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    Jodie → English translation

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Jodie

Jodie, the night train
doesn't go very far, but still
Jodie on the long-distance platform
would like a ride, just to see.
 
Leaving, going forth to the sea,
boarding a ship, watching the land recede.
Leaving, getting away,
forgetting the worries...
 
Too bad for the one who awaits you.
He'll wait, if he understands you.
Too bad if it all puzzles him.
He'll get used to it, surely he will.
 
Jodie got tired of hearing
lofty speeches she can't understand.
Jodie got tired of waiting
for nothing.
 
Jodie, this is your stop.
Jodie, put down your novel.
Why don't you turn the page and let this train go?
The great journey will not start anytime soon, you know.
Jodie, this is your stop.
Jodie, this is your stop.
Jodie!
 
Jodie, you don't have much to lose
by walking away.
Jodie, run, don't hesitate.
Opportunity doesn't knock twice.
 
Leaving, going forth to the sea,
boarding a ship, watching the land recede.
Leaving, now or never
or never...
 
Jodie, this is your stop.
Jodie, put down your novel.
Why don't you turn the page and let this train go?
The great journey will not start anytime soon, you know.
Jodie, this is your stop.
Jodie, this is your stop.
Jodie!
 
Jodie, Jodie...
 
Jodie, this is your stop.
Jodie, put down your novel.
Why don't you turn the page and let this train go?
The great journey will not start anytime soon, you know.
Jodie, this is your stop.
Jodie, this is your stop.
Jodie...
 
Original lyrics

Jodie

Click to see the original lyrics (French)

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Comments
La Fille avec le VisageLa Fille avec le Visage    Mon, 30/10/2017 - 01:09

A few things don't flow very easily, so here I am to save the day :P

le train de tous les soirs -> Instead of "the daily evening train" I would say "the nightly train"

La chance ne passe jamais deux fois -> Instead of saying "Chance only shows up once" I would either say "This is your only chance" or "The opportunity [to run] won't last very long"

La Fille avec le VisageLa Fille avec le Visage    Mon, 30/10/2017 - 01:21

Hmm... I'll have to think about that one.

Perhaps that would work. I was just thinking in terms of the scenario, like, once her chance to run is gone, there won't be another chance or something like that.

tdwarmstdwarms    Tue, 31/10/2017 - 07:09

I really like this song! Thanks for translating it, the music video is very 80s! I have a few minor suggestions for your consideration.

For “le train de tous les soirs,” I suggest simply “the night train.” I think this preserves the meaning you explained above, while also being a very familiar term. There are numerous well-known songs that either take it as a title or have it in the lyrics.

I would also hyphenate “long distance platform” to read “long-distance platform.”

To me, “Jodie, that’s your stop” sounds a little distant or abstract. I might consider “Jodie, it’s your stop” or “Jodie, this is your stop.”

tdwarmstdwarms    Tue, 31/10/2017 - 07:16

Oddly enough, my name's Taylor too. That's what I get for my mother choosing a unisex name... :)

When I read the French, I think of the phrase "Lightning never strikes the same place twice." However, the more appropriate proverb may be: "Opportunity knocks but once."

Maybe something along those lines?

tdwarmstdwarms    Tue, 31/10/2017 - 07:28

Why can't we pick our own colours? Hahaha.

Incidentally, you could probably say "opportunity doesn't knock twice." That might be closest to the French.

tdwarmstdwarms    Tue, 31/10/2017 - 07:39

The promise of better things to come! ;)

tdwarmstdwarms    Tue, 31/10/2017 - 07:49

Great song! I had to refer to your English translation to understand a lot of the references. I've never heard of Les Fatals Picards, I'll definitely have to check them out.

tdwarmstdwarms    Tue, 31/10/2017 - 08:03

This is great. It's like comedy punk. " il mérite quand même, lui, par rapport aux autres / il mérite plus, quand même, hein." So funny!

tdwarmstdwarms    Tue, 31/10/2017 - 08:18

It's my new favourite song! "il parlait breton comme une vache espagnole" Hahaha!

I can only think that maybe what they mean isn't very polite. Hahaha. Kig ha farz means "meat with stuffing," so when you put that in relation to one's seat...

sandringsandring    Tue, 31/10/2017 - 08:41

Pierre, thank you for your translation! I've put in two commas, so will you, pls, correct the pronouns in your translation of this
Jodie, pense que tu n'as pas
Grand chose à perdre si tu t'en vas.

I'd say "Luck never smiles twice" :)

sandringsandring    Tue, 31/10/2017 - 09:15

You've been using "you" in other parts. As I presume the author is addressing the girl, so "you" throughout the translation would sound more coherent to get the message across. But it's up to you anyway. :)

As for your riddle SEAT kig ha farz there's a pun here, I guess. Look. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kig_ha_farz
Kig means viande, CHAIR, a French word which looks like an English one and may be - two in one - interpreted as A seat for your ass, besides, the dish is positioned as one for the poor and is a variation of "pot-au-feu" which gives us a heated seat in a car. All in all, I'd interpret it like this "A heated seat in a car for this poor Breton is all he could desire, his bravest dream" :)

tdwarmstdwarms    Tue, 31/10/2017 - 09:31

Just to jump in, if I may. I like the clever pun you point out there: “seat” -> “chair.” Well spotted!

Incidentally, as I understand it, the French wiki is slightly incorrect: “farz” = “farcie” pas “farine;” “farine” est “bleud.” Personally, I think the idea of stuffing or stuffed it important here, giving us the rather vulgar: “your seat is stuffed with meat.” I feel that it fits better with the tone of the song, but that’s just my interpretation, anyway. :)

tdwarmstdwarms    Tue, 31/10/2017 - 09:44

Absolutely! Definitely a first for me. ;)

sandringsandring    Wed, 01/11/2017 - 06:47

Well, guys, I saw your Breton riddle on the road yesterday. It's a SEAT, a Spanish car, always spelt with capital letters. Stupid me! But the idea wasn't bad either. So it stands for a Spanish car a la Breton. And that's not a joke! ;)

tdwarmstdwarms    Wed, 01/11/2017 - 07:12

I'm fairly certain that these SEAT cars are a European-only phenomena... Or at least, I've never heard of them in the States before. "'Curiouser and curiouser!' cried Alice." ;)

Maybe my compatriots could clarify?

tdwarmstdwarms    Wed, 01/11/2017 - 07:18

Very interesting. I just found that it is apparently an acronym for Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo. Hahaha. That makes me think of tour buses!

No offence to owners of these cars intended, of course! ;)

tdwarmstdwarms    Wed, 01/11/2017 - 07:21

Great find, sandring! I think the only one I recognize is the Citroën.

sandringsandring    Wed, 01/11/2017 - 07:11

Who knows, dear. The truth is beyond there :)