Translating the Breton Song 'Eliz Iza'
One of my all time favourite songs is a traditional Breton tune called Eliz Iza. I discovered it on a trip to Brittany all of thirty years ago and feel profoundly and deeply in love with it. The surprising thing is that, considering our shared cultures, this music sounds so completely different to our own traditional Irish music. Thirty miles across the water and such cultural difference, it's amazing.
I have never been able to find a proper English translation of the song, there is nothing on the Internet, and my Breton is pretty poor (as in non-existent), so I found a couple of loose translations in Russian, Spanish and German, and using Babble Fish and some intuition and the smallest of poetic license, I have finally come up with this pretty accurate translation and I think it's beautiful, enjoy!
Eliz Iza (or En Ti Eliz Iza)
In the house of Eliz Iza there is a little girl
Happy, soft, beautiful, like a little angel.
Happy, soft, beautiful like a little angel
Her name is Corentine.
"While going to Egypt, by the English
My father was drowned in the deep sea.
"The heart of my poor mother was broken
When she heard this news."
At the seaside, on a rock
Corentine cried bitterly.
"Alas, alas, what has become of me?
I have nobody on this earth
"I have nobody on this earth
Neither father neither mother, neither brother nor sister.
"But Within the skies there is a good Father
In Rumengol there is a good Mother."
Corentine cried bitterly
As in Rumengol she arrived.
"Virgin Mary, I am poor.
I have nothing but my fair hair.
"I have neither wax nor candle
Nothing, only my prayer.
"But I will fashion you a crown
Made from plait of my fair hair."
Translation of Eliz Iza (c) Pat Jackman, Wexford, Ireland. 2009
A world in one song, amazing. And one of my very rare valid contributions to the www. Rumengol was a place of pilgrimage dedicated to the Virgin Mary by the way. I also used the more Anglicised version of Corentine's name. The Breton version I think is far more beautiful, Kaorantenig, but my Anglo sensibilities got the best of me I guess.
If you are interested, look up Alan Stivells version of the song, it's amazing.
I have never been able to find a proper English translation of the song, there is nothing on the Internet, and my Breton is pretty poor (as in non-existent), so I found a couple of loose translations in Russian, Spanish and German, and using Babble Fish and some intuition and the smallest of poetic license, I have finally come up with this pretty accurate translation and I think it's beautiful, enjoy!
Eliz Iza (or En Ti Eliz Iza)
In the house of Eliz Iza there is a little girl
Happy, soft, beautiful, like a little angel.
Happy, soft, beautiful like a little angel
Her name is Corentine.
"While going to Egypt, by the English
My father was drowned in the deep sea.
"The heart of my poor mother was broken
When she heard this news."
At the seaside, on a rock
Corentine cried bitterly.
"Alas, alas, what has become of me?
I have nobody on this earth
"I have nobody on this earth
Neither father neither mother, neither brother nor sister.
"But Within the skies there is a good Father
In Rumengol there is a good Mother."
Corentine cried bitterly
As in Rumengol she arrived.
"Virgin Mary, I am poor.
I have nothing but my fair hair.
"I have neither wax nor candle
Nothing, only my prayer.
"But I will fashion you a crown
Made from plait of my fair hair."
Translation of Eliz Iza (c) Pat Jackman, Wexford, Ireland. 2009
A world in one song, amazing. And one of my very rare valid contributions to the www. Rumengol was a place of pilgrimage dedicated to the Virgin Mary by the way. I also used the more Anglicised version of Corentine's name. The Breton version I think is far more beautiful, Kaorantenig, but my Anglo sensibilities got the best of me I guess.
If you are interested, look up Alan Stivells version of the song, it's amazing.
Thanks for the translation, been looking for one for a long time. First heard Alan Stivell playing this around 1973!! Cheers.
ReplyDeleteThanks for finding the background.
ReplyDelete