French: au large de ma vieEnglish translation: out in the wide open spaces of my life 
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| GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW) | | French term or phrase: | au large de ma vie | | English translation: | out in the wide open spaces of my life | | Entered by: | Karen Tucker |
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French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / art catalog text | | French term or phrase: au large de ma vie | Any ideas for this one? I'm at a loss. This was written by a Breton artist who paints Breton landscapes, including the sea, and scenes of traditional life. Thanks, Karen
Je t’attendais au large de ma vie
sur ces chemins de mémoire
Il n’y a plus ton bruit, ton sourire
le soleil a fait naufrage.
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| | Clarification request(s) and responseKaren Tucker (asker): 12:39pm Oct 29, 2004: poet's explanation - Since I received so many interpretations (thank you!), I asked the author what he meant by "au large de" and here's the answer he sent, which I don't find very helpful for this specific term. Poetry may be creative, but it's extremely difficult to translate, sometimes agonizingly so.
L'océan c'est l'espace, l'espace c'est le large et le chemin qui mène à
l'infini
Lorsque que je dis : le soleil a fait naufrage c'est pour exprimer le
drame qui se joue dans nos esprit,
nos coeurs ou la nature fait naufrage puisque l'homme aurait pu
inventer un rapport différent.
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| | Selected response from:
 Rita Heller
United States
| Note from asker to answererI want to thank all of you for your creative suggestions and analyses. The author's explanation suggests that this is the closest translation. In his poems and other text, he does talk a great deal about open spaces, vistas, immensity, infinity, etc. I ended up using "wide open spaces." Karen
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
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4 mins confidence:  |
9 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +1 |
16 mins confidence:  |
| off the shoreline of my life
Explanation:
is how it translates literally.
I think some reference to the sea is important - given the last line.
| Dr Sue Levy
Luxembourg
Works in field
Native speaker of:  English
PRO pts in category: 27
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18 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +1 |
| out in the big open spaces of my life
Explanation:
may be too long
I waited for you on memory lane
out in the big open spaces of my life
| Rita Heller
United States
Native speaker of:  English
PRO pts in category: 38
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| Note from asker to answerer| I want to thank all of you for your creative suggestions and analyses. The author's explanation suggests that this is the closest translation. In his poems and other text, he does talk a great deal about open spaces, vistas, immensity, infinity, etc. I ended up using "wide open spaces." Karen |
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20 mins confidence: |
1 hr confidence: peer agreement (net): +2 |
| My (french) understanding
Explanation:
especially from the end of the poem I think that "au large de ma vie" means at the end/twilight of my life - it's all about memories nostalgia "il n'y a plus ton bruit, ton sourire" (she probably died before) and the only meeting point now is inside his "mémoire", proustian somewhere
| Michel Lévy
Canada
Works in field
Native speaker of: French
PRO pts in category: 14
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2 hrs confidence: |
| I waited for you on the shores of my life
Explanation:
I waited for you on the shores of my life
On these walks full of memories
There is no longer your smile, your sound,
The sun has forever gone down.
I like the image of someone ON the shore, where they used to walk together and looking out to sea with some sort of expectation, until the strong image of the sun failing to rise again ends that hope.
I guess I just find this easier to relate to - being a big fan of beach walks at sunrise and sunset for happy and sad times, for writer's block even.
It is still in keeping with dictionary (le PR) definitions of large and au large:
AU LARGE. Être au large : avoir beaucoup de place.
Le large : la haute mer.
Large: Qui est étendu (dans quelque sens que ce soit); sur un vaste espace.
But anyway, as Jane L-R says, poetry is fun (compared to haynes manuals say)!
| cpatton
Spain
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
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6 hrs confidence: |
| see comment below...
Explanation:
I waited for you at the height of my life,
on these paths of memory
Your sound, your smile are no longer,
The sun has gone down for me...
The nautical metaphor is all very well, but I think 'au large' means getting away from the shore; the idea is 'high seas', to be 'out of ones depth' [ne plus avoir pied], and not at all related to the safety of the shore...
'go down' is what we usually say of the sun, but also what we say of a ship that sinks; I think here understatement is more than enough.
Sorry, everyone, I'm drunk, but I always find that helps with poetry :-)
I think Jane has come very close to the right idea... but I prefer to keep away from the idea of 'coast'
| Tony M
France
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 96
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10 mins confidence: |
| off the coast of my life
Explanation:
au large is usually to do with boats going along off a coastline or bit of coast......or au large de Cap Horne....for example, OFF Cape Horn...I think it would be nice to keep the metaphor of the guy as a boat who couldn't get the shore [love] of his life, wouldn't it?
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Note added at 13 mins (2004-10-28 17:04:31 GMT)
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I was waiting for you,
Off the coast of my life,
Your sounds, your smile are gone.
The sun has gone under.
OR
The sun is a shipwreck.
It\'s fun to translate poetry...
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Note added at 14 mins (2004-10-28 17:06:05 GMT)
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FORGOT ONE LINE!
Off the coast of my life
Along memory\'s lanes.
........[not paths..because sealanes exists and this is all happening in the sea, right?]
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Note added at 19 mins (2004-10-28 17:10:21 GMT)
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The sea metaphor is the operant one here...
:)
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Note added at 1 day 3 hrs 8 mins (2004-10-29 19:59:54 GMT)
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well then..it can also be said as: In the ocean of my life....
but I prefer my original....
| Jane Lamb-Ruiz
United States
Works in field
Native speaker of: English, Portuguese
PRO pts in category: 80
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The translation workplace 
