's a laugh to consider it.
Anyway, I honestly do not believe that this is what Lindemann had in mind when he wrote the song. I just think it's interesting to come up with concepts that fit his words. Here endeth this one.
[discuss]
What do all of these things have in common? You know it.
Okay, now consider, just for a moment, that I am serious. My tongue, which is incidentally crawling with bacteria, is very firmly planted in my cheek, but I do have a point. I'm just going to rampage through and plant some ideas in your head. Jeremy's proper translation is there for you if you need to refer to it:
Bacteria live all over us, inside and out. Without them we would probably die. We have a symbiotic relationship with them, in that they form part of our immune arsenal (pun incidental) and they aid us in extracting nutrients from our food. We're riddled with bacteria, and every time we look at another living creature we are also looking at, if not seeing, vast armies of bacteria.
We are the entire world for our personal germs. They inhabit us, the way we inhabit this planet. We are theirs and they are ours. If a bacterium was as arrogant and self-aware as humanity I'm sure it would consider us here to service, house, feed, and care for it. We're their planets and they probably care for us as much as we care for the world we live in. They certainly harm us to a similar extent (I wonder if we will kill Earth in the end). They don't love us, but we're preoccupied with them.
I like the idea that I am a ship for a crew of germs to ride through oceans of life. I also get a kick from the knowledge that I am forever locked in a bacterial embrace, either fighting or benefiting from them. The bondage humanity is in is one of infection and disease, and even our greatest weapon, our immune system, isn't enough to beat them completely, and part of it is made up of the enemy's siblings.
They do major damage as the cause of Tetanus, they bring us agony through cystitis, they scar us via acne, and I won't go into detail about syphilis. They get into us via contact with animals, tools (blunt saw, anyone?) and weapons, with food, and because our own bodily functions rely on orifices, and damage to our armour (skin), opens up more.
They mark us up, and break us down. They torture us, help us, and ultimately they eat us. After you die you continue to live in all the little bastards that hasten your decomposition. Does that console you?
The line that might be a little odd in this context is the sticking of medals on faces. What is a medal if not a badge signifying what we have done? Is an acne scar a badge of honour for a bacterium? I don't know, but it's a laugh to consider it.
Anyway, I honestly do not believe that this is what Lindemann had in mind when he wrote the song. I just think it's interesting to come up with concepts that fit his words. Here endeth this one.
[discuss]
2009-10-26
The Freak
I'm working on Wiener Blut at the moment, and I have to say that I feel distinctly greasy and gritty after an hour or so inside that space. It's a very moody and atmospheric piece, and Fritzl is a bastard. I have a feeling Lindemann relished writing this one. There's so much material and endless possibilities, and with his penchant for burying us all in fetid filth he must have been in hog heaven.
That said, I does it all so elegantly. I'm hard-pushed to do anything but step where he steps, though I may diverge a little, if only to see what I can do with this relatively clearly framed picture.
[discuss]
That said, I does it all so elegantly. I'm hard-pushed to do anything but step where he steps, though I may diverge a little, if only to see what I can do with this relatively clearly framed picture.
[discuss]
2009-10-25
RZK Interview - Lyrics
Tempelhüter, one of Herzeleid's administrators, has posted an interview with RZK in the Rammstein forum. It's fairly standard fare, aside from two things. The first is that Richard seems to revoke his previous and repeated negativity about more Rammstein albums:
Note that is translation is courtesy of GLT.
[discuss]
In the run it was said that this would be your last album. Is that true? If not, what caused these rumors?The second, and most relevant to this site is his comments about the lyrics, their meaning, and individual interpretation:
RZK: You never know what happened, but I really see no reason to stop. Any one of us has made a some good books on the production of stressful but very little air, and was misunderstood. We have used this time forever until we came in with the songwriting going. Perhaps it was the long break. Which means that the next album will come sooner rather than later.
As with any of your publications, the texts of your songs will surely be taken back, this time especially under the microscope. Is that outside the German-speaking really the case? Make translate fans and press bothered the lyrics and understand them?It appears that Till leaves his words open for everyone, including his band-mates.
