[Roger Slater]

Should we expect an acknowledgement/reply when we submit?

[Claudia Gary]

Alex,

Somehow I am confused by this statement:

"Also, musical settings of poems not originally composed as songs (e.g., mélodies and lieder) are acceptable."

Is this a way of saying that, for example, popular, folk, and rock songs are acceptable? Or did you intend something else?

Thank you,

Claudia

[Ann Drysdale]

Ah. I was assuming it meant that a translation of a poem that has later been set to music, will be accepted so long as it, too, is singable to the same music.

If I've got that wrong, tell me, quick.

[Catherine Chandler]

Now I'm really confused.

[Martin Rocek]

As Translation Board Mod, let me assure you that the guidelines were meant to be as inclusive as possible: Specifically popular, folk, and rock songs are acceptable, as are poems that were set to music later. The main constraint is that the translation should match the music ("be singable") independently of whether the music was composed before, simultaneously with, or after the original lyrics were written.

I hope that this clarifies things!
Martin

[Alex Pepple]

Hi Claudia and all -- As Martin indicates, the guidelines were intended to be as inclusive as possible. All sorts of music lyrics are welcome!

And yes, submissions will be acknowledged when received.

--Alex

[Brian Allgar]

7. A literal English prose crib, showing the word order and syntax of the original, and providing alternate meanings of ambiguous words or phrases.


Alex, I have to point out that this is not always possible without producing gibberish.

Take the following sentence:

xx"Je te connais, mais tu ne me connais pas."

Translated according to rule 7, this would come out as:

xx"I you know, but you not me know."

instead of

xx"I know you, but you don't know me."

Can we assume that you want something resembling the latter rather than the former, even though the word order is not strictly the same?

[Martin Rocek]

Brian,
of course, you should make it make sense in English.

(7) really means is that we want more than a loose prose summary, but rather a detailed and useful translation.

Martin

[Alex Pepple]

*BUMP*

Too few submissions received ... thus far. Please submit submit one and all -- help keep the Eratosphere Bakeoff tradition alive and toasty!

Cheers,
...Alex

[John Whitworth]

When is the deadline, Alex?