Can songs from an 'unknown' language touch you?
Let's just try this:
For some people it might be understandable, but we'll see.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq5a6roXgig
That song touches me, especially since I know the lyrics, and his voice is just spot-on. Also the dialect/language he sings in is kinda native to me.
I can't find an English translation at the moment but I'm still looking for a proper one. :)
I enjoyed the song, it has a nice feel about it, although I haven't a clue what the lyrics are about. I often enjoy foreign music, in the same sense that I enjoy classical music. That is, from a musical perspective, rather than because of the lyrics. I just treat the voice as another instrument.
Ede Staal. That's a surprise. I have accidently discovered this artist as well one day. He's some Groningish pride according to a friend of mine who's from Veendam (I'm Flemish btw and I don't understand Low Saxon/Grunneger).
I'm not Flemish or Dutch, or Low Saxon,but I understand sense of this song text.
The real lyrics:
Ze woonden soamen in n hoeske,
zai was wat stief van reumetiek,
toch konden ze zok hail nuver redden,
in t lutje hoeske achter diek.
De kinder waren al laank de deur oet,
toch kwamen ze voak nog op t ol stee,
en mainsttieds hadden ze t over vrouger,
din wizzen z'apmoal wat e zee:
t Het nog nooit, nog nooit zo donker west,
of t wer altied wel weer licht...
Zes hounder en n olde sege,
n swien op t hok en n kaampke laand,
en twijmoal doags even over t loantje,
en din huil opoe hom bie d'haand.
Zien haile leven haar e aarbaid,
en moeke mit acht kinder thoes,
bie zummerdag hail vroug aan t maaien,
en pas om melkenstied bie hoes.
Toun op n zundag in december,
krigt opa t zomor zo benaauwd,
zien dochter brengt hom din noar stad tou,
omdat ze t aiglieks nait vertraauwt.
En aanderdoags is e overleden,
't het mie veur t olske zo begroot,
meschain was t beter andersom west,
want drij week loater was ze dood.
De dood dat heb je nait veur t zeggen,
want baaide wollen ze geern geliek,
ze rusten zacht doar op t kerkhof,
vlak bie t hoeske achter diek
A Dutch translation I changed a bit because there were some mistakes:
Ze woonden samen in een huisje
Zij was wat stijf van reumatiek
Toch konden ze het samen heel aardig redden
In 't kleine huisje aan de dijk
De kinderen waren al lang het huis uit
Toch kwamen ze vaak nog op 't oude nest
En meestal hadden ze het over vroeger
Dan wisten ze allemaal wat hij zei:
Het is nog nooit, nog nooit zo donker geweest
of het wordt altijd wel weer licht
Zes kippen en een oude geit
Een varken in 't hok en een stukje land
En twee keer per dag even over 't laantje
En dan hield oma hem bij de hand
Zijn hele leven had hij gewerkt
En moeder met acht kinderen thuis
's Zomers al heel vroeg aan het maaien
En pas tegen melktijd weer thuis
Toen op een zondag in december
Krijgt opa het zomaar zo benauwd
Zijn dochter brengt hem dan naar de Stad toe
Omdat ze het eigenlijk niet vertrouwt
En de volgende dag is hij overleden
Ik vond het zo sneu voor dat oude vrouwtje
Misschien was het andersom beter geweest
Want drie weken later was ze dood
De dood dat heb je niet voor het zeggen
Want beiden wilden ze graag gelijk
Ze rusten zacht daar op het kerkhof
Vlakbij het huisje aan de dijk
Yeah I posted with the Duracell name so I wouldn't be recognised.
My English translation.. I'm sure there will be some mistakes in it, but to translate a song is difficult, especially since it has a message
In a little house they lived together
She was a bit stiff of Rheumatoid arthritis
However they could put the ends together kinda well
In the little house at the levee
The children left the home a long time ago
However they visited their old home many times
And most times they spoke about the past
Then they all knew what he said:
It has never been, never been that dark
Or it gets light again
Six chicken and an old goat
A pig in the stable and a part of land
And twice a day he walks on the avenue
And then grandmother kept his hand
He worked his whole life
And mother at home with eight children
In Summer he was mowing early in the morning
And at home when the cows have to be milked (in the evening)
It has never been, never been that dark
Or it gets light again
Then on a Sunday in December
Grandfather feels oppressed in his chest
His daughter bring him to 'Stad' (Groningen is this case, usually called 'Stad' by Groninger people)
Because she actually doesn't trust it
The next day he died
I thought it that bad for the old woman
Perhaps it would be better the other way
Because she died three weeks after
It has never been, never been that dark
Or it gets light again
You can't be the boss of death
Because both of them wanted to go at the same time
They rest in peace on the cemetery
Near the house at the levee
It 's strange,when Flemish says that he don't understand Gronings Low Saxon.It seems like dialect of Dutch,easy to understand to me,not Dutch or Flemish.
Low Saxon is a Saxon dialect, and English stems from Anglo-Saxon also a Saxon language. Especially if you have studied Old English you are bound to understand some of it I guess.
Perhaps I'm wrong.
Anyway, Dutch is actually a mix of Brabantic and Hollandish, both Low Franconian dialects, Gronings actually is a dialect of a different language spoken in the North East of the Netherlands and the North West of Germany, Low Saxon.
Low Saxon is recognized as a regional language by the Dutch government.
Many youngsters in Groningen still proudly speak their dialect, and none of them seems to have a problems with General Dutch, most are proud Dutchmen. Also, Low Saxon is getting more and more Franconian influences (from Dutch), just like Frisian is.
As long as Dutch allow them to speak their Low Saxon, I think there is nothing wrong about everything. Most Low Saxon write exclusively in Dutch and only speak their dialect with relatives.
Makes me think about earlier times in the Middle Ages. Gronings has been influenced by Frisian a lot. Influence, not oppression is a natural thing I guess. Of course, I don't think for the Low Saxon people.
One thing about the regional languages in the Netherlands. Attitude in Hollandic provinces and especially in the city of Amsterdam worries me. An auction website has officially forbidden for Frisians to sell their products in Frisian. Most Dutch people are outraged by this, accept the ones living in the West of course.
Dutch people should fight prejudice and learn that Frisians are no treath to us and that we should leave them be proud of their heritage while it still lasts.
Two wonderful songs in outlandish languages.
— One is in Dutch (from André Delvaux' film 'De man die zijn haar kort liet knippen") ("De ballade van de werkelijke ???"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTN2FVjDoGw
Can someone write down the full lyrics?
— The other one is sung in Genoese dialect by Italian artist Fabrizio de André. It's impossible to find a single understandable Italian word in it (except "lasagne"), I wonder if normal Italians can grasp anything!
Live from Rome, "Creuza de Mä":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fyUw476uo0
Low Saxon is influenced by Standard Dutch in the Netherlands and Low Saxon( East Frisian Low Saxon infuenced by both-Dutch and German) influenced by Standard German in .
Old Saxon dialect was heavily influenced by Old Frankish( one of Dutch language ancestors) dialect.Those dialects diverged to Middle Low German dialects (Middle Low Saxon and Middle Low Franconian)
<<Example of Middle Low German (Hanseatic language or Middle Low Saxon),based on Luebeck dialect:
"Dit is de vrede,den de koningh van Denemarken unde de mester van Liflande hebbet ghemaket unde ludet in aldusdanighen worden.."
It's seems closely related to Dutch.>> (post of "eastlander")
Flemish and Hollandic merchants spoke in own dialects with merchants from Hamburg and Lubeck without translators in Hanseatic times.