RZK: Of course, many want to know what is in the songs and try to go even in translation. As with people with German as their mother tongue to come out here sometimes quite adventurous and idiosyncratic interpretations. Exactly for this reason we are not talking about text content. Everyone should make his own remuneration. For each of our lyrics mean something else - which is great.
But within the band talk about what you already Till's singing, right?
RZK: No, we have abandoned for the same reason very early. I saw him at the time time to respond to a text and told him what I think what it was doing. He looked at me blankly and said that I would have probably understood as something completely wrong ...
Note that is translation is courtesy of GLT.
[discuss]
2009-10-24
Pain Speaking
Ich Tu' is all about pain. This is the stuff of Lindemann.
He's very good at putting pain into words, and it's hard to quell the mental images that bloom across the mind once comprehension dawns. It's like standing in an empty space, while monstrous and velvety-dark flowers form and open before your eyes. While I've got extensive experience of pain* and am not a huge fan of it I can't help but admire his ability to convey it through his verse.
ITDW is ostensibly about an S&M relationship, but it could be about self-flagellation, self-harming (suggested on the Herzeleid forum), and/or about self-loathing. The imagery used is repellent and violent, and the character shows distain and no respect for his partner, be that himself or another party. It's all pretty vile, and it's accompanied by wonderful music and vocals, which is a stunning contrast.
Superficially, if you don't understand the lyrics, ITDW is a raunchy romp. It's fun and frisky musically, and smoking hot through to the vocals. There's no ugliness at all, though there is definite threat, because the ideas conveyed by the lyrics are not carried in the music. All the threat takes the form of naughty promise, and the pain-mongering is invisible.
Then the meaning transforms it into something much darker and more sinister. This is where the idea of lyrical incomprehension as a positive comes to the fore. I had a strong positive impression based entirely on the song, completely uncoloured by the imagery in the words, and that persists, though I know now what it's all about. I retain the initial enjoyment unmarred by the subject-matter.
I love this song. It doesn't hurt one bit.
[discuss]
* not voluntarily - I don't get my kicks that way...not that that's any of your business.
He's very good at putting pain into words, and it's hard to quell the mental images that bloom across the mind once comprehension dawns. It's like standing in an empty space, while monstrous and velvety-dark flowers form and open before your eyes. While I've got extensive experience of pain* and am not a huge fan of it I can't help but admire his ability to convey it through his verse.
ITDW is ostensibly about an S&M relationship, but it could be about self-flagellation, self-harming (suggested on the Herzeleid forum), and/or about self-loathing. The imagery used is repellent and violent, and the character shows distain and no respect for his partner, be that himself or another party. It's all pretty vile, and it's accompanied by wonderful music and vocals, which is a stunning contrast.
Superficially, if you don't understand the lyrics, ITDW is a raunchy romp. It's fun and frisky musically, and smoking hot through to the vocals. There's no ugliness at all, though there is definite threat, because the ideas conveyed by the lyrics are not carried in the music. All the threat takes the form of naughty promise, and the pain-mongering is invisible.
Then the meaning transforms it into something much darker and more sinister. This is where the idea of lyrical incomprehension as a positive comes to the fore. I had a strong positive impression based entirely on the song, completely uncoloured by the imagery in the words, and that persists, though I know now what it's all about. I retain the initial enjoyment unmarred by the subject-matter.
I love this song. It doesn't hurt one bit.
[discuss]
* not voluntarily - I don't get my kicks that way...not that that's any of your business.
2009-08-06
Burning Hearts & Creepy Sandmen
I've begun work on Mein Herz Brennt, and I haven't got the faintest idea what Till's doing there. It's very creepy in a very dark and gleeful way, and I'm liking it, but I'm not sure what all the imagery and allusions pertain to. I'm not sure if there's some nasty paedophilic message in there, or if it's simply about what it seems to be about: darkness, fear, and the unknown goings on when we're not 'there' in the physical world. Or perhaps it's all about something else altogether.
I'm sure other people have ideas. Feel free to share them (link below).
[discuss]
I'm sure other people have ideas. Feel free to share them (link below).
[discuss]
2009-05-04
More on That Interview...
