Apologies for the length of time since the last post – I’ve been away in France for a while.
As we’ve previously mentioned, La Ruda started life as a ska band before changing their style into a heavier, rock sound. This song – Héros cherche aventures – “Hero seeks adventure” is from the album Passager du réel and is one of the first songs where they are moving towards their new style.
This has been quite a tricky translation. As always comments, corrections, critisicms are welcomed.
Verbs
| Broyer | To grind, to crush |
Aux lendemains meilleur, on tend la main mais la paume devient poing tant l'aumône alarme au point qu'on a broyé d'ailleurs les rêves anciens quand les gamins qu’on était, levaient les armes | |
For a better tomorrow we reach out but the palm becomes a fist as much as an offering, to the point where we crushed our old dreams when the kids we once were took up arms | |
| Jeûner | To fast, abstain from food |
...qui sans peur d’un printemps pluvieux allait sauver les plus jeunes quand nos "vingt ans" jeûnent maintenant qu’on est plus vieux | |
..who, without fear, were going to save the young from a rainy spring when our "twenty years" fast now that we're older | |
| Trinquer | To clink glasses |
Aux lendemains meilleurs, aux lendemains qui chantent on trinque mais au nom d’un refrain dont l’air nous manque | |
For a better tomorrow, for a tomorrow that sings, we clink glasses but for a chorus whose tune we miss | |
| Augurer | To foresee |
Au vent des augures, vers des confins inconnus quand nos aventures prennent fin au coin de la rue | |
To the wind of omens, to unknown frontiers when our adventures come to an end around the corner | |
| Détenir | To keep, posess, detain |
Ce qui paraît simple rend grand pour qui en détient le sens | |
What appears simple seems hard for those who understand it | |
Vocabulary
| L'aumone | Alms, charity |
| La paume | Palm |
Aux lendemains meilleur, on tend la main mais la paume devient poing tant l'aumône alarme au point qu'on a broyé d'ailleurs les rêves anciens quand les gamins qu’on était, levaient les armes | |
For a better tomorrow we reach out but the palm becomes a fist as much as an offering, to the point where we crushed our old dreams when the kids we once were took up arms | |
| Des mélopées | Monotonous chants |
J’aurais aimé qu’émerge mon destin des mélopées de mes combats anodins | |
I would have liked that my destiny emerge from the monotonous chants of my harmless fights | |
| Les gamins | Kids |
Au loin se sont noyés d’ailleurs les rêves anciens et les gamins qu’on était ont levé l’ancre | |
In the distance, moreover, old dreams were drowned, and the kids we were had lifted anchor | |
| Les embruns | Spray |
J’aurais aimé qu’émerge mon destin des mélopées de mes voyages sans embruns | |
I would have liked that my destiny emerge
from the monotonous chants of my sprayless travels | |
| Les voiles | Sails |
Du fond des eaux peut-elle remonter l’étoile ? qui de caravelles en vaisseaux guidait nos voiles | |
From the bottom of the water can we replace the star which guided our sails from sailing caravels? | |
| épopée | Epic |
Héros cherche épopée pour voir enfin si exister fera de moi quelqu’un | |
Hero seeks epic to see if life will finally make something of me | |
| Trajet | Journey, trip, route |
| Les banlieusard | People from the suburbs |
Et si d’aucuns montent en mon trajet même fait de trains banlieusards | |
And if some climb on my ride like train commuters | |
| Pierre angulaire | Cornerstone |
Tirer le fer de gloire de la pierre angulaire de ce qui est en soi | |
Pulling iron glory from the cornerstone in which it rests | |
Phrases / Idioms
| Au point que | So much so that, to the point that |
Aux lendemains meilleur, on tend la main mais la paume devient poing tant l'aumône alarme au point qu'on a broyé d'ailleurs les rêves anciens quand les gamins qu’on était, levaient les armes | |
For a better tomorrow we reach out but the palm becomes a fist as much as an offering, to the point where we crushed our old dreams when the kids we once were took up arms | |
| Du fond des yeux | To look carefully |
Du fond des yeux peut-elle remonter la lueur ? | |
Looking hard, can we rekindle the flame? | |
| Nulle part | Nowhere |
Qu’ai-je fait en mon chemin, qui ne va nulle part ? | |
