Italian: sesso di ramoEnglish translation: and a wooden sex with a hard heart  KudoZ The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators ... More  |
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Italian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / Song | | Italian term or phrase: sesso di ramo | Part of a song.
"L'uomo che cammina sui pezzi di vetro
dicono ha due anime e un SESSO DI RAMO DURO IN CUORE..." |
| | Clarification request(s) and responsepaolamonaco: 07:35 Jul 4, 2005: De Gregori (cantautore "padre" di questa canzone) si esprime per metafore non sempre comprensibili, neanche ai madrelingua italiani. Sono anni che mi chiedo che cosa voglia dire questa frase e spero che qualcuno lo spieghi :-)). -
luskie: 14:48 Jul 4, 2005: spero proprio che esistano già delle traduzioni degli ermetici e bellissimi testi di de gregori (e, ora che ci penso, mi piacerebbe molto dargli un'occhiata!) - sospetto comunque che in questo caso lui stesso non disdegnerebbe una bella traduz. letterale -
Silvina Jover-Cirillo (asker): 20:55 Jul 5, 2005: Actually, I'm translating the song from English into Spanish. Whoever translated the song into English did a HORRIBLE translation. For this reason, since I do italian translations too, I decided to go to the source. I HATE when this happens. If you guys are fans of De Gregori, I won't even insult you by showing you the English translation that was given to me.
I really appreciate everybody's help.
Luskie, I like your interpretation of the sentence!
luskie: 07:03 Jul 6, 2005: you're very much welcome, silvina! and now I 've become so curious about the english version you started from... but no... oh no, I don't wanna know! ;o) ciao -
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| | and a wooden sex with a hard heart | Explanation:
ok, here's my take on it
I've always interpreted "duro in/il cuore" (nobody really knows which of the two applies, but in the context this doesn't make the difference) as hinting simultaneously to:
1. a 'hard core' of the wood (i.e. a hard sex, in the end)
2. a 'hard' heart in the usual sense of 'heart of stone'
I believe this ambiguity (which btw does characterize De Gregori 'poems' - but he doesn't like to be called a poet!) should be mantained, and, beside the final allitteration, I think 'with a hard heart' would do the work |
| Selected response from:
luskie
Italy
Local time: 19:00
| Note from asker to answererTHANKS!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
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22 hrs confidence:   |
| a bold sex
Explanation:
Silvina,
as Paola and luskie pointed out this song is really famous.
I googled the lyrics and came up with "duro in cuore", "duro il cuore" and "duro e il cuore".
"duro e il cuore" doesn't really fit so I'll focus on the first two options.
*sesso di ramo duro in cuore* could be *a wooden sex in a heart of stone"
*sesso di ramo, duro il cuore* (which I like better because of the way it flows): *a wooden sex, a heart of stone"
Both of these are quasi-literal translations, and I don't like them much.
What about
*a bold/proud sex and a cold heart* or *a bold/proud sex in a cold heart*?
or even *a bold sex in a heart of stone*
I don't much like *sex* for *sesso* either, but *manhood* is so very Barbara Cartland-ish, *phallus* has too many other connotations ...
Anyway, I'm mostly breaking the ice here, hoping others will give it a try ;-)
****
Btw, if you feel this deserves the work, DH Lawrence's books are full of sexual metaphors ...
| Linda 969
Italy
Local time: 19:00
Native speaker of:  Italian, English
PRO pts in category: 75
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The translation workplace 