There are a couple of things raised in the interview I linked to yesterday that I've been thinking more about. One of them dates the interview in the worst way, and that's the topic raised of Napster/MP3s. Till didn't like them. They seemed to anger him. Schneider was intrigued by the whole idea. He saw the potential in this alternative platform for music distribution. Obviously his views have born fruit since the interview was done eight years ago. I wonder how Till feels about MP3s now his work is distributed online legally and for money in that format.
Not long before the interview was filmed I was first getting into Rammstein, and without several illicit MP3s being sent to me and played by me illegally I wouldn't have been exposed to their music at all. I wouldn't have bought my first Rammstein CD back then, as I did. More recently, after years of not listening to Rammstein (I lost the original CD) I've now downloaded all of their other albums, listened to them for several weeks (illegally), and gone out and bought all of their CDs, including a second copy of the one I'd lost.
One would hope and, frankly, expect that in the past eight years Till has changed his opinion in respect to MP3s and online distribution. I imagine that thousands of their fans were, like me, brought into the fold by illegal distribution of Rammstein media. I'd be interested to hear his views on this now, as well as Schneider's.
Another subject raised in the interview is understanding of the music. The gist is that they leave their lyrics open to interpretation, so listeners can take from it what they will. I like this. It's the same with good paintings or sculpture; the beholder shouldn't be locked into a particular set of boundaries.
For a long time I wasn't terribly interested in the meaning behind Rammstein's work, enjoying the sound of the music and vocals for their nonsensical aesthetic, rather than for anything more profound. The lyrics are rhythmically and verbally attractive*, even sans comprehension, and that was a nice way to appreciate Rammstein for ages.
This time around I've taken more of an interest, and this interest has, in turn, lead to LILT. The LILT project has taken me beyond the mere appreciation of the music though. I've come out the other side and am trying to create something that mirrors the original German words, so this openness is no longer something I enjoy. I'm deliberately trying to convey what Till's intended meaning was, irrespective of what anyone else takes from it, and I'm included in that 'anyone else'. What I take from Till's work is really not the point. I guess this is why my wee tantrum last month was such an important point for me. It liberated me from the feeling that I might get it wrong.
I got it wrong when I read the transcript for Zerstören, and without knowing what Rammstein had declared with regard to the meaning took it to be about a vandal. In my ignorance about German I got Du Hast wrong originally as well. I thought it was a song about committment and dedication to a relationship. It is apparently quite the reverse.
Now I'm working purely from the pictures Till draws with his words. I'm maybe having to paint certain details in slightly differently, or changing the shade of a colour used, but so long as I stay true to the picture in a general way I'm not going to get it wrong.
* This is where I admit that from the time I first heard the German Language (and other Germanic languages, such as my own birthright, Swedish) until a few years ago I thought the sounds ugly and harsh. I found the rhythms awkward, the sounds gutteral and unattractive, and the fluency lacking. Mr Lindemann's work changed that for German. Maybe I need to find a really talented Swedish lyricist now too.
That said, I still consider spoken English pretty ugly. Maybe only words put together for lyrical or poetic reasons are going to be attractive in these languages.
[discuss]
Not long before the interview was filmed I was first getting into Rammstein, and without several illicit MP3s being sent to me and played by me illegally I wouldn't have been exposed to their music at all. I wouldn't have bought my first Rammstein CD back then, as I did. More recently, after years of not listening to Rammstein (I lost the original CD) I've now downloaded all of their other albums, listened to them for several weeks (illegally), and gone out and bought all of their CDs, including a second copy of the one I'd lost.
One would hope and, frankly, expect that in the past eight years Till has changed his opinion in respect to MP3s and online distribution. I imagine that thousands of their fans were, like me, brought into the fold by illegal distribution of Rammstein media. I'd be interested to hear his views on this now, as well as Schneider's.
Another subject raised in the interview is understanding of the music. The gist is that they leave their lyrics open to interpretation, so listeners can take from it what they will. I like this. It's the same with good paintings or sculpture; the beholder shouldn't be locked into a particular set of boundaries.
For a long time I wasn't terribly interested in the meaning behind Rammstein's work, enjoying the sound of the music and vocals for their nonsensical aesthetic, rather than for anything more profound. The lyrics are rhythmically and verbally attractive*, even sans comprehension, and that was a nice way to appreciate Rammstein for ages.