What have I done on my path, which goes nowhere? | |
Héros cherche aventures - La Ruda | Hero seeks adventure (translation of Héros cherche aventures by La Ruda) |
| Aux lendemains meilleurs, on tend la main | For a better tomorrow we reach out | |
| Mais la paume devient poing tant l’aumône alarme | But the palm becomes a fist as much as an offering | |
| Au point qu’on a broyé d’ailleurs les rêves anciens | To the point where we crushed our old dreams | |
| Quand les gamins qu’on était, levaient les armes | When the kids we once were took up arms | |
| Du fond des yeux peut-elle remonter la lueur ? | Looking hard, can we rekindle the flame? | |
| Qui nous habillait justicier rebelle qui sans peur | Which made us the rebel righters of wrongs who, without fear, | |
| D’un printemps pluvieux allait sauver les plus jeunes | Were going to save the young from a rainy spring | |
| Quand nos "vingt ans" jeûnent maintenant qu’on est plus vieux | When our "twenty years" fast now that we're older | |
| J’aurais aimé qu’émerge mon destin des mélopées de mes combats anodins | I would have liked that my destiny emerge | |
| Héros cherche épopée pour voir enfin si exister fera de moi quelqu’un | From the monotonous chants of my harmless fights | |
| "Hero seeks epic" to see if life will finally make something of me | ||
| Aux lendemains meilleurs, aux lendemains qui chantent | ||
| On trinque mais au nom d’un refrain dont l’air nous manque | To better tomorrows, to tomorrows that sing, | |
| Au loin se sont noyés d’ailleurs les rêves anciens | We clink glasses but for a chorus whose tune we miss | |
| Et les gamins qu’on était ont levé l’ancre | In the distance, moreover, old dreams were drowned, and the kids we were had lifted anchor | |
| Du fond des eaux peut-elle remonter l’étoile ? | From the bottom of the water can we replace the star | |
| Qui de caravelles en vaisseaux guidait nos voiles | Which guided our sails from sailing caravels? | |
| Au vent des augures, vers des confins inconnus | To the wind of omens, to unknown frontiers | |
| Quand nos aventures prennent fin au coin de la rue | When our adventures come to an end around the corner | |
| J’aurais aimé qu’émerge mon destin des mélopées de mes voyages sans embruns | I would have liked that my destiny emerge | |
| Héros cherche épopée pour voir enfin si exister fera de moi quelqu’un | From the monotonous chants of my sprayless travels | |
| "Hero seeks epic" to see if life will finally make something of me | ||
| Qu’ai-je fait de mon destin ? | ||
| Qui a pris ma part ? | What did I do with my destiny? | |
| Qu’ai-je fait en mon chemin, qui ne va nulle part ? | Who took my share? | |
| Et si c’était un pont trop loin ? | What have I done on my path, which goes nowhere? | |
| Si ce n’était pas là l’important ? | And if it were a bridge too far? | |
| Si les rêves mutins ou marins, étaient moins beaux au présent ? | If it was not important? | |
| Si le vrai était moins loin ? | If the dreams of mutineers or sailors were better than this? | |
| Et si c’était là l’important ? | If truth were closer? | |
| Ce qui paraît simple rend grand pour qui en détient le sens | And if it was important? | |
| What appears simple seems hard for those who understand it | ||
| Dans le fond doit-on vraiment pour devenir quelqu’un | ||
| Aller séduire aux firmaments ? | In the end must one really, to become somebody, | |
| Et si d’aucuns montent en mon trajet | Go and seduce the heavens? | |
| Même fait de trains banlieusards | And if some climb on my ride | |
| Je me contenterai d’être "passager du hasard" | Like train commuters | |
| Héros quoi qu’il arrive, quant au destin ? | I will be content to be "random passenger" | |
| T’en souvient-il ma vie de ce dessein ? | Hero whatever happens, and as for fate? | |
| Où être utile est épée de victoire | Do you remember if my life was meant to be this way? | |
| Aussi futile soit "l’épopée du vouloir" | Where being useful is the sword of victory | |
| As trivial as "the epic of want" is | ||
| L’épopée du vouloir, la foi d’y croire | ||
| Tirer le fer de gloire de la pierre angulaire de ce qui est en soi | The epic of want, the faith to believe | |
| La foi de faire, l’épopée du vouloir | Pulling iron glory from the cornerstone in which it rests | |
| The faith to do, the epic of want |
