What is the translation of Dirait-on lyrics?

Answer 1

Original words in French:

Abandon entouré d'abandon, tendresse touchant aux tendresses...

C'est ton intérieur qui sans cesse se caresse, dirait-on;

se caresse en soi-même, par son propre reflet éclairé.

Ainsi tu inventes le thème du Narcisse exaucé.

Literal translations (close to word-for-word):

Translation 1:

Abandon surrounding abandon, Tenderness touching tenderness...

Your oneness endlessly Caresses itself, so they say;

Self-caressing through its own clear reflection.

Thus you invent the theme of Narcissus fulfilled.

Translation 2:

Abandon enveloping abandon, Tenderness brushing tendernesses,

Who you are sustains you eternally, so they say;

Your very being is nourished by its own enlightened reflection;

So you compose the theme of Narcissus redeemed.

Translation that better captures the poetic intent:

Wildness surrounding wildness,

Tenderness touching tenderness,

It is your own core that you ceaselessly caress,

.... as they say.

It is your own center that you caress,

Your own reflection gives you light.

And in this way, you show us how Narcissus is redeemed.

Translation of the Title

The title "Dirait-on" may be translated as "As They Say", or "So It Seems", or even as "As One Would Say ..." or "So It Is Said ..."

Any of these phrases can be substituted for the phrase "... as they say" in the poem itself. For example, the poem could be translated as:

Wildness surrounding wildness,

Tenderness touching tenderness,

It is your own core that you ceaselessly caress,

.... so it seems.

It is your own center that you caress,

Your own reflection gives you light.

And in this way, you show us how Narcissus is redeemed.

Background of the poem:

The words in French are from a collection of poems about roses by Rilke, a European poet who wrote in the early 1900's. Rilke often wrote lyrical, mysterious poetry, and often wrote about roses.

In this poem, on one level, Rilke is describing a rose. In this interpretation, Rilke sees a rose and its petals as "wildness surrounding wildness," and yet "tenderness touching tenderness." He marvels that the wild and delicate rose petals are caressing the core, the center, of the rose.

Rilke then refers to the sad story of Narcissus, the vain youth from Greek and Roman mythology. When Narcissus saw his own reflection in the water of a river for the first time, Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection, not realizing it was himself. He was so in love with himself, that he refused to eat, and soon wasted away and died. To help remember him, the narcissus flower grew where he had been. In some versions of the story, Narcissus's soul descends to hell, where he is doomed to look at his reflection forever, and may never see another person.

In Rilke's poem (and in this song), the wildness, tenderness, and self-awareness of the rose is contrasted with Narcissus, and perhaps Rilke is suggesting that the rose can show us how Narcissus can be redeemed -- that is, freed from his fate of eternally gazing only on himself and not being aware of the world or people around him.

On another level, Rilke could also be describing a lover - a lover who is "wildness surrounding wildness," and "tenderness touching tenderness." Again, on this level, perhaps Rilke is suggesting that a wild and tender lover can show us, how to be freed from our own narcissistic self-absorption.

Answer 2

Dirait-On

Abandon entouré d'abandon,

tendresse touchant aux tendresses?

C'est ton intérieur qui sans cesse

se caresse, dirait-on;issu

se caresse en soi-même,

par son propre reflet éclairé.

Ainsi tu inventes le thème

du Narcisse exaucé.

The translation reads:

Surrounded by abandoned abandonment

Tenderness affecting the tenderness?

It's your inside that constantly

Caresses, it seems;

While fondling himself,

informed by his own reflection.

So you invent the theme

of Narcissus fulfilled.

Translation done through Google translate.