This time around I've taken more of an interest, and this interest has, in turn, lead to LILT. The LILT project has taken me beyond the mere appreciation of the music though. I've come out the other side and am trying to create something that mirrors the original German words, so this openness is no longer something I enjoy. I'm deliberately trying to convey what Till's intended meaning was, irrespective of what anyone else takes from it, and I'm included in that 'anyone else'. What I take from Till's work is really not the point. I guess this is why my wee tantrum last month was such an important point for me. It liberated me from the feeling that I might get it wrong.
I got it wrong when I read the transcript for Zerstören, and without knowing what Rammstein had declared with regard to the meaning took it to be about a vandal. In my ignorance about German I got Du Hast wrong originally as well. I thought it was a song about committment and dedication to a relationship. It is apparently quite the reverse.
Now I'm working purely from the pictures Till draws with his words. I'm maybe having to paint certain details in slightly differently, or changing the shade of a colour used, but so long as I stay true to the picture in a general way I'm not going to get it wrong.
* This is where I admit that from the time I first heard the German Language (and other Germanic languages, such as my own birthright, Swedish) until a few years ago I thought the sounds ugly and harsh. I found the rhythms awkward, the sounds gutteral and unattractive, and the fluency lacking. Mr Lindemann's work changed that for German. Maybe I need to find a really talented Swedish lyricist now too.
That said, I still consider spoken English pretty ugly. Maybe only words put together for lyrical or poetic reasons are going to be attractive in these languages.
[discuss]
2009-04-29
LILT: Feuer & Wasser 2.3
Her stroke's beauty to behold
It lets me see into her soul
What to hope for, what to fear
How she looks from the rear
She exudes enormous heat
Which explodes and then retreats
Fire and water can never be one
There's no fusion, they will not succumb
I have to shiver and seethe alone
And in the water I'm burned
In water I'm burned
Wet skin's beauty to behold
It vows to swallow and enfold
As her long legs move apart
The darkest cavern of her heart
Reveals to me her shadowed fire
A black abyss for my desire
She glides by me without a glance
I'm her shadow, without a chance
I have no hope left and should have none, 'cause
Fire and water can never be one
There's no fusion, they will not succumb
I have to shiver and seethe alone
And in the water I'm burned
In water I'm burned
Her strokes cause waves that surge right through me
Yet every move from her eschews me
I reach for her with cold wet hands
And she will forever elude me
You see
Fire and water can never be one
There's no fusion, they will not succumb
I have to shiver and seethe alone
And in the water I'm burned
In water I'm burned
[lyrics][discuss]
I've gone with the 'How she looks from the rear' line. It's in line with Till's lyrics and amuses me, so it goes in.
It lets me see into her soul
What to hope for, what to fear
How she looks from the rear
She exudes enormous heat
Which explodes and then retreats
Fire and water can never be one
There's no fusion, they will not succumb
I have to shiver and seethe alone
And in the water I'm burned
In water I'm burned
Wet skin's beauty to behold
It vows to swallow and enfold
As her long legs move apart
The darkest cavern of her heart
Reveals to me her shadowed fire
A black abyss for my desire
She glides by me without a glance
I'm her shadow, without a chance
I have no hope left and should have none, 'cause
Fire and water can never be one
There's no fusion, they will not succumb
I have to shiver and seethe alone
And in the water I'm burned
In water I'm burned
Her strokes cause waves that surge right through me
Yet every move from her eschews me
I reach for her with cold wet hands
And she will forever elude me
You see
Fire and water can never be one
There's no fusion, they will not succumb
I have to shiver and seethe alone
And in the water I'm burned
In water I'm burned
[lyrics][discuss]
I've gone with the 'How she looks from the rear' line. It's in line with Till's lyrics and amuses me, so it goes in.
2009-04-27
Broken
I'm flat on my back right now. It's quite hard to type. I've been awake most of the night with a pretty painful spasm in my back muscles on one side, spreading both up and down, and worsening as time went on, and am feeling very sorry for myself. I'm in serious need of a deep-tissue massage.
I thought I'd grit my teeth and post though, as yesterday's little foot-stamp has brought me a happy conclusion regarding the Klavier stand-off.
Now I've settled my boundaries where interpretation is concerned my problem with the Klavier parents is solved. The album text is my source, so the ambiguity is no more! The parents are those of the pianist, rather than the protagonist. I'll start work on Klavier soon.
