Translating a song is an exercise in both technical translation and poetic expression. I chose "99 Luftballons" as my first translation effort for a number of reasons: I am familiar with the song. The song tells a story. The song has already been translated from German to English, giving me an example from which to work. I can write a version that is faithful to the original lyrics, consistent with the rhythm and meter, and elaborative of the story. (In my opinion, the English version tells a more compelling story than the original German.) In all, it is a quite appropriate exercise.
In the first stanza, I have chosen to tell a story more in line with the English version than the German version.
4 beats per verse. "xx" represents a beat that needs to be added. Unstressed syllables are in subscript.
German Version | English Translation | Hilinqwo | Hilinqwo Literal | English Version | Beats |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hast Du etwas Zeit für mich | If you have some time for me | Juos kwek eqos hendit | You and I acquire | You and I in a little toy shop | |
Dann singe ich ein Lied fuer Dich | Then I'll sing a song for you | Pludektom xx-xx-xxxxxx | Balloons xxx | Buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got. | |
Von 99 Luftballons | About 99 balloons | Liberodit þom xxxx | Liberate them xxx | Set them free at the break of dawn | |
Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont | On their way to the horizon | 'Til one by one, they were gone. | |||
Denkst Du vielleicht grad' an mich | Perhaps you think [grad] of me | Adir kampon ersosit | At campus, something malfunctions | Back at base, bugs in the software | |
Dann singe ich ein Lied fuer Dich | Then I'll sing a song for you | Flash the message, Something's out there. | |||
Von 99 Luftballons | About 99 balloons | Werwejit æsti'cælon | Going towards the horizon in the summer sky. | Floating in the summer sky. | |
Und dass sowas von sowas kommt | And that something comes from something | Newn'g'newnis pludektos. | [are] 99 balloons. | 99 red balloons go by. | |
99 Luftballons | 99 balloons | Newn'g'newnis pludektos | 99 balloons | 99 red balloons. | |
Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont | On their way to the horizon | Werwejit æsti'cælon. | go towards the horizon in the summer sky. | floating in the summer sky. | |
Hielt man fuer UFOs aus dem All | Were considered UFOs from outer space | Qæapis xx xx-xx-xx-xx | Things from outer space ("off the earth") | Panic bells, it's red alert. | |
Darum schickte ein General | So a General sends | Miti avarom | Send the planes to intercept | There's something here from somewhere else. | |
Eine Fliegerstaffel hinterher | a jet squadron to investigate1 | The war machine springs to life. | |||
Alarm zu geben, wenn es so war | Sound the alarm, if there was | Rajinodi | Give an alert | Opens up one eager eye. | |
Dabei war da am Horizont | Because there were on the horizon | Werwejit æsti'cælon | Going towards the horizon in the summer sky. | Focusing it on the sky. | |
Nur 99 Luftballons | Only 99 balloons. | Newn'g'newnis pludektos | are 99 balloons. | Where 99 red balloons go by. | |
99 Duesenjaeger | 99 jet fighters | Newn'g'newnis qran'avos | 99 great planes | 99 Decision Street. | |
Jeder war ein grosser Krieger | Everyone was a great warrior | Newn'g'newnis qran'milos | 99 great warriors | 99 ministers meet. | |
Hielten sich fuer Captain Kirk | thought of himself as Captain Kirk | Kaputo Kyro2 | [everyone's a] Captain Kirk | To worry, worry, super-scurry. | |
Das gab ein grosses Feuerwerk | There were great fireworks | Pyrxxx xxx | Fire(works) | Call the troops out in a hurry. | |
Die Nachbarn haben nichts gerafft | The neighbors have gathered | This is what we've waited for. | |||
Und fuehlten sich gleich angemacht | and felt nothing like this makes it | This is it boys, this is war. | |||
Dabei schoss man am Horizont | zeroed in on the horizon | The president is on the line | |||
Auf 99 Luftballons | At 99 balloons | Newn'g'newnis pludektos | 99 balloons | As 99 red balloons go by. | |
99 Kriegsminister | 99 Ministers of War | Newn'g'newnis qran'milos | 99 generals | 99 Knights of the air | |
Streichholz und Benzinkanister | matches and gasoline canisters | Pyrortodos, petripados | Firestarters and gasoline | Ride super-high-tech jet fighters | |
Hielten sich fuer schlaue Leute | smart people talking, (?) | Plenoos plelogorit | Lots of knowledgeable people making lots of speeches. | Everyone's a superhero. | |
Witterten schon fette Beute | looting, | Plerapit plesiqendit | Lots of looting, lots of scoring. | Everyone's a Captain Kirk. | |
Riefen: Krieg und wollten Macht | scoring: war and wanted power | War and wanted power. | With orders to identify. | ||
Mann, wer haette das gedacht | Man, who would have thought that | Man, who would have thought that | To clarify and classify. | ||
Dass es einmal soweit kommt | this all started because of | this all started because of | Scramble in the summer sky. | ||
Wegen 99 Luftballons | 99 balloons | Newn'g'newnis pludektos! | 99 balloons! | As 99 red balloons go by. | |
99 Jahre Krieg | 99 years of war | Newn'g'newnis anos bel' | 99 years of war. | 99 dreams I have had. | |
Liessen keinen Platz fuer Sieger | left no room for winning | Qran'milaros mortendat-i | The generals are dead. | In every one a red balloon. | |
Kriegsminister gibt es nicht mehr | The Secretary of War is no more | Qran'avarom devedat. | The fleets of planes were sent away. | It's all over and I'm standing pretty. | |
Und auch keine Duesenflieger | and no more jet planes | Mundos vastus', no' nikendat. | The world is destroyed, nobody won. | In this dust that was a city. | |
Heute zieh ich meine Runden | Today I see that3 | Eqos zakarorgit xx | I want a souvenir | If I could find a souvenir | |
Seh die Welt in Truemmern liegen | The world is in ruins. | Fanios mundos entat. | Proof that the world existed. | Just to prove the world was here. | |
Hab' nen Luftballon gefunden | And I found a balloon. | Sok unos pludektos stit. | I have only one balloon left4 | And here is a red balloon | |
Denk' an Dich und lass' ihn fliegen | I think of you and let it fly. | Pondit juom liberodit. | I think of you and let it go. | I think of you and let it go. |