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'Ôsz az idô - The Time Is Autumn' (MU001) |
The first in a series of translations of songs (with notes)
from albums that are considered important works.
Muzsikás and Márta Sebestyén: Dúdoltam én
Muzsikás and Márta Sebestyén: I have been humming
Translation by
Eszter Kató
The purpose of this translation is to give the listener an understanding of the songs on this album rather than produce a poetical English version. It should be thought of as a literal version of the songs with the explanatory notes. It is hoped, at the very least, that this will lead to a greater appreciation of the songs for those who do not speak Hungarian.
[Foot notes: with each song translation there are the translators foot
notes
which can be accessed by clicking on the relevant number.
Clicking on the note number will return you to the original line.]
Part One
| 1. Vetettem violát (Moldva) Vetettem violát, várom kinyílását, s az én édesemnek visszafordulását. Kinyílt a viola, ki is virágoza, de az én édesem nem jött vissza soha. Madárkám, madárkám, csácsogó rigócskám, pendítsd meg nyelvednek gyönyörű szólását, pendítsd meg nyelvednek gyönyörű szólását, fújj az én szívemnek vigasztaló nótát. Meg se búsítottam, meg se vigasztalom, meg se búsítottam, meg se vigasztalom, ki megbúsította, meg is vigasztalja, ki megbúsította, meg is vigasztalja. Vetettem violát, várom kinyílását, s az én édesemnek visszafordulását. Kinyílt a viola, de nem az a teljes, visszajött édesem, de nem az a kedves. Madárkám, madárkám, csácsogó rigócskám, pendítsd meg nyelvednek gyönyörű szólását, pendítsd meg nyelvednek gyönyörű szólását, fújj az én szívemnek vigasztaló nótát. |
1. I have sown violet (Moldavian)[1] I have sown violets[2] I have sown violets, I await their bloom While I am waiting, I await my sweetheart's return[3] (to me). The violet has bloomed [4], it has also flowered[5], But my sweet one has never come back (to me). My little bird, my little bird, my chattering little blackbird[6] Pluck[7] that beautiful sound of your voice Bring forth your the beautiful sounds of your voice[8] Sing[9] to my heart a comforting song. I have neither made her sad, nor will I comfort her, I have neither made her sad, nor will I comfort her, The one who made her will comfort her, too, The one who made her will comfort her, too. I have sown violets, I await their bloom, Just as I await my sweetheart's return. The violets have bloomed but it's not as I expected ... My sweet one returned but she is no longer endearing to me.[10] My little bird, my little bird, my chattering little blackbird Bring forth that beautiful sound of your voice Bring forth that beautiful sound of your voice Sing to my heart a comforting song |
| Notes
on track 1 [1] Moldva is a region East of Transylvania, a bare, mountainous area, where only a a very small group of Hungarians remain (moldvai csángók – those who have gone astray/ wandered away). [2] It is in the singular in Hungarian. Sowing some flower’s seed is a very common way for starting a folk song, it combines the natural images with the planting of flowers – that is, emotions, as well as a sense of expectation and hope. [3] Meaning: returning, but a slightly different expression is used, more in the sense of turning around/back as ‘fordulás’ means the motion of turning (otherwise it would be ‘visszatérés’, coming back). [4] ‘kinyílni’ means ‘to open up’ in a word-by-word translation, but, when it refers to a flower, it usually means the opening of the petals, that is, its blooming (that’s how I translated it in the first place where it appears). Here, however, the lines repeat the same instant by adding: it has also flowered (developed a flower), so maybe the first one refers to the opening of the first leaves that came out of the ground. (The other option is that the latter phrase means its development reached its fullness.) [5] ki is virágoza: the verb ‘virágozni’ means to flower (virág = flower). Interestingly, it is put in a past tense that is not used any more in Hungarian (it would be ‘ki is virágzott’ in today’s Hungarian). I don’t think this grammatical fact has a special relevance, it is just interesting to note. [6] This time ‘madárkám’ does not refer to his lover, but a consoling company of a bird. [7] As in the playing of a string instrument. [8] i.e.: start singing. [9] Fújj nótát means blow a song in a word-by-word translation. To blow a song means not only being able to sing it by heart and with a sort of automatic manner (e.g. there is an expression saying ‘I know it so well, I can blow it by heart), but also a lamentation in this type of comfort – the bird is always there, at least, but it also implies the missing of the real partner. Hence, the bird is blowing that song to me only, it implies a very sad context. [10] I put many additional words in brackets to try to give back the sense of those words – obviously, he/she is lamenting not getting back something in its full, perfect form. |
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| 2. Széki Magyar, a Misié Ne szeressél kettőt-hármat, mert az egy is elég bánat. Olyan bánat a szívemen, kétrét hajlott az egeken. Ha még egyet hajlott volna, szívem kettéhasadt volna. Jaj, Istenem, hogy éljek meg, hogy a világ ne szóljon meg? Szól a világ, mit hajtok rá, úgy ég a tűz, ha tesznek rá. Egész világ rólam beszél, de azt mind elfújja a szél. Úgy kellett volna szeretni, hogy azt meg ne tudja senki. Megtudta az egész világ, s minden rosszat reám kiált. |
2. Magyar (song/dance) from Szék, Misi’s[11] Don’t have two or three lovers at the same time, Because one is enough sorrow[12]. Such is the sorrow in my heart[13], It is two-folded on the skies. Had it folded once more, My heart would have broken in two. Oh, my God, how shall I live/make a living, So that the world should not talk badly of me? People say things, what do I care[14], The fire burns when it is stoked. All the world is talking about me, But the wind blows all of that away. Loving should have been so That nobody should get to know it. The whole world got to know it, And it is shouting terrible things to me. |