[discuss]
I thought I'd grit my teeth and post though, as yesterday's little foot-stamp has brought me a happy conclusion regarding the Klavier stand-off.
Now I've settled my boundaries where interpretation is concerned my problem with the Klavier parents is solved. The album text is my source, so the ambiguity is no more! The parents are those of the pianist, rather than the protagonist. I'll start work on Klavier soon.
[discuss]
2009-04-26
A Line is Drawn
I've reached a decision with regard to Till's lyrics. I'm sticking with the explicit imagery. I'm done with speculation, guessing-games, and bullshit. Lindemann writes beautiful verse with vivid and powerful imagery. Why do I need more than that?
I'm done with reading the insane theorising and interpretation. There's too much of it, and my shite-filter is broken. I'm completely over the whole shebang.
There's a fuck-tonne of 'deeper meaning' and layering out there, but it could all be so much mental wankery. One could compile an immense volume of this crap and as far as I can tell it's a complete cluster-fuck. Till himself is the only one who knows, and I'm simply not willing to get it wrong. I need to keep the faith, and I can't do that if I cross my Is and dot my Ts. Till's most compelling compositional device is his audience's visual imagination, and I've got that in spades. That will do. Onions be damned!
I get pictures in my head from his work. I write about them so they work with the music and his singing style. That's it. Unless a member of Rammstein has come out and deliberately explained a profundity from one of their songs I'm ignoring it all.
All the intellectual contortionists, and verbal masturbators, and fart-lighters are now officially jettisoned from my little project, and I feel much better for it.
[discuss]
I'm done with reading the insane theorising and interpretation. There's too much of it, and my shite-filter is broken. I'm completely over the whole shebang.
There's a fuck-tonne of 'deeper meaning' and layering out there, but it could all be so much mental wankery. One could compile an immense volume of this crap and as far as I can tell it's a complete cluster-fuck. Till himself is the only one who knows, and I'm simply not willing to get it wrong. I need to keep the faith, and I can't do that if I cross my Is and dot my Ts. Till's most compelling compositional device is his audience's visual imagination, and I've got that in spades. That will do. Onions be damned!
I get pictures in my head from his work. I write about them so they work with the music and his singing style. That's it. Unless a member of Rammstein has come out and deliberately explained a profundity from one of their songs I'm ignoring it all.
All the intellectual contortionists, and verbal masturbators, and fart-lighters are now officially jettisoned from my little project, and I feel much better for it.
[discuss]
Tyska Läsförståelse = Deutsch Lesen-Verständnis?
My Swedish is not good. I studied it at Uppsala University's summer session 19 years ago, and really haven't used it since. Part of the problem is I only have my parents to speak it with, and I'm very reluctant to do so when non-Swedish-speakers are around, which is most of the time. I consider it discourteous to do so. I'm ashamed of my lack of ability in speaking, understanding, and reading Swedish, most particularly where vocabulary is concerned.
A disadvantage I'm now feeling as an extension of this lack is my inability to comprehend the German language. I need to study German if I'm going to get a real idea of what Till is doing. His work is diluted unless it's read and understood in German. The basis of the work is lost in translation, in terms of the flow, rhythm, and mood. I trust the real German-language adepts to capture and convey subtext in meaning, but the 'movement' of the words is what attracted me to Till in the first place, and that doesn't exist in the English translations.
You can see how this whole project came about if you think about that for a minute...
*pause*
I'm trying to re-apply those currents and wave-forms to the translations. With that in mind however my attempts to reanimate the translations do not mean the original is being felt properly. For that I have to be able to read Lindemann's work as a German-speaker does.
My mother is a Swede and is adept at understanding other languages, despite not using them in her every-day life. I can't honestly say I speak Swedish any more, despite having done so in the past. That feels wrong, because I want to learn more about the country I was born in and the people my mother comes from. Yes, I get to meet and know them, but not the nation they're part of. I need to develop my Swedish further.
I also want to learn the German language to get the whole picture from Till's words. You might consider this an extreme step to merely appreciate the work of one author. Maybe it is. I think however that it's going to end up being much more than that in the end, and it's something I have added to my plans for the coming years.
