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Hi! I need help in my Russian translation of the song "A Cry Farewell - Nothing Left".
https://lyricstranslate.com/en/cry-farewell-nothing-left-lyrics.html
It's almost done, but I am not sure about next lines:
S2L4 You've got the ropes and my hands are tied Has it an idiomatic meaning? Has it something to do with the idiom "On the ropes"?
S2L6 But it won't stop the burning of the sun. Should it be translated verbatim, or is it idiom?
Hello! I don't speak Russian, but I am a native English speaker so I hope I can at least help explain what these mean. :)
You've got the ropes and my hands are tied -> No, it's not really an idiom. More of a metaphor, I would say. It basically means that whoever "you" is is in complete control of the speaker. Hence the metaphor of the "tied hands" - the speaker cannot act out of his/her own free will.
But it won't stop the burning of the sun -> I think this line basically means "we can't change anything." It's a bit hard to explain. I think because the act of the sun burning is a constant (i.e. always happening), stopping the sun would be a drastic change. And the speaker can't make a change as big as that.
At least, this is what I've deduced from reading the lyrics. I would translate these both verbatim, but you can decide what is best for your translation. Anyone else is welcome to give their own interpretation :)
I also don't know Russian and also am a native speaker of English.
rtplotp may be 100 % correct, but I have a different interpretation.
I agree that 'ropes/hands tied is not an idiom, at least not where I live.
But I would say the singer is desperately wanting whoever is being spoken to to give comfort and answers. The tied hands represent the inability to move on without answers. If only the person with the ropes would untie them by giving her the comfort and right answers.
'The burning sun' is the torment, again, of not getting the comfort or the answers.
Incidentally, as you probably are aware, 'wearing one's heart on one's sleeve' IS an idiomatic expression.
Yes, that's right, these are idioms.
«I know there's nothing I can do to change the outcome
So how do I make a difference in what is done?
A wreckless soul and we're all left stunned
You've got the ropes and my hands are tied
We can try and try
But it won't stop the burning of the sun.», this means
I know that I can do nothing to change what happened.
How can I change what happened?
You were careless, and we are all overwhelmed by your doom,
I can't help you, my hands are as if bound.
We can try and try to change your destiny,
But it is as impossible as stopping the radiance of the sun.
I hope I somehow helped you.
;)