Welcome, budding polyglot! The weekly translation challenges begin now! We will be sending out the original text to everyone, but keep in mind that the completed translation and reasoning are reserved for paid subscribers only.
One thing to be aware of as you prepare to undertake this challenge, I am not going to be using very many simple texts. I always found that pushing myself to work on things that were far beyond my comprehension was great for my learning. There will be, from time to time, a more simple text, however for the most part we will be working with rather complex examples.
To start out we will be looking at a poem, one of the most difficult possible things to translate. See if you can find rhymes that flow with the poem as well as maintain it’s meaning. It is also worth thinking about what you think the poem means. Poets rarely, if ever, include something without significance. Try and parse through and see what you can get from it. Even if you do not plan to follow along with the series and see my final versions, it is a worthwhile exercise. That is the whole reason I am sending out the weekly texts in the first place.
Here is what we will be translating this week:
Stances galantes
Souffrez qu'Amour cette nuit vous réveille ;
Par mes soupirs laissez-vous enflammer ;
Vous dormez trop, adorable merveille,
Car c'est dormir que de ne point aimer.
Ne craignez rien ; dans l'amoureux empire
Le mal n'est pas si grand que l'on le fait
Et, lorsqu'on aime et que le coeur soupire,
Son propre mal souvent le satisfait.
Le mal d'aimer, c'est de vouloir le taire :
Pour l'éviter, parlez en ma faveur.
Amour le veut, n'en faites point mystère.
Mais vous tremblez, et ce dieu vous fait peur !
Peut-on souffrir une plus douce peine ?
Peut-on subir une plus douce loi ?
Qu'étant des coeurs la douce souveraine,
Dessus le vôtre Amour agisse en roi ;
Rendez-vous donc, ô divine Amarante !
Soumettez-vous aux volontés d'Amour ;
Aimez pendant que vous êtes charmante,
Car le temps passe et n'a point de retour.
I look forward to seeing what you all are able to do with this and I am eager to put myself to the test at the same time.
If you missed the last translation, you can find what we translated below.
For the final results, see below.
If you are doing these challenges, make sure you are writing them down. It will be incredible to see the improvement as it takes place over the coming months. I’ve been telling clients and friends that translating is a game changer when it comes to languages. So, in this series, we will start doing some German translations as well. Time to demonstrate that I practice what I preach. I know it works, so let’s do it together.
Becoming bilingual is difficult, but you can do difficult things and be great. So go do difficult things and become great. Here I’ve given you some of the tools, but in the end, there is no comprehensive guide, no tips or tricks to carry anyone across the finish line. Language acquisition requires time, effort, and consistency. That said, it is something that anyone of any age is more than capable of accomplishing. I’ll be here rooting for you and watching your progress.
For more content find me on Twitter or Instagram. If you are struggling to get speaking in your target language, try out Pimsleur free for 7 days using this link. I look forward to seeing everyone’s progress in the months and years to come.