| Notes
on track 2 [11] Szék is a region in Transylvania, mainly in the mountain area (all names of settlements and smaller regions here end in –szék, so it is easy to spot on a map). The title says it is a Hungarian (Magyar) song from Szék, brought by/belonging to/favourite of this chap called Misi (Mihály, that is, Michael). [12] To love one person at a time is already enough sorrow. [13] Instead of ‘in my heart’ (normally, also in Hungarian we say ‘a szívemben’), ‘on’ suggests something heavy weighing on top of the heart. [14] That is really the meaning only, as ‘mit hajtok rá’ is (today at least) a quite archaic sounding dialect phrasal expression (word by word it would be something like: what do I drive on it – they do not direct my driving/conduct). |
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| 3. Fúvom az énekem Fúvom az énekem, de nem jókedvemből, mer a bú fúvatja szomorú szívemből. Látom életemet, nemigen gyönyörű, két piros orcámon folydogál a könyű. Csak ott folydogáljon, csak árkot ne mosson, csak az én Istenem engem el ne hagyjon. |
3. I am singing my song I am singing my song[15], but it does not come from my good mood, Because sorrow makes it sing From my sad heart. I can see my life, It is not very beautiful, On my two red cheeks Tears[16] are flowing (slowly down). Just let it flow down slowly, Just do not let it wash a ditch, If only my God should Leave me not[17]. |
| Notes
on track 3 [15] The same sense of ‘blow’ as explained in the 1st song! (Only that here it is not the bird that sings.) One more comment: to sing used to be the most natural expression of one’s mood, or emotional condition. If someone started singing a certain song (or called a gipsy in the pub/restaurant – kocsma – to play a particular song for them), the listeners would know what’s in their heart. [16] ‘könyű’ today would be ‘könny’ – the archaic word is mostly used in folk songs (it is more musical, too). [17] Meaning: I wish my God would never leave me (but always be with me). |
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| 4. Fehér galamb szállt a házra (Mezőség) Fehér galamb szállt a házra édesanyám, Isten áldja, köszönöm, hogy tartottál, és most a halálnak adtál. Édesanyám, rejtsen el! Jön a halál, vigyen el! Kivitte a kiskertjébe, egy szegfűtő elejébe. A szegfűtő elhervadott a szegfűtő elhervadott, és a halál csak megkapott, és a halál csak megkapott. Jaj, de szépen jövünk mi, szép menyasszonyt hozunk mi, nem hoztuk, hogy virágozzék, meghoztuk, hogy hervadozzék. |
4. A dove (white pigeon) came flying and rested on (top of) the (our) house (Mezőség)[18] A dove [19] came flying and rested on the roof of our house[20], My dear sweet mother, God bless you[21], Thank you for keeping me[22], Now you have given me over to death. My dear sweet mother[23], hide me. Death is coming, to take me[24]. (She/it) took it[25] outside, to her little garden, Right next to the stem of a carnation. The carnation[26] faded away[27], The carnation faded away, And in the end death got me[28], And in the end death got me. Oh, how nicely[29] we come in procession[30], How beautiful the bride we bring, We are not bringing her so she should bloom, We have brought her so she should fade |
| Notes
on track 4 [18] Mezőség is a region in the western (mainly flat) part of Transylvania. (Mező means meadow, Mzőség should translate to something like ‘meadowy (region)’). [19] Dove would be “gerle” or “gerlice” in Hungarian, here it says “white pigeon”, which is the more commonly used expression for dove, anyway. [20] Word by word: ‘it flew onto the house’ – landed on the roof… in quite some areas white is a sign of mourning, so in this case the white pigeon is a bad sign. [21] ‘Isten áldja’ can have two direct objects: (1)Isten áldja (Magát): God bless You – in the formal use, which is more probable here (because of what follows – although there the mother is addressed ‘per tu’, in the informal voice) (2) Isten áldja (őt) God bless her – as if spoken from a special and chronological distance (i.e. after the daughter’s death. [22] tartottál: this verb is also used to express ‘brought me up’, ‘nourished me’, although literary it means ‘kept me’. [23] ‘Édesanyám’ is probably the most beautiful expression for mother, where ‘édes’ virtually means sweet, but also ‘sanguine, real’ the one who gave birth to me. This word is less used today, but expresses love, gratitude and bonding in a very powerful way. [24] Again, since there is no subject indicated, there are two possibilities for the meaning of this phrase: (1) ‘jön a halál, (hogy) vigyen el’ – death is coming to take me away (I think this should be more probable here) (2) ‘jön a halál, (édesanyám,) vigyen el’: Death is coming, mother, please take me away, that is, save me from death. [25] Again, neither subject nor object is clarified, the one who took (it/her) outside could be either death or the mother (I guess it was the mother, trying to save her daughter – symbolically, in the form of a flower, hiding her among the carnations of the garden) – and departing from this, the it/her dilemma could get an explanation, too: it was a ‘thing’ that actually stands for ‘her’. [26] Actually, it says, the stem of carnation, but stem here serves as a measuring unit (with very little emphasis on the unit itself) meaning one plant. [27] Actually, it should be ‘elhervadt’, but the more archaic (at the same time, dialect) form is used. [28] megkapott bares multiple meanings, too: death gained me, got me, grabbed me… [29] ‘szépen’ here also means solemnly. [30] Obviously, it is the funerary procession, the young girl as the bride of death is being brought to fade. In fact, those who died young (and unmarried) were often buried in matrimonial (bridal) costume, but in any case, in their ‘best dress clothes’. |
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Translation by Eszter Kató, with thanks to Michael Landes and Erika Borsos
End of part one
Part two coming soon >>
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