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    Unwohl → English translation

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Unwohl

Im Augenblick und reflektiert von den Pfützen auf der Straße
hat das Neonlicht der Tanke fast ein bißchen was Sakrales,
es nieselt leicht, wie zumeist, ich fühl mich überübereizt,
höchstwahrscheinlich bin ich ziemlich bleich,
der Regen legt n dünnen, weichen Film auf meiner Haut ab,
mein rechter Schuh schmatzt aus einem Loch, durch das er Wasser aufgesaugt hat,
die Reeboks taugen nichts, ich hoffe inständig, das Blag,
das das Paar zusammengeklebt hat, wurde hart dafür bestraft,
hab ich das gesagt ? leise, unwillkürlich und stakkato
red ich vor mich hin, zum Glück ist grade niemand auf der Straße,
die Kälte und die frische Luft pushen mich, wie wenn man
im Warmen trinkt, doch erst, wenn man nach draußen geht, betrunken ist,
ich drück den Fünfer fest zusammen, er fühlt sich warm,
weich und klebrig an vom Schweiß der Innenfläche meiner rechten Hand,
ich zahl drei Flaschen Pils damit, zitter zwar, doch nicht so stark,
ich hoff, der Typ am Nachtschalter merkt es mir nicht an
 
Ich fühl mich wie unter Beobachtung
Ich hoff, der Typ am Nachtschalter merkt es mir nicht an
und ich fühl mich nicht so wohl in meiner Haut
Ich hoff, der Typ am Nachtschalter merkt es mir nicht an
So einiges, was ist, behält man lieber für sich
Ich hoffe bloß, man merkt es mir nicht an
Es ist nicht einfach, doch ich nehme mich zusammen
ich hoffe bloß, man merkt es mir nicht an
 
Ich hoffe bloß, keiner unsrer Nachbarn hat was mitgekriegt,
doch sicherlich, es war schon ziemlich laut für kurze Zeit,
ich erinnere mich kaum, worum es ging bei diesem Streit,
wie immer wohl um alles und um nichts zu gleichen Teil´n,
ich hass es, wenn sie schreit und immer lauter wird, wir ham hier
schon genug Mietparteien, die man tagein und -aus im Hausflur hört,
wir sind nich wie die Asis hier, das sach ich dir, ich lasse mir
den Rachen kühlen von der ersten Flasche Bier, bleibe in der
Küche sitzen, starr die Wand an, atme tief durch,
trinke ganz langsam aus, es ist grad so schön ruhig,
denke nach, wie bisher kann ich nicht weitermachen,
ich hätt sie nicht anrühren solln, ich hab mich reizen lassen,
ich setz mich zu ihr auf die Couch, der Fernseher läuft, stummgeschaltet,
ich käm mir albern vor, mich jetzt mit ihr zu unterhalten,
sie würde kalt bleiben, starrt mich unversöhnlich an,
ich bleibe hart, mir tut es leid, ich hoff, sie merkt es mir nicht an
 
Doch ich fühl mich wie unter Beobachtung,
ich bleibe hart, mir tut es leid, ich hoff, sie merkt es mir nicht an
und ich fühl mich nicht so wohl in meiner Haut
ich bleibe hart, mir tut es leid, ich hoff, sie merkt es mir nicht an
So einiges, was ist, behält man lieber für sich
Ich hoffe bloß, sie merkt es mir nicht an
und es ist nicht grade leicht, doch ich nehme mich zusammen
ich hoffe bloß, sie merkt es mir nicht an
 
Ich weiß, dieser Abend ist nicht rückgängig zu machen
und ich weiß, daß ichs weiß, aber nicht, obs mir bewusst ist,
wenn sie könnte, hätt sie tausend gute Gründe mich zu hassen,
ich wünschte nur, sie würde mit mir reden, nichts zu machen,
ihre Augen sind gerötet und ich seh die Haematome,
meine grenzenlose Trauer wird auf kein Verständnis stoßen,
ihr Gesicht ist ausdruckslos und ohne Farbe,
ich ruh mich ne Minute aus vom Tragen, dann beginne ich zu graben,
der Boden ist schon hart, obwohl die Sonne scheint
die ersten Nächte unter Null kommen bald, Herzrasen,
Seitenstiche, doch die spür ich erst, als es geschafft ist,
und sie sicher in der Erde und im Matsch ist, ich decke
sie mit Laub zu, nehme Abschied, geh zum Auto, schieß los,
fahre Schleichwege, handel wie auf Autopilot,
gehe duschen und dann schlafen, ich nehme mich zusamm´,
morgen meld ich sie vermisst, ich hoff, sie merken mir nichts an
 
