This song is in Galician, I think. I hope this is in the right section of the board, if not, I'll move it if possible. Could someone translate it into English?
This is where I got the lyrics, by the way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5Nevd_hq-g
Unha noite na eira do trigo
O refreixo do branco luar,
Una nena choraba sin tregola
Os desdens dun ingrato galan.
I acoitada entre queixas decia,
Xa no mundo non teño ninguen,
Bou morrer e non ven os meus ollos,
Os ollinos do meu dolce ben.
O seus ecos de melancolia,
Camiñaban nas alas do vento,
I o lamento repetia,
Vou morrer e non ven o meu ven.
Lonxe dela de pe sobre a popa
Dun elebre e negreiro bapor,
Emigrado camiño de America,
Vai o pobre infeliz amador.
I o mirar a sentis anduriñas,
Cara a terra que deixa cruzar,
Quen pudera dar volta, pensaba,
Quen pudera con vos covoar.
Mais as ves io buque fuxian,
Sin ouir seus amargos lamentos,
Soio os ventos repetian
Quen pudera con vos covoar.
Noites claras de aroma e lua,
Desde enton que tristeza en vos ai,
Pros que viron chorar una nena,
Pros que viron un barco marchar.
Dun amor celestial verdadeiro,
Quedou soio de baguas a proba,
Unha coba nun outeiro,
I un cadabre no fondo do mar.
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Unha noite na eira do trigo
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that is portuguese! wrong section
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This is not Portuguese! Its one of the dialects of Spain, Galician. But it does share a common history with Portuguese.
The official Spanish dialect is Castilian.
Here is a good overview of the differences between Portuguese, Galician and Spanish. As you can see there are some differences:
English Galician (Official) Galician (Reintegrationist) Portuguese Spanish
Good morning Bo día / Bos días Bom Dia Bom Dia / Bons dias Buenos días
What is your name? Como te chamas? ¿Cómo te llamas?
I love you Quérote / Ámote Amo-te Te quiero / Te amo
Excuse me Desculpe Perdón / Disculpe
Thanks / Thank you Grazas Obrigado Gracias
Welcome Benvido Bem-vido Bem-vindo Bienvenido
Goodbye Adeus* Adiós
Yes Si Sim Sí
No Non Nom Não No
Dog Can Cam Cão Perro (rarely, Can)[7]
Grandfather Avó /aˈbo/ Avô** /ɐˈvo/ Abuelo
Newspaper Periódico / Xornal Jornal Periódico
Mirror Espello Espelho Espejo
*In Galician adeus is rarely used (signifies that one will not see that person for many years or anymore, comparable to the use of English "farewell"). Ata logo is more common and literally means "until later" (Portuguese até logo, Spanish hasta luego). -
Originally Posted by kafitbird
The reflection of white moonlight,
One child cried without a sound
The disdain of an ungrateful Galan.
I am lost now between complaints,
Already have nobody in the world,
Only to die without ever having seen
To surrender the sweetness of this life
Its echoes of melancholy,
They walked on the wings of the wind,
I regret repeated,
I will die and not see my coming.
Far from it standing on the stern
Of a slave ship and in despair on
The emigrant route to America,
Being cast all adrift.
I feel Anduriña watch,
What makes the land crossing,
Who can give back, I thought,
Who can hold you here?
But seeing the fleeing vessel go,
Without their bitter cries,
Fierce winds repeat
Who can hold you here?
Aroma and clear nights moon
Soya full of sadness in her woe,
Men who have seen a crying child,
Men who have seen a boat go.
A true love of heaven,
Soyo Bagua was the proof,
Witnessed from a hillside
As she sailed over the sea
I'm not sure this translation is completely correct. Galician is an interesting dialect and is closer to Portuguese than Spanish but it is a language in its own right. -
Thank you!
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Sorry, but that translation is incorrect. I will try to translate it when I have a chance.
