Time to start translating more songs. We were invited to a friend's home for Novruz (March 20th - meal starting promptly at 3pm to mark the new year). We enjoyed a fabulous meal with all the traditional elements and then had an impromptu concert at the piano. (I also gave a short kamancha performance.) We sang many xalq mahnısı such as Gubanın Ağ Alması, Laçın - and songs from movies, for example, Qəmgin Mahnı. It was great fun. So, I need to get busy with new song translations. I'm feeling nice and rested after a week's vacation in Beirut. Thank-you Lebanon!
Today's song - Xumar Oldum
Again, at first the song appears straightforward, but translation is not so simple. For instance, it sounds completely normal to say "Ay qız" in Azerbaijani, but it sounds completely stupid in English. And "xumar oldum" - surely this doesn't mean "hung over"?! So, what to do? Please share your comments on my rather loose translation.
Getdim, gördüm bulaqdadır,
Ay qız, mənə bax-bax.
Ceyran, mənə bax-bax,
Əlüzünü yumaqdadır,
Ay qiz, mənə bax-bax.
Ceyran, mənə bax-bax.
I went to the spring and saw that she was there,
Hey, look my way.
Darling, send a glance my way,
She was washing her hands and her face,
Hey, look my way.
Darling, send a glance my way.
Nəqərat:
Xumar oldum, xumar oldum,
Xumar oldum, xumar.
Kətan köynək nazik bədən,
Gördüm, bihal oldum, bihal oldum,
Xumar oldum, xumar.
I am languishing, languishing,
I am languishing.
I saw her slender waist in her linen chemise,
I was undone, undone,
I am bereft.
Getdim, gördüm, bağda yatıb,
Ceyran, mənə bax-bax.
Maral, mənə bax-bax,
Qara tellər gülə batıb,
Gözəl, mənə bax-bax.
Ceyran, mənə bax-bax.
I went and saw her sleeping in the garden,
Darling, look my way.
My dear, cast a glance my way,
A flower is drowning in the dark fringe of your hair,
My beautiful one, look my way,
Darling, cast a glance my way.
Today's song - Xumar Oldum
Again, at first the song appears straightforward, but translation is not so simple. For instance, it sounds completely normal to say "Ay qız" in Azerbaijani, but it sounds completely stupid in English. And "xumar oldum" - surely this doesn't mean "hung over"?! So, what to do? Please share your comments on my rather loose translation.
Getdim, gördüm bulaqdadır,
Ay qız, mənə bax-bax.
Ceyran, mənə bax-bax,
Əlüzünü yumaqdadır,
Ay qiz, mənə bax-bax.
Ceyran, mənə bax-bax.
I went to the spring and saw that she was there,
Hey, look my way.
Darling, send a glance my way,
She was washing her hands and her face,
Hey, look my way.
Darling, send a glance my way.
Nəqərat:
Xumar oldum, xumar oldum,
Xumar oldum, xumar.
Kətan köynək nazik bədən,
Gördüm, bihal oldum, bihal oldum,
Xumar oldum, xumar.
I am languishing, languishing,
I am languishing.
I saw her slender waist in her linen chemise,
I was undone, undone,
I am bereft.
Getdim, gördüm, bağda yatıb,
Ceyran, mənə bax-bax.
Maral, mənə bax-bax,
Qara tellər gülə batıb,
Gözəl, mənə bax-bax.
Ceyran, mənə bax-bax.
I went and saw her sleeping in the garden,
Darling, look my way.
My dear, cast a glance my way,
A flower is drowning in the dark fringe of your hair,
My beautiful one, look my way,
Darling, cast a glance my way.
1 comment:
Yeah, it is really interesting. How to translate xumar oldum, that is.
"I qız" may sound stupid when you translate it in a straightforward way but "hey" eliminates from the text important information. It is not about someone singing to another person but specifically about a man singing to a girl. You would not find too many azeri songs where girl sings a love song for a man.
"Xumar oldum" is more difficult to translate. Where did you find "hang over"? I think one could translate it as to be intoxicated (as with love), or to fall in love.
On another note, it is so funny to read traditional song translated into english. Not that your translation is wrong but the way it sounds in English just makes it funny.
Alef
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