Translation

Uneasy

In this moment and being reflected by the puddles on the street
the neon light of the gas station almost feels somewhat sacred,1
it's drizzling a little bit as usual, I'm feeling overly overstrained,
most likely I'm pretty pale,
the rain is putting a thin, soft coating onto my skin,
my right shoe is smacking out of a hole through which it has soaked up water,
the Reeboks are good for nothing, I sincerely hope the brat
who glued the pair was punished hard for that,
have I said that aloud? Silently, spontaneously and staccato
I'm talking to myself, luckily there's no one on the street now, the coldness and the fresh air are pushing me up, like when you are drinking in a warm place and aren't drunk before you go outside
I'm clenching the 5 euro note tightly, it feels warm
soft and sticky from the sweat of the palm of my right hand,
I buy2 three bottles of Pils3 with it, (I) sure am shaking, but not that much,
I hope the guy on the night desk doesn't notice it
 
I feel like I'm being watched,
I hope the guy on the night desk won't find me out
and I'm feeling rather uneasy
I hope the guy on the night desk won't find me out
There are quite a few things you rather keep to yourself
I just hope nobody will find me out
And it's really not easy but I pull myself together
I just hope nobody will find me out
 
I just hope that none of the neighbours has heard it,
but they surely did, it has been pretty loud for a short time,
I hardly remember what the quarrel was about,
Probably like always about everything and nothing altogether,
I hate it when she screams louder and louder, we already have
enough tenants here which can be heard on the hallway day in, day out,
we aren't like that scum, I'm telling you, I let the
first bottle of beer cool my throat, remain sitting
in the kitchen,
staring at the wall I take a deep breath,
drink up very slowly, it's so pleasantly calm at the moment,
I'm thinking, I can't go on like this,
"I should have let her be4, I let myself be provoked,
I sit down next to her on the couch, the TV is on, muted,
It would feel stupid to talk with her now,
she would stay cold, is staring at me unforgivingly,
I stand firm, I feel sorry, I hope she doesn't notice
 
I feel like I'm being watched,
I stand firm, I feel sorry, I hope she won't find me out
and I'm feeling rather uneasy
I stand firm, I feel sorry, I hope she won't find me out
There are quite a few things you rather keep to yourself
I just hope she won't find me out
And it's really not easy but I pull myself together
I just hope she won't find me out
 
I know, this evening can't be taken back
and I know that I know it but I don't know if I'm aware of it,
If she could she would have a thousand good reasons to hate me,
I just wish she would talk to me, nothing doing,
her eyes are red and I can see the hematomas,
my infinite sorrow won't find any comprehension,
her face is blank and devoid of colour,
for a minute I take a rest from dragging, then I start digging
the ground is already hard although the sun is shining,
the first nights below zero will come soon, racing heart,
side stich, but I'm not feeling that before I'm done
and she's safe in the earth and mud, I cover
her with leaves, say good-bye, go to the car, dash off,
I rat run, as if on autopilot,
take a shower and then go to sleep, pull myself together,
tomorrow I'll report her missing, I hope they won't find me out
 
  • 1. literary "has an almost sacred feeling to it,"
  • 2. literary "pay"
  • 3. a kind of beer en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pils
  • 4. literary "I shouldn't have touched her"
The author of translation requested proofreading.
It means that he/she will be happy to receive corrections, suggestions etc about the translation.
If you are proficient in both languages of the language pair, you are welcome to leave your comments.
Idioms from "Unwohl"
Comments
jezicijezici    Sun, 19/08/2012 - 21:09

Thank you for a good translation.

My English is better than my Deutsch, but I can make a few suggestions:

"Sakrales" in this instance means "sacred."
In the next line, you normally wouldn't contract "it's" the second time: "It's drizzling a little bit, like it is most of the time."
"Film" = "coating" rather than "coat"
"taugen nichts" = "are good for nothing" or "aren't good for anything"
"ich hab' mich reizen lassen" = "I let myself be provoked"
"ist nicht rückgängig zu machen" = "can't be taken back"
Add the article "a" in "would have thousand" ("would have a thousand")
Add "I'm" in a few places after like: "like I'm under observation" (2x) and "like I'm on automatic pilot"
"und dann schlafen" = "and then go to sleep"

ScieraSciera
   Sun, 19/08/2012 - 20:07

Thank you very much for all these suggestions!

