tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post2853721328445555356..comments2024-03-28T07:58:41.643-04:00Comments on pancocojams: "Pa Gen Moun Pou Ou Bondye" - Help Translate This Haitian Creole Gospel Song To English! Azizi Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-68998460532306725222017-11-20T20:03:22.801-05:002017-11-20T20:03:22.801-05:00Pardon me, that's "There is no Substitute...Pardon me, that's "There is no Substitute for You, God." (Bondye = God)chrisschronicleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05325020125587036128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-4148122564503808302017-11-20T20:00:39.137-05:002017-11-20T20:00:39.137-05:00The title is one of the details I'm the most u...The title is one of the details I'm the most uncertain about. It literally means "there is no one for you," but I think "there is no substitute for you" is the intended meaning, rather than "for you" as opposed to "against you."chrisschronicleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05325020125587036128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-23395856371811752802017-11-20T18:58:44.494-05:002017-11-20T18:58:44.494-05:00Thank you chrisschronicles for this English transl...Thank you chrisschronicles for this English translation of this Haitian Creole Gospel song.<br /><br />I've added that translation to this post with a hat tip to you. <br /><br />What is the English translation for the title? <br /><br />Please let me know if the video that you are working on is published on YouTube.<br /><br />I appreciate your help as a real English translation for this beautiful Haitian song will help promote it.<br /><br />One love!Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-25458437638377060562017-11-20T07:01:21.175-05:002017-11-20T07:01:21.175-05:00Hi Azizi,
I happened to find this post while edi...Hi Azizi, <br /><br />I happened to find this post while editing some video footage, which includes some children singing this song, and I'm supposed to add English subtitles. You encountered a few problems: Errors in the video you got the lyrics from, a couple of typos as you copied them down, and Google Translate's bad guessing at homonyms.<br /><br />The video you cited is missing punctuation, accented letters and a whole word in the 2nd verse, and some of the words are written as a hybrid of their French and Creole spellings. Haitian Creole spelling and punctuation are not as strictly standardized as English, which is something Google Translate can't really deal with.<br /><br />Google is also doing some guessing since Haitian Creole has a lot of homonyms. For example, "fe" (or "fè" since the accents are all missing) could mean "do," "fairy" or "fire." To a human reader, it's obvious in context that "do" is correct; there are no fairies/angels in the song. The Creole contraction "sa'w" which is misspelled "saw" in the video, is not translated and appears to be the English word "saw." So the line "Ou di sa'w vle, ou fe sa'w vle" means "You [God] say what you want, you do what you want," not "I have seen the heavenly angels." Such are the perils of machine translation, until the technology improves. Another recurring error is that Google renders the word "fò" as "false" instead of "strong" because the accent is missing. "Fo" (false) and "fò" (strong) are pronounced differently, so it is clear which is intended. Finally, Google Translate fails to correctly rearrange the words into English order, which causes problems since both English and Creole convey information using word order.<br /><br />I'm not a real good Creole speaker myself, but after looking up a few words and texting a friend about one line, this is the English text I'm using for my subtitles.<br /><br />I have evidence, so I speak <br />of what you do and what you say. <br />It's the truth.<br /><br />My life evinces it,<br />because of what I was, <br />because of what you've made me into.<br /><br />I'll sing with all my strength<br />to prove your greatness wherever I go.<br /><br />Yes, you deserve it<br />and I exist to declare who you are.<br /><br />Chorus:<br />There is no substitute for you, God.<br />What is difficult for man is easy for you.<br />Your omniscience is strong. <br />You are full of love, so much you don't limit.<br />(or "aren't limited," I'm unsure re. active/passive voice)<br />(repeat)<br /><br />Why should I sit in a corner?<br />Why should my face be downcast<br />when you are higher,<br />you reach farther,<br />where man cannot know?<br /><br />All your actions attest <br />that your power surpasses <br />that which is manmade.<br /><br />Your word is strong. <br />Your strength is more than twice <br />the missile man has invented.<br /><br />Bridge:<br />You are so great, your goodness is high up,<br />You say and do what you want.<br />There is no substitute for you.chrisschronicleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05325020125587036128noreply@blogger.com