Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

Forgive me if someone's done this and posted about it before, I searched and didn't see it though....

Okay, I recently was playing around with Yahoo's Babel Fish translation program, and thought I'd type in the lyrics for Nous Vivons Ensemble and see what it came up with. I thought it might be amusing becuase I've seen some of the odd translations it comes up with before... (and really, what can you expect for a free ap like that though)

This was the result, I did it both ways, the English verse turned to French and the French lyrics turned to English. For English translations, they recommend you simplify the text, so I split all the appostrophied words (ie, "We've" into "We have" and "The other man's song" into "The song of the other man") . For the French, although I took 3 years of it in School, and while yes, I can sing along with it, I decided to go and get the lyrics off the internet, for all the special accent symbols I didn't feel like looking up and inserting. Although I did spot an error I had to correct.

Somehow I think Gord's lyrics and the original translation works a lot better. Now, everyone, sing along...!

-Andy

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In English

We live together, we know each other now. Here how, we can discover another humanity. On the D' plains; Abraham, at the time of the last sacrifice, you and me, we slept very far in time. Remember the children who still wait. If you want me, I will be there, c' is all that j' have to say. Because I includes/understands, I am not deaf with the music which you play.

En français

Nous devons rester ensemble. Nous devons nous trouver maintenant C'est comment nous pouvons apprendre tous au sujet de la chanson de l'autre homme. Sur les plaines d'Abraham Quand elles ont envoyé l'agneau pour mourir, vous et moi étiez endormis dans la roche des âges. Rappelez-vous les enfants à venir pour venir toujours. Si vous avez besoin de moi, et j'ai besoin de vous, il y a rien d'autre a besoin dire. Comprenez-la, je ne suis pas trop sourd pour entendre la chanson que vous jouez.

=======================

Then, I decided to to ake it a step further, and go and feed the translations back into the Babel Fish and translate again, this is what you get (I had to eliminate some of the apostrophies from the french text)

We must remain together. We must be now. It is how we can learn all about the song from the other man. On the plains of Abraham when they sent the lamb to die, you and I were deadened in the rock of the ages. Point out you the children to come to always come. If you need me, and I need you, there is nothing other has need to say. Include/understand it, I am not too deaf to hear the song which you play.

Nous vivons ensemble, nous nous connaissons maintenant. Ici comment, nous pouvons découvrir une autre humanité. Sur le D' ; plaines ; Abraham, à l'heure du derniers sacrifice, vous et moi, nous avons dormi très loin à temps. Rappelez-vous les enfants qui attendent toujours. Si vous me voulez, je serai là, c' ; est tout ce j' ; doivent dire. Puisqu'I inclut/comprend, je ne suis pas sourd avec la musique que vous jouez

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

Very cool. I like the original translation better too.

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

Very interesting Andy ! :clap:

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

That is interesting! I adore this song, and it's my favourite lightfoot album. Beautiful song!

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

I agree, beautiful song. Unlike any other. What a dream. (er)

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

A magnificent song... very different from his others, but on an album that was really full of departures from the "norm".
It is the only song I know of (or can think of off hand) that he sings in French. And being as how I hardly know a word of it, I roughly "translated" it through the English verse. I believe the English and French verses mirror each other. Maybe our bilingual Corfidians can shed some light on that thought?? I'd sure would like to know if my suspicions are on the money.

As a side note, I've found that translation software is still in much need of refining, especially in the area of grammar.

In my opinion, Summer Side of Life was a very adventurous album, a high point of creativity.

Great thread Andy! and way to go with using the "search" feature here. It's a great tool.

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

Well Peter I have to say that Andy's translation is pretty much on the money... And I agree that if it was written word for word it just wouldn't be the same, and a lot of translation songs just wouldn't work out.

For instance I heard "Sundown" in french a few weeks ago. I could not find it on the Internet... they did not mention the name of the female singer who did it either.

Anyway the part where the word "Sundown" comes in, she was singing "L'Amour" which means "Love".

Sundown in french would be... "La Brunante" or "coucher du soleil"...

We have to agree that 'Marie-Paul Brochart' who wrote the translation for Gord to sing that great song of his, has done a magnificent job...

Our Corfidian 'Louise' who is from Moncton NB, an English school teacher I beleive, and post here about once or twice a year would probably come in very handy here on your question. I dont know her but she should post more often. Maybe send her a PM Peter ?


BTW I'm certainly not an expert on English or French, as Im sure many of you already know. http://forum.mininova.org/style_emot...fault/nono.gif :redface:

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

I have to admit, it's interesting to know what was being said, but I'm with the majority & also prefer it as is.

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

LOL,thanks- but I must add -while I don't post here very often, I'm far from a newbie as far as Fourm type postings are concerned. I'm probably up to close to 20K posts between s handful of forums over the years. So I'm pretty well acquainted with using the search function before you make new posts I've seen some forums with horrible search functions though - but Corfid's seems to be pretty good.

I'm also a big fan of SSOL, it's got more than one of my favorite GL songs on it! Nous Vivons Ensemble isn't one of my most faves, but that doesn't mean I don't lik e the song. I do like to sing along with it, (with a little better pronunciation of the French lyrics than Gordie did)

-Andy

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

I myself love the way Gord pronounces those french words in the song. :)

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

Gord pronounces them exactly the way we were taught them here in English Canada..
lolol
that's why they don't understand us in Kweebeck..
;)

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

Kweebeck.. lol !

I would have never known how to write it, but I hear Don Cherry say it a lot.

Now Jean Chretien speaking English. http://forum.mininova.org/style_emot...fault/rofl.gif

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

I love that song; thanks!

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

I hope he does NVE in Quebec City and/or Montreal! :)

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

Letterman: http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/03...e-marois-says/

Re: Nous Vivons Ensemble, translated, sort of.
 

I've always loved this song. I played the LP over & over to get all the French words right! Gordon does sound like an Anglo speaking French (Nous pouvons decouvrir une autre humanite - that line in particular), but I'll cut him some slack. I was a Foreign Language Education major in college (with a concentration in French & Spanish, but I'm not going to be a nitpicking language purist here). I think it's really cool that he wrote/recorded this lovely bilingual song.