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If you speak German, could you help me with a literal translation of the song Lili Marlene? I can't find the actual translation anywhere:

Vor der Kaserne vor dem grossen Tor
Stand eine Laterne, und stebt noch davor,
So wolln wir uns da wiedersehn
Bei der Laterne wolln wir stehn,
Wie einst Lili Marleen, wie einst Lili Marleen.

Unsre beide Schatten sahn wie einer aus.
Dass wir so lieb uns hatten, das sah man gleich daraus
Un alle Leute solln es sehn,
Wenn wir bei der Laterne stehn,
Wie einst Lili Marleen, wie einst Lili Marleen.

Schon rief der Posten: Sie blasen Zapfenstreich
Es kann drei Tage kosten! Kam'rad, ich komm ja gleich.
Da sagten wir auf Wiedersehn.
Wie gerne wollt ich mit dir gehn,
Mit dir Lili Marleen, mit dir Lili Marleen.

Deine Schritte kennt sie, deinen zieren Gang
Alle Abend brennt sie, mich vergass sie lanp
Und sollte mir ein Leids geschehn,
Wer wird bei der Laterne stehn,
Mit dir Lili Marleen, mit dir Lili Marleen?

Aus dem stillen Raume, aus der Erde Grund
Hebt mich wie im Traume dein verliebter Mund.
Wenn sich die spaeten Nebel drehn,
Werd' ich bei der Laterne stehn
Wie einst Lili Marleen, wie einst Lili Marleen

2007-09-17 14:14:53 · 3 answers · asked by Hannah 1 in Society & Culture Languages

Martin S: If you could do it word by word that would be great!

2007-09-18 10:28:42 · update #1

3 answers

Have a look here - the link goes to the English version:
http://www.radix.net/~bbrown/lili.html

BTW - the first two lines of the first verse should be:

Deine Schritte kennt sie, deinen zieren Gang
Alle Abend brennt sie, mich vergaß sie lang

Note: That is not a translation but it is the English version of that song - close in meaning most probably but poems and songs just cannot be simply translated - you still need the rhythm and the melody as well so some liberties have to be taken.

Edit:
OK - here we go:

In front of the Army camp, in front of the big gate
Stood a street lamp and still does
So we shall meet there again
We shall be standing by the street lamp
Like Lili Marlene did, like Lili…

Both our shadows looked like one
That we loved each other so much could be seen by that
And all the people shall see
When we stand by the street lamp
Like Lili Marlene did

The guard was already shouting: “They’re blowing curfew – that can cost you three days!” “”Comrade, I’ll be coming in a second”
Then we said good-bye
How I longed to go with you
With you Lili Marlene, with you Lili ….

It knows your steps, the fine way you walk (ed. the street lamp is meant)
It’s burning every evening, I am long forgotten by it
And if I should get hurt
Who will stand by the street lamp
With you Lili Marlene with you Lili Marlene?

From the quiet room, from beneath the soil
Your loving mouth lifts me like in a dream
When the late fogs are spinning (evening fogs blown around by a gentle breeze)
I will be standing by the street lamp
Like Lili Marlene did, like Lili Marlene did

Some notes:
Kaserne can be a single building but also the complete area where the soldiers live - I chose that option because that's were you probably will find the big gate with the guard (civil persons were most likely not allowed inside the area) so I put it as Army camp.

Zapfenstreich: A horn (trumpet) signal telling the time when soldiers have to be inside again after a leave. Also played at a soldier's funeral I think (Letzter Zapfenstreich - lament). I think Montgomery Clift played it in "From here to Eternity" on the mouthpiece alone. I hope curfew is the right word - I looked it up.
That can cost you three days means: Three days in the Army jail for being back late from the leave

The last verse is kind of complicated I'd interprete the quiet room as kind of a covered shelter at the front line were the soldiers more or less lived (the original text is from 1915) and the soldier is dreaming of the girl.

I translated "Laterne" as street lamp having those before my inner eye which are on a lamp post something like that maybe:
http://www.bph.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/~axelm/spica/text_046.htm

So that's it - a little bit on the lengthy side I guess.
Does not go with the melody, of course

2007-09-18 03:26:09 · answer #1 · answered by Martin S 7 · 2 0

Underneath the lantern by the barrack gate
Darling I remember the way you used to wait
Twas there that you whispered tenderly
That you loved me
You'd always be
My Lili of the lamplight
My own Lili Marlene

Time would come for roll call
Time for us to part
Darling I'd caress you and press you to my heart
And there 'neath that far off lantern light
I'd hold you tight
We'd kiss good-night
My Lili of the lamplight
My own Lili Marlene

Orders came for sailing somewhere over there
All confined to barracks was more than I could bear
I knew you were waiting in the street
I heard your feet
But could not meet
My Lili of the lamplight
My own Lili Marlene

Resting in a billet just behind the line
Even tho' we're parted your lips are close to mine
You wait where that lantern softly gleams
Your sweet face seems to haunt my dreams
My Lili of the lamplight
My own Lili Marlene

When we are marching in the mud and cold,
And when my pack seems more than I can hold
My love for you renews my might
I'm warm again
My pack is light
It's you Lili Marlene
It's you Lili Marlene

There are some words that if translated literally would not make any sense in English. For instance, lift would be more appropriate than elevator, even though it is used as elevator in other sentences It can have several meanings, or none in our language. There are no equivalents for some words in all languages and English. They are used to convey an idea

2007-09-17 15:05:23 · answer #2 · answered by hopflower 7 · 0 0

"Sprechen Sie Deutsch" means "Do you speak German?". -- I can imagine some soldiers in WWII, in France, having asked the "mademoiselles": "Sprechen Sie Deutsch, Fräulein?" ("Parlez-vous Allemand, mademoiselle?") as this was common courtesy at that time, and may be depicted in movies. Yes. That's absolutely possible. The word "Fräulein" (meaning "young woman" or "young lady") is no longer used in modern German. Instead, you address every woman as "Frau" and every male as "Herr". Or by their first name, which is common among younger people. I won't go into details now about the German "Sie" (the formal address) and the colloquial "du". The "Sie" is a bit like the Spanish "usted / ustedes", but not quite.

2016-05-17 09:25:58 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0 0

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