The One DEFINITIVE Nineth translation???

[euphony131]

Help! I'm perplexed other the myriad of translations that exist for the text to B's Nineth. Often many lines are translated so differently that the meanings themselves differ.

For example, the line: "Wollust war dem Wurm gegeben" has been translated as both: "Even the worm can feel contentment" and "Lust was given to the Serpent" and in variations of the two. Now correct me please if I'm wrong, but doesn't "Wollust" mean Lust and "Wurm" mean Worm? Thus shouldn't it really be: "Lust was given to the Worm."?

Can not everyone simply decide on ONE DEFINITIVE translation?

How about just getting together all the pre-eminent musicologists and B. scholars and settling it once and for all? After that, a Nineth in English concert ought to be a breeze!

[Michael]

It just goes to show that German poetry doesn't translate too well into English.

Michael

[PDG]

"Lust was given to the worm"??!! And I always thought these creatures had such mundane lives!

[euphony131]

Originally posted by PDG:
"Lust was given to the worm"??!! And I always thought these creatures had such mundane lives!

Well, actually the sense of it -- from what I understand -- is that a "lust for life" or "a sense of Joy" was given even onto the lowliest form of life. In other words, "Joy, the Daughter of Elysium" has spread her "wings" everywhere.

But yeah, literal translations are not always effective in capturing the true meaning of German poetry. But I'd just like to see a happy consensus reached.