Adding to my self-imposed burden of language-learning is the fact that I'm married to a Greek family and am off to Greece for a month in June, to holiday with my in-laws at Kyparissi. I don't speak Greek either!
Yeah, good one Camilla. You can picture me rolling my eyes at my own preposterous situation here. I have three languages to [re-]learn. At least two of them share characteristics...
By the way, the title of this post is meant to read as 'German reading-comprehension' in Swedish and German. My success may be mixed.
[discuss]
A disadvantage I'm now feeling as an extension of this lack is my inability to comprehend the German language. I need to study German if I'm going to get a real idea of what Till is doing. His work is diluted unless it's read and understood in German. The basis of the work is lost in translation, in terms of the flow, rhythm, and mood. I trust the real German-language adepts to capture and convey subtext in meaning, but the 'movement' of the words is what attracted me to Till in the first place, and that doesn't exist in the English translations.
You can see how this whole project came about if you think about that for a minute...
*pause*
I'm trying to re-apply those currents and wave-forms to the translations. With that in mind however my attempts to reanimate the translations do not mean the original is being felt properly. For that I have to be able to read Lindemann's work as a German-speaker does.
My mother is a Swede and is adept at understanding other languages, despite not using them in her every-day life. I can't honestly say I speak Swedish any more, despite having done so in the past. That feels wrong, because I want to learn more about the country I was born in and the people my mother comes from. Yes, I get to meet and know them, but not the nation they're part of. I need to develop my Swedish further.
I also want to learn the German language to get the whole picture from Till's words. You might consider this an extreme step to merely appreciate the work of one author. Maybe it is. I think however that it's going to end up being much more than that in the end, and it's something I have added to my plans for the coming years.
Adding to my self-imposed burden of language-learning is the fact that I'm married to a Greek family and am off to Greece for a month in June, to holiday with my in-laws at Kyparissi. I don't speak Greek either!
Yeah, good one Camilla. You can picture me rolling my eyes at my own preposterous situation here. I have three languages to [re-]learn. At least two of them share characteristics...
By the way, the title of this post is meant to read as 'German reading-comprehension' in Swedish and German. My success may be mixed.
[discuss]
2009-03-24
Feuer & Wasser
I'm just starting work on Feuer und Wasser. I love this one because it seems to extol those of us who aren't fortunate enough to have external genitals, as well as to bemoan us, and because it uses really solid imagery to do so.
When I listen to this song I imagine dark, cold water, viewed as a swimmer, and an elusive female form flaring light and warmth, just out of reach.
Unrequited love (or lust) can be either a very positive or a very negative thing, depending on your attitude. To someone who sees the glass as half empty it's gut-wrenching, and frustrating, and agonising. There's no positive. It's just deprivation leading to resentment. It's not a healthy thing.
To someone who sees the glass as half full it can be very positive. There's the basis for a very healthy fantasy life (so long as you know how to separate fantasy from reality) in there. There's also a challenge to try and overcome (carefully so as to avoid becoming a stalker).
If the subject of your unrequited feelings is worth knowing then there's a careful balancing act in maintaining a positive relationship with them, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Self-restraint has to be used. This isn't something that comes naturally to human beings. Impulse control is not the norm, as our over-consuming society is testament to. Unrequited feelings can teach you to exercise impulse control. That's a good thing.
I have no idea how quickly I'll be able to post a draft of this piece, but I'll post as soon as I have anything that isn't shit.
Off-topic, I really want the new album. Patience isn't a virtue I possess. I gather it's coming later in the year, which is really frustrating. At least they've got the bulk of it in the can. Now we just need them to make it shiny!
[discuss]
When I listen to this song I imagine dark, cold water, viewed as a swimmer, and an elusive female form flaring light and warmth, just out of reach.
Unrequited love (or lust) can be either a very positive or a very negative thing, depending on your attitude. To someone who sees the glass as half empty it's gut-wrenching, and frustrating, and agonising. There's no positive. It's just deprivation leading to resentment. It's not a healthy thing.
To someone who sees the glass as half full it can be very positive. There's the basis for a very healthy fantasy life (so long as you know how to separate fantasy from reality) in there. There's also a challenge to try and overcome (carefully so as to avoid becoming a stalker).
