Originally Posted by
elebl
I recently discovered Valerie, a fantastic, smooth-voiced alto who sings in German and French. This song sounds playful and happy despite its less than cheery lyrics.
I've marked the areas I had difficulties translating with an asterisk (*).
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Eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs...
One, two, three, four, five, six...
Jean war muskulös und gross
Jean was muscular and large.
Er war Sportler von Beruf
He was an athlete by trade.
Trug mich auf Händen
[He] carried me in his hands
durch die Wohnung
through the house,
*So wie Gott ihn schuf
as God created him. (correct!)
Eines Tages im Frühling
One day in the spring,
schenkt er mir einen Ring
he gave me a ring.
Im Herbst wollten wir heiraten (in autumn we wanted to get married)
In the fall, we were to marry--
falls der Storch Nachwuchs bringt
so long as the stork brought [him] offspring! (incorrect!):correct= in case the stork would bring US offspring
Sei mein Freund, mein Lover, mein Mann
Be my boyfriend, my lover, my man.
Wir bauten uns ein Häuschen am Land
We built ourselves a cottage in the country.
Der Nachbar dort schien mir adäquater
The neighbor there seemed a better fit
als nächster Lebensabschnittspartner
to be my next transitional partner.
George war grosser Künstler
George was a big artist.
Seine Muse wurde ich bald
I soon became his muse.
Doch kaum war ich dreiundzwanzig
But then I became twenty-three,
War ich ihm auch schon zu alt
and, of course, I was too old for him. (when he considered me too old)
Mein Retter war dann Sigismund
My rescuer then was Sigismund.
Er war Börsenaktionär
He was a stockholder.
Die Hotelzimmer waren riesig
The hotel room was gigantic, (the hotelroomS were gigantic)
Und die Liebe inflationär
and the love inflationary.
Sei mein Freund, mein Lover, mein Mann
Be my boyfriend, my lover, my man.
Ein Jahr lang waren wir glücklich und dann
For a year, we were happy and then,
*hatt ich Silvester ziemlichen Kater
on New Year's, I was quite hungover (I had a big hangover)
beim nächsten Lebensabschnittsparner.
with my next transitional partner!
Die Jahre sie verflogen schnell
The years, they flew by so quickly.
Keinem Mann hing ich lang nach
I didn't stick to men very long.
Da plötzlich wars um mich geschehen
It suddenly happened to me then,
als ich Bertrand versprach
as I promised Bertrand:
Eine Nacht wär mir zu wenig
A night would be too little for me,
Du Traum von einem Mann
you dream of a man!
Ich schwör ich lieb dich ewig
I swore I'd love you forever,
Nicht nur zwei Jahre lang
not just for two years.
Sei mein Mann, mein Lover, mein Freund.
Be my man, my lover, my boyfriend.
Unzertrennlich sind wir vereint
Unseparably are we united.
Sei von meinem Kinde der Vater
Be the father of my child,
Mein lebenslanger Lebensabschnittspartner
my lifelong transitional partner!
Doch eines Tags gehen wir ins Theater
But then one day, we went to the theater,
Ein Tänzer wurde sein nächster
[and] a dancer became your next ( a dancer became HIS next..)
Lebensabschnittspartner
transitional partner.
Valerie - Lebensabschnittspartner
Hi! Good translation! Just a few corrections made. Hope you agree and don't mind
Gott zur Ehr, dem nächsten zur Wehr
