Let me translate the first verse without regard to artistic value, but merely to content, then you can get an idea about the differences:
Mistral-Wind, you hunter of clouds,
murderer of misery, sweeper of heavens,
blusterer, how do I love you!
are the two of us not of one womb,
first gift of one lot,
predetermined eternally?
*Note, this is my personal translation and I don't claim perfection. It's merely intended to give people an idea how difficult it is to translate poetry.
@thalamay Add to that the fact that some words in any particular language tend to have some kind of ambiguity. So even my more literal translation can't encapsulate that. For example, the part I translates as "sweeper of heavens" might as well be "racer through the sky" or anything in-between as both the German "Himmel" as well as "Feger" are ambiguous and the context would allow for either.
It is a difference to translate a book or a poem. if you translate a book you don`t have the problems of the correct rhymes. If you try to translate a poem in another language you will become some problems to find the right word that rhymes.
That could be fall out on a wrong meaning.
That what you said about Nietzsches utterance ithink it`s right.
it doesn`t matter wich language you can translate.
@astronautenhelm That's one thing I have often wondered. I don't speak German and Nietzsche's writings are nuanced. Is Nietzsche right in saying: "It is neither the best nor the worst of a book that is untranslatable."
Can you point to one or two words that have changed in translation? Thx
first time i hear a poem by nietzsche in english. i treasure them a lot in german. some of them are surely among the best written in german language in my opinion.
nice translation and well read indeed! greetings from germany!
@littleloverboy Thanks for the feedback! Nietzsche's poetry seems to be completely ignored in the England which is, according to Nietzsche, the low pole of philosophical ability! (in the Genealogy of Morals)
@Tehcarp Have things changed much since then? Would Nietzsche have complimented any English philosopher of the 20th or 21st century? I guess he was mainly sniping at the utilitarians but we don't seem to have move on much.
Let me translate the first verse without regard to artistic value, but merely to content, then you can get an idea about the differences:
Mistral-Wind, you hunter of clouds,
murderer of misery, sweeper of heavens,
blusterer, how do I love you!
are the two of us not of one womb,
first gift of one lot,
predetermined eternally?
*Note, this is my personal translation and I don't claim perfection. It's merely intended to give people an idea how difficult it is to translate poetry.
thalamay 4 weeks ago
@thalamay Add to that the fact that some words in any particular language tend to have some kind of ambiguity. So even my more literal translation can't encapsulate that. For example, the part I translates as "sweeper of heavens" might as well be "racer through the sky" or anything in-between as both the German "Himmel" as well as "Feger" are ambiguous and the context would allow for either.
thalamay 4 weeks ago
It is a difference to translate a book or a poem. if you translate a book you don`t have the problems of the correct rhymes. If you try to translate a poem in another language you will become some problems to find the right word that rhymes.
That could be fall out on a wrong meaning.
That what you said about Nietzsches utterance ithink it`s right.
it doesn`t matter wich language you can translate.
astronautenhelm 3 months ago
It seems to be very difficult to translate poem in other language that it become similar rhymes... some words are far away from the german meaning.
astronautenhelm 3 months ago
@astronautenhelm That's one thing I have often wondered. I don't speak German and Nietzsche's writings are nuanced. Is Nietzsche right in saying: "It is neither the best nor the worst of a book that is untranslatable."
Can you point to one or two words that have changed in translation? Thx
sheert 3 months ago
first time i hear a poem by nietzsche in english. i treasure them a lot in german. some of them are surely among the best written in german language in my opinion.
nice translation and well read indeed! greetings from germany!
littleloverboy 1 year ago
@littleloverboy Thanks for the feedback! Nietzsche's poetry seems to be completely ignored in the England which is, according to Nietzsche, the low pole of philosophical ability! (in the Genealogy of Morals)
sheert 1 year ago
@sheert 19th century England
Tehcarp 1 year ago
@Tehcarp Have things changed much since then? Would Nietzsche have complimented any English philosopher of the 20th or 21st century? I guess he was mainly sniping at the utilitarians but we don't seem to have move on much.
sheert 1 year ago