If the subject of your unrequited feelings is worth knowing then there's a careful balancing act in maintaining a positive relationship with them, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Self-restraint has to be used. This isn't something that comes naturally to human beings. Impulse control is not the norm, as our over-consuming society is testament to. Unrequited feelings can teach you to exercise impulse control. That's a good thing.
I have no idea how quickly I'll be able to post a draft of this piece, but I'll post as soon as I have anything that isn't shit.
Off-topic, I really want the new album. Patience isn't a virtue I possess. I gather it's coming later in the year, which is really frustrating. At least they've got the bulk of it in the can. Now we just need them to make it shiny!
[discuss]
2009-03-23
Not Worth Reading
I am not into kink. Nor am I a sado-masochist. Nor am I personally acquainted with the sexual proclivities of Till Lindemann, or anyone else in the band. Their preferences and mine are not really relevant here.
I think I have a fairly healthy attitude to sex. This enables me to sympathise with people who favour sexual antics that I don't partake of myself, without judgement. I don't consider myself the be-all and end-all, so I'm aware that people get off on subject matter and situations that I don't find stimulating, and there's nothing wrong with that. I am simply able to use my imagination to render imagery that conveys certain messages.
Obviously there are lines I draw in the sand and choose not to cross. There has to be a limit somewhere, or we find ourselves in the antisocial or pathological areas where things just aren't 'right' by the standards we live with. Between consenting adults I think there is virtually no limit though. Sex is a very personal thing, and if you're an exhibitionist it's also very public (ha ha ha).
Anyone reading or listening to Rammstein's work, or mine, has to understand that poetic work does not necessarily represent the values or habits of those involved in its creation.
Realise that these lyrics do not make me or the band shitheads, even if you don't like the messages in the work, be they explicit or imagined. Suspend your disbelief to appreciate what the words convey, but don't take it so seriously that you start labelling the composers, or the adaptor in my case. You don't know me, and neither you or I know Rammstein. The message is not personal.
I'm posting this somewhat disclaimer-like piece because I am aware that fans of the more rabid type can easily feel they have a level of intimacy with and knowledge about their idols that simply doesn't exist in reality. That's an artifact of information-gathering. If you spend enough time and energy accumulating knowledge, be it real or fictional, about a public figure you begin to feel you have a relationship with the subject. This is NOT REAL. Don't project or assume where there are no grounds to do so.
I hope you, my small and hopefully growing readership, enjoy what I'm doing here, and that my work becomes more and more worthy of your attention. I also hope you will realise that tongue is firmly planted in cheek (no, not that cheek), and that this is entertainment, rather than a grand declaration of intent or fact.
Enjoy.
[discuss]
Update 1613hrs: Fuck, what a load of wordy crap that was. It's all true, but did I need to post that completely bloated cluster-fuck of explanation? No. Eh, who cares? Updated the post title to indicate pointlessness of this post.
I think I have a fairly healthy attitude to sex. This enables me to sympathise with people who favour sexual antics that I don't partake of myself, without judgement. I don't consider myself the be-all and end-all, so I'm aware that people get off on subject matter and situations that I don't find stimulating, and there's nothing wrong with that. I am simply able to use my imagination to render imagery that conveys certain messages.
Obviously there are lines I draw in the sand and choose not to cross. There has to be a limit somewhere, or we find ourselves in the antisocial or pathological areas where things just aren't 'right' by the standards we live with. Between consenting adults I think there is virtually no limit though. Sex is a very personal thing, and if you're an exhibitionist it's also very public (ha ha ha).
Anyone reading or listening to Rammstein's work, or mine, has to understand that poetic work does not necessarily represent the values or habits of those involved in its creation.
Realise that these lyrics do not make me or the band shitheads, even if you don't like the messages in the work, be they explicit or imagined. Suspend your disbelief to appreciate what the words convey, but don't take it so seriously that you start labelling the composers, or the adaptor in my case. You don't know me, and neither you or I know Rammstein. The message is not personal.
I'm posting this somewhat disclaimer-like piece because I am aware that fans of the more rabid type can easily feel they have a level of intimacy with and knowledge about their idols that simply doesn't exist in reality. That's an artifact of information-gathering. If you spend enough time and energy accumulating knowledge, be it real or fictional, about a public figure you begin to feel you have a relationship with the subject. This is NOT REAL. Don't project or assume where there are no grounds to do so.
