Word by Word Translations of Songs and Arias
Word by Word Translations of Songs and Arias
Part I - German and French:
By Berton Coffin, Werner Singer, Pierre Delattre
Published by Scarecrow Press, 1966
Part II - Italian
By Arthur Schoep and Daniel Harris
Published by Scarecrow Press, 1972
This is a work in two separately published volumes measuring 5.5" by 8.5" and running to 620 and 563 pages respectively, including the indexes.
As the title says, the two volumes provide word-by-word translations of songs and arias from opera and classical choral music. The purpose of it is to give singers a way of knowing the meaning of what they're singing, so that they can add appropriate emotional tones to their performance.
The books are arranged in alphabetical order by composer and then song, using the song titles from the original languages. This can make it hard to look up a translation if you don't know enough information about it. For instance, if I want a translation to the words of that poem by Schiller used in Beethoven's 9th Symphony, "Ode to Joy" will not get you to it. (Actually, browsing through the section on Beethoven, I think that one is not in the book anyway.)
Since the purpose of the book is to provide word-for-word transations rather than translations of sentences based on meaning, the result is awkward reading, but useful for singers. Here is an example,
Schubert
An die Nachtigall
To the nightingale
Er liegt und schläft an meinem Herzen,
He lies and sleeps at my heart,
mein guter Schutzgeist sang ihn ein,
my good guardian spirit (guardian angel) sang him [in] (to sleep),
und ich kann fröhlich sein und scherzen,
and I can cheerful be and jest,
kann jeder Blum und jedes Blatts much freun.
can (of) each flower and each leaf [me] rejoice.
Nachtigall, ach! Nachtigall, ach!
Nightingale, ah! Nightingale, ah!
sing mir den Amor nicht wach!
sing (me the) Cupid not awake!
(do not awaken Cupid with your song)
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