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Yes, it is a gallego song. It was sung in W.Va. mining camps in the 1930's. I remember learning it from my father who was from Spain, but and had friends that were gallegos. It is a sad song and he translated to Spanish for us. Thank you
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More on translation from gallego to English
No, the translation posted is not correct. I hope that by now this has been taken care of.
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Mram. You are right about the faulty translation. The song tells of a young woman whose sweetheart leaves for America, as so many did in the early part of the 20th Century, departing from the port of Vigo. She cries her loneliness on the shore, waiting for his return. But, in those years the small steamships often were lost at sea and he never returns. They saw her cry and they saw the ship part, but winds ended that heavely love, a grave in the cementary and a body at the bottom of the sea. I have not translated it word for word, but in essence this is the sad story of many a young woman of Galicia. An interesting research would be gathering data about the number of ships leaving the Spanish ports and sunk in the Atlantic at that time.
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This is my best effort (translated to English from a Spanish translation of the original galego (Galician)). I'm not trying to make it rhyme or fit the music... just shooting for the feel and meaning of the lyrics.
In the threshing floor at night (this could also be a field, or even "season of wheat" meaning fall)
by the light of the harvest moon
a young girl wept without ceasing
for the ungracious distain of a boy (gentleman, gallant)
She cried out in anguish, complaining
I have no one left in the world
I'll die if I don't see those eyes,
The eyes of my dearest love.
as the echoes of her melancholy
rose up in the wings of the wind
it repeated her lamenting,
"I'll die if I don't see my love"
Far from her, standing at the stern
of a treacherous slave ship,
in a journey emigrating to America
was the poor, unhappy boy
As he watched the elegant terns
crossing over, flying toward land
"I wish I could go back," he thought
"I wish I could fly with you"
But like the birds, the ship kept sailing
deaf to his anguished lament
only the wind repeated,
"I wish I could fly with you"
On clear, sweet, moonlit nights
great sadness still falls
on all those who saw the girl weeping
on all those who saw the ship sail
From a true celestial love
only this proof remains: the shed tears,
A cave on a hilltop,
and a cadaver in the depths of the sea.
Okay.. that's the first draft. Now I'm going to go try to make it fit with the music. And I'm open to hearing other ideas on the translation- it's rough but I think it catches the spirit of the song.Last edited by Alina Esther Best; 08-10-2012 at 02:25 AM.
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Here is my better fit for the music- I had to take a bit of license with translation to get things to fit, and some one-syllable words will need two notes (notably the word 'wind' in the third stanza and 'back' in the 5th and 6th stanzas), but I can get it to work. Again, I'm interested to hear feedback and suggestions. The link below is to a musical arrangement without words that my uncle composed, so that people can try singing the song in English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WjrU...625E01815FE2C3
Unha Noite/English translation
On a night in the time of the harvest
reflected in glowing moonlight
lies a maiden who weeps without ceasing
o’er her galant’s disdainful flight
In her anguish she cries out in protest,
"In this world I’m alone and undone."
“I will die if I never see those eyes,
the sweet eyes of my dearest, my one."
As the echoes of her melancholy
On the wings of the wind went sailing,
her lamenting it repeated-
"I will die if I can’t see my love.”
And far from the girl, on deck standing
of a treacherous slave ship in flight,
stowed away, emigrating to America
was her poor, heartsick lover that night.
As the elegant terns sailed above him,
and as toward his lost homeland they flew,
"Who could ever turn back," thus he wondered,
"Who could fly back together with you?"
Like the seabirds, the ship went on sailing,
heedless to the boy’s anguished lamenting.
Only the wind’s voice repeating-
"who could fly back together with you?"
On the sweet-smelling, clear, moonlit nights
a great sadness still falls without fail,
upon all those who saw the girl weeping,
upon all those who saw the ship sail.
Of a love that was true and celestial,
only tears as proof are still remaining,
A cave lonely, on a hilltop,
and a tomb in the depths of the sea.
And for those who use googledocs, the work in progress with the more literal translation and the original Galego version: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...C6AzcnA6U/editLast edited by Alina Esther Best; 08-10-2012 at 02:32 AM.