I hope you, my small and hopefully growing readership, enjoy what I'm doing here, and that my work becomes more and more worthy of your attention. I also hope you will realise that tongue is firmly planted in cheek (no, not that cheek), and that this is entertainment, rather than a grand declaration of intent or fact.
Enjoy.
[discuss]
Update 1613hrs: Fuck, what a load of wordy crap that was. It's all true, but did I need to post that completely bloated cluster-fuck of explanation? No. Eh, who cares? Updated the post title to indicate pointlessness of this post.
2009-03-22
LILT: More Rein Raus
As before, source is here.
I am the rider
You are the horse
When I have you
It's done by force
You sob
I smile
As your gentleness was never my style
[discuss]
Update 20090323 1241hrs: I'd like to add to this that this alternative verse implies an element of violence that the original lyrics don't necessarily convey. As previously noted there are a lot of possible inferences drawn from Rammstein lyrics that may or may not have been intended by the original author. I don't include this verse as a final part of my adaption of Rein Raus, but as an addendum that a performer or listener might include as part of the whole should they interpret the song to be about the more brutal aspects of casual sex.
The overall story told in the original German lyrics is one of fucking. If you take more from it, as I think I do, then by all means keep this verse in, but it's not a fixture. Nor is it final. Once again I've fallen over on the rhythmic aspect here, and will continue to work on it.
I am the rider
You are the horse
When I have you
It's done by force
You sob
I smile
As your gentleness was never my style
[discuss]
Update 20090323 1241hrs: I'd like to add to this that this alternative verse implies an element of violence that the original lyrics don't necessarily convey. As previously noted there are a lot of possible inferences drawn from Rammstein lyrics that may or may not have been intended by the original author. I don't include this verse as a final part of my adaption of Rein Raus, but as an addendum that a performer or listener might include as part of the whole should they interpret the song to be about the more brutal aspects of casual sex.
The overall story told in the original German lyrics is one of fucking. If you take more from it, as I think I do, then by all means keep this verse in, but it's not a fixture. Nor is it final. Once again I've fallen over on the rhythmic aspect here, and will continue to work on it.
2009-03-21
Mental Gymnastics
These lyrics are far from simple. They're made up of strata of word-play and clever metaphor. I wish I could get inside Till's head! I keep being struck by doubts about my ability to convey everything he does with the German lyrics, and it gives me pause.
As previously mentioned, I've started with Rein Raus. This is primarily because I love the rhythm of the lyrics. That aspect of the music is pronounced too for fairly obvious reasons, but the flow of words is what really gets me. It's also because these lyrics are more obvious than those from other songs. I have to start gently.
I'm going to have to dramatically change some of the imagery used, because English simply can't build the same images and work poetically. If I had more insight into Till's intent I could be much more confident in my own work. Oh how I wish the man had an online journal!
[Note that I don't use the word 'blog'. I have issues with that word. It's ugly.]
There are fairly blatant themes, such as the fact that it's about sex, possibly kink as well, and definitely a lack of real affection for the subject. I almost used the word 'victim' there, but I think the implication is that she (or possibly he) is not a victim of the sex itself, but could possibly be one of the heartless fucker the lyrics speak for.
[discuss]
As previously mentioned, I've started with Rein Raus. This is primarily because I love the rhythm of the lyrics. That aspect of the music is pronounced too for fairly obvious reasons, but the flow of words is what really gets me. It's also because these lyrics are more obvious than those from other songs. I have to start gently.
I'm going to have to dramatically change some of the imagery used, because English simply can't build the same images and work poetically. If I had more insight into Till's intent I could be much more confident in my own work. Oh how I wish the man had an online journal!
[Note that I don't use the word 'blog'. I have issues with that word. It's ugly.]
There are fairly blatant themes, such as the fact that it's about sex, possibly kink as well, and definitely a lack of real affection for the subject. I almost used the word 'victim' there, but I think the implication is that she (or possibly he) is not a victim of the sex itself, but could possibly be one of the heartless fucker the lyrics speak for.
[discuss]
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