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  3. Poetry & Literature

... qui ne s'écrit pas

English translation: writing cannot capture/my pen cannot express

10:22 Aug 21, 2020
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature
French term or phrase: ... qui ne s'écrit pas
excerpt:

"En un instant nous nous y égayions nus, riants, pleins d’une joie qui ne s’écrit pas."

The initial translation was "unwritable joy" but I found it really odd.
Hugues Roumier
France
Local time: 14:34
English translation:writing cannot capture/my pen cannot express
Explanation:
If you want to keep "writing" specifically the phrase will get a little longer, depending on the rest of the context you could also go with "beyond words/ineffable".

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Note added at 4 hrs (2020-08-21 14:53:16 GMT)
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yes, "a joy that writing cannot capture" or "a joy that cannot be captured in writing", depending on how important it is to be concise given the style of the rest of the piece.
Selected response from:

Emma Page
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:34
Grading comment
Thanks a lot Emma!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +7writing cannot capture/my pen cannot express
Emma Page
4 +3for which there are no words
polyglot45
4 +3inexpressible / that cannot be conveyed
Helen Shiner
5 +1... that no words can describe / or / indescribable
Karen Lapprand
4full of an unspeakable joy
Nicolas Gambardella
3 +1indescribable
Marco Solinas
4beyond description
Johannes Gleim
4indefinable (joy)
Anne Greaves
3untold joy
Marian Vieyra


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
for which there are no words


Explanation:
should work

polyglot45
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 52

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: This can have both positive and negative connotations
42 mins
  -> true but not in the context
agree  Carol Gullidge
45 mins
agree  Verginia Ophof
2 hrs
agree  philgoddard: All of these answers are just synonyms.
4 hrs
disagree  Libby Cohen: To me, this is too cumbersome a construction for the line in question.
18 hrs
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
full of an unspeakable joy


Explanation:
I would rather change the letter and keep the spirit, replacing the writing by the speaking. "unspeakable joy" is a frequent expression (although with a religious tinge)

Nicolas Gambardella
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:34
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: "Unspeakable" is negative
29 mins
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
indescribable


Explanation:
One of many options

Marco Solinas
Local time: 05:34
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: Yes, one of many options
28 mins
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
inexpressible / that cannot be conveyed


Explanation:
Another couple of options, both referring to the inability to adequately express this joy.

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Note added at 28 mins (2020-08-21 10:50:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

“In the last story, a fine restatement of the major theme, the image of inexpressible joy is a woman swimming naked,”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/books/1...

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:34
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 72

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: Inexpressible
24 mins
  -> Thanks, Yvonne
agree  Carol Gullidge
30 mins
  -> Thanks, Carol
agree  Taylor Keenan: I think that "inexpressible" would work the best here
12 hrs
  -> Thanks, Taylor
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +7
writing cannot capture/my pen cannot express


Explanation:
If you want to keep "writing" specifically the phrase will get a little longer, depending on the rest of the context you could also go with "beyond words/ineffable".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2020-08-21 14:53:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

yes, "a joy that writing cannot capture" or "a joy that cannot be captured in writing", depending on how important it is to be concise given the style of the rest of the piece.


Emma Page
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:34
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks a lot Emma!
Notes to answerer
Asker: So "a joy which writing cannot capture?"


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Philippa Smith: two nice solutions!
11 mins
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: Yes to first option//OR "which cannot be captured in words" is more idiomatic I think
44 mins
agree  Barbara Cochran, MFA
1 hr
agree  SafeTex: closest to original and the first translation yet sounds great
1 hr
agree  Nicole Acher: I like the fact that it retains the reference to written expression
15 hrs
agree  Libby Cohen: I choose the very personalized and poetic "my pen cannot express."
18 hrs
agree  Eliza Hall
5 days
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
beyond description


Explanation:
Another possibility

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Note added at 11 hrs (2020-08-21 21:25:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Also: beyond words

Johannes Gleim
Local time: 14:34
Native speaker of: German
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1 day 3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
untold joy


Explanation:
Untold retains the element of something that can't be expressed or written down.

Marian Vieyra
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:34
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 16
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3 days 4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
indefinable (joy)


Explanation:
something which cannot be expressed in words.

Example sentence(s):
  • My heart swells with an indefinable joy
Anne Greaves
United Kingdom
Local time: 13:34
Native speaker of: English
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26 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
... qui ne s\'écrit pas
... that no words can describe / or / indescribable


Explanation:
As an English-speaker, I hear "that no words can describe" or "indescribable" used the most often to communicate "qui ne s'écrit pas". It is the most natural-sounding translation.

Example sentence(s):
  • Last night I was caught up in traffic that no words can describe.
Karen Lapprand
Canada
Local time: 08:34
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yolanda Broad
21 hrs
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