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Translator's Note What a lot of people don't know about translation is that it requires much more than just knowledge of two languages. People may assume that the most "correct" method is to translate each word literally. The problem with this approach is that language isn't really made up of words, language is made up of thoughts. If you translate each word separately, your translation will not only sound unnatural, it will lack emotional power, and emotional power is the most important element in song lyrics or poetry of any kind. My belief is that the goal of a translation should be to make a reader of the translation respond to the translation the same way a reader of the original text would respond to the original text. When I translate song lyrics, I try to render them in English that sounds to native English speakers the way the Japanese sounds to native Japanese speakers. I try to speak with the voice of the author. In order to do this, I might alter word order, add extra line breaks or reverse the order of lines. I might translate a word with a different meaning from what's written in the dicitionary, or even add or delete words if I feel that it better expresses the tone and intention of the original writing. However, I never change meanings just because I feel like it. I aim for my translations to have vim and verve, but I always try to respect the choices of the original author as much as possible if I feel that they are conscious choices rather than obligatory conventions of the Japanese language. The fact that I know Japanese so well allows me the freedom to play with the language this way rather than just focusing on grammar (though of course everyone makes mistakes sometimes.) I know how words are functionally used in addition to what they mean. Of course, there are many places where the original writing is ambiguous, and in those places, I have done my best to preserve the ambiguity, or written my own interpretation of what the lyrics mean if the former is impossible. Others may feel free to disagree with my views. Some poems could have five or ten different translations, each of them equally accurate. After a certain point, it's a matter of taste. I do the work I do for this site because I enjoy it, and because others enjoy it. However, I have rent and utility bills just like everyone else. If you like my work and would like to hire me to do some work for you, please contact me! The sad ways of the world mean that paid work is, by necessity, always at the top of my list. |
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