German Translation of Songs

General discussion about Leonard Cohen's songs and albums
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harald
Posts: 359
Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:15 pm
Location: Munich, Germany

German Translation of Songs

Post by harald »

I have done a German translation of the songs on the Old Ideas CD.
And earlier one of the Live in London 2008 CD.
If interested please send a pm with your email address and I will mail you the pdf(s).
For free, of course – while I would not refuse a drink on the road.

Most members of this forum will be quite fluent in English. I have started the translations to bring L Cohen´s songs closer to family members and friends not (yet) addicted.

I know it´s not the only translation around, but, no way thinking mine would be better, I was not really happy with the other versions.
The idea of my translation was to give one which is maybe less beautiful and artistic but strictly close to the original lyrics with no interpretation whatsoever. When the English text sounds strange I did not want to help out smoothening it in the German version.
L Cohen´s lyrics stand for themselves as they are. I tried a puristic translation.

harald
1979 Kassel / 1980 Munich / 2008 Munich, Hamburg / 2009 Cologne, Antwerp, Lisbon, Budapest, Barcelona / 2010 Salzburg, Florence, Marseille, Stuttgart, Bratislava / 2012 Ghent, Berlin, Verona, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon / 2013 Paris, Mannheim, Rome, Prague, Pula, Zuerich, Amsterdam
2011 Haiger / 2014 Dublin / 2015 Hydra, Viladrau / 2016 Amsterdam / 2017 Hydra, Balaton / 2019 Yorkshire
martinstuttgart
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2009 10:55 pm

Re: German Translation of Songs

Post by martinstuttgart »

Auf Deine Übersetzung freut sich: martin.rupps@swr.de
Doris
Posts: 71
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2012 1:07 am
Location: Rosenheim/Germany

Re: German Translation of Songs

Post by Doris »

The translation has arrrived.

Thank you so much, dear Harald!
And all I´ve said
was just instead of
Coming back to you.
Brigitte
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2012 10:01 pm

Re: German Translation of Songs

Post by Brigitte »

Bitte sende auch mir deine Übersetzungen! briwim@aon.at
harald
Posts: 359
Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:15 pm
Location: Munich, Germany

Re: German Translation of Songs

Post by harald »

hi friends

I´ll be off for the Spain and Portugal concerts, please excuse delays with my translations

and I found out that the ones I did already send were word docs, not pdfs, so if the did not arrive in proper form, please tell me and I´ll send them again as pdfs after coming home from Lisbon, sorry

best
harald
1979 Kassel / 1980 Munich / 2008 Munich, Hamburg / 2009 Cologne, Antwerp, Lisbon, Budapest, Barcelona / 2010 Salzburg, Florence, Marseille, Stuttgart, Bratislava / 2012 Ghent, Berlin, Verona, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon / 2013 Paris, Mannheim, Rome, Prague, Pula, Zuerich, Amsterdam
2011 Haiger / 2014 Dublin / 2015 Hydra, Viladrau / 2016 Amsterdam / 2017 Hydra, Balaton / 2019 Yorkshire
harald
Posts: 359
Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 4:15 pm
Location: Munich, Germany

Re: German Translation of Songs

Post by harald »

Dear friends

To all who asked for my translations, please excuse the delay. I am suffering from an excess of time shortage.
I will send the translations these days.
I´d like to point out that I did not care for rhyming. I just tried a true and close translation.

Best
Harald
1979 Kassel / 1980 Munich / 2008 Munich, Hamburg / 2009 Cologne, Antwerp, Lisbon, Budapest, Barcelona / 2010 Salzburg, Florence, Marseille, Stuttgart, Bratislava / 2012 Ghent, Berlin, Verona, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon / 2013 Paris, Mannheim, Rome, Prague, Pula, Zuerich, Amsterdam
2011 Haiger / 2014 Dublin / 2015 Hydra, Viladrau / 2016 Amsterdam / 2017 Hydra, Balaton / 2019 Yorkshire
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lizzytysh
Posts: 25503
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 8:57 pm
Location: Florida, U.S.A.

Re: German Translation of Songs

Post by lizzytysh »

Hi Harald ~

A great gift. Once they have the meaning, they can listen for the rhyme in Leonard's English versions.


~ Lizzy
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde
Nanila
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2012 5:59 am
Location: Germany

Re: German Translation of Songs

Post by Nanila »

Hallo Harald,

ich würde mich auch sehr über die Übersetzungen freuen!

Lieben Gruß,
Renate
r.sendal@web.de
Berlin 1979
Århus 1988
New York 2012
Hamburg 2013
and soon Amsterdam 2013
Nanila
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2012 5:59 am
Location: Germany

Re: German Translation of Songs

Post by Nanila »

Dankeschön!
Berlin 1979
Århus 1988
New York 2012
Hamburg 2013
and soon Amsterdam 2013
Marak
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 8:44 pm

Re: German Translation of Songs

Post by Marak »

Hallo,

bin schon sehr gespannt auf deine Übersetzungen! :D

Vielen Dank

Marak
Marak
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 8:44 pm

Re: German Translation of Songs

Post by Marak »

Hallo,

ich habe vergessen:

morok222@gmx.de

Danke :!:

Marak
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