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Translation Meditation
Der var engang en mand,
Han boede i en spand,
Og spanden var af ler,
Og konen vasked’ bleer,
Og drengen var barber,
Og tante spilled’ klaver,
Nu kan jeg ikke mere.
Here is a Danish children's rhyme
There was once a man,
he lived in a pail,
and the pail was of clay,
and the wife washed diapers,
and the boy was a barber,
and the aunt played piano,
now can I not more.
Here is a literal translation
Once there was a man
He lived in a pan
And the pan was of clay
And the wife danced ballet
And the boy sold cigars
And the aunt played guitars
And that’s enough by far!
The problem is... this translation, though accurate, doesn't maintain the cadence, the rhythm of the original. Does that matter? Sometimes. Often, actually. In a children's rhyme, I think it is absolutely essential. The question is, can you maintain the meaning without losing the rhythm? Not easily. Here's what I came up with, but I had to sacrifice a lot of the meaning for the sake of the rhyme and rhythm. Can you think of some better ways to translate this, keeping the meaining but also the beat?
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