ScieraSciera
   Sat, 01/09/2012 - 20:40
Quote:

Im Augenblick -> for an instant

"for an instant" only refers to a short moment, "im Augenblick" is a bit longer I think, so I won't change it.

Quote:

doch erst, wenn man nach draußen geht, betrunken ist -> but you won't get outside before you're drunk

That's not what it means. The german line means paraphrased "you drink beer or something in a bar but don't feel any effects. Then you go outside and feel drunken."

Quote:

ich zahl drei Flaschen Pils damit -> I don't think you can translate directly. More like "Should get three beer bottles for that."

Uh, my mistake. I could have sworn that it said "zähl" instead of "zahl".
But I think the line shall mean "ich bezahl...", that I would make to "I'm buying...". Or "I buy..." instead of "buying"?

Quote:

Ich fühl mich wie unter Beobachtung -> I feel like I'm being watched (unless "unter Beobachtung" has a special meaning I don't get)

I think I had a reason why I wrote "under observation" but I guess "being watched" is better. And, "I feel" or "I'm feeling"?

Quote:

ich hätt sie nicht anrühren solln -> not quite sure about the German, but I think of something like "I should have ignored her" (lit. "I should not (even) have dealt with her"

It could also mean that but when I translate it that way the double-meaning would get lost. As you propably have noticed the lyrics play with giving hints about what really happens (that he kills her) but don't tell it explicitly until about halfway through the last verse. "anrühren" in its literary sense means "to touch" and it can also mean "to physically harm", "to use violence". But, your translation isn't completely off, it could also mean something like "to not ignore", "to deal with (a person)". It's hard to translate all meanings of it... I guess "touch" has enough meanings to fit here.

Quote:

ich käm mir albern vor -> my German is not good enough to estimate the strength of "albern", but "silly" sounds, well, a bit silly in this context Smile. More like "stupid" maybe?

I honestly don't know. But I think "silly" propably is not the wrong expression, so I'll leave it.

Quote:

die Haematome -> sounds a bit like forensics. Maybe just "bruises"?

In German it sounds at least as forensic as in English. I had to look up "Hämatom" on Wikipedia before I could translate it into English.

Thanks for all the suggestions! Seems like you are much better than me at writing an English that really sounds like fluent English :)

EDIT: And another thing: I translated "ich hoff sie merken mir nichts an" etc. to "I hope they don't notice". I think it might be a bit too free because "jemandem etwas anmerken" really refers to the actions of the person that tries to hide something, like, him acting suspiciously. "notice" is much more general. But I couldn't think of any other way to express it.

ScieraSciera
   Sun, 02/09/2012 - 10:18
Quote:

Just a few details :
- "im Augenblick" (literally the time needed to blink, right?) seems very close to "in a moment" to me. As far as I can tell, the only "longer" expression would be something like "a short while" or "a few seconds", but that's much longer than a blink.

The time you need to blink is called "einen Augenblick lang". "Im Augenblick" means the same as "im Moment", "derzeit", "gerade" - and that just means "now".
"In this moment" also means "now" and is closer to the original.

Quote:

ich hoff sie merken mir nichts an -> "I hope they won't find me out" might be the expression you're looking for. Can't tell for sure since the German is a sweet mystery to me, but you might want to check it out.

That at least fits better than "notice". It seems to mean something similiar as "anmerken" even though the still are differences. Perhaps English doesn't have any expression for that.

SilentRebel83SilentRebel83
   Fri, 09/05/2014 - 07:54

Well done! I also have some suggestions of my own to make in addition to what jezici and our dear estranged guest have provided:

block 1; line 5: "It's drizzling a little bit like usual"
Looking at the German wie zumeist, I would say it's better to use "as" instead of "like" or you can also substitute "always" for "usual"

In the second part of the second line "I'm feeling overoverstrained"
It's kinda strange to see 'overoverstrained'. Yes, I know that's the literal meaning hehe. May I suggest removing the first set of 'over' and use the adverb 'overly'? --> overly overstrained.

block 1; line 10: "I sincerly hope the brat" typo --> sincerely

block 3; line 4: "Propably like always about everything and nothing" typo --> Probably

ScieraSciera
   Fri, 09/05/2014 - 17:47

Thanks for your comment!

I agree with all your suggestions and change it accordingly.

I've changed some other things, too:
"I'm buying" -> "I buy"
"I'm sitting down" -> "I sit down"
"I'm rat running" -> "I rat run"