English translations erwünscht?

[Lies 1396]

@Pierrick

 

I was just taking a quick look at the added English translations for the 2nd half of the LIFAD album and I stumbled on a single error in HALT:

 

Es dröhnt in meinen Schläfen  >  It's throbs in my temples

 

"It's throbs" unfortunately is incorrect use of the English language. Looking back I see we agreed on translating this line as "It’s pounding against my temples", could you change this line one of these days?

Also I wonder how the error got there, as the submitted .txt file has the agreed on "It's pounding" translation. Do you have any idea on that and/or do you think it is necessary to go through the other texts as well? I don't mind doing so, after the effort made it is nice if there are no obvious errors left. I just wonder how it got there, maybe you know?  

🧐

 

[Pierrick 6727]

@Lies

 

It's because I realized (after you worked on translations) that there were some mistakes in the German text on RammsteinWorld.com. And your translation is based on that version with mistakes. For exemple, it's not  "Es tritt in meinen Schläfen" but "Es dröhnt in meinen Schläfen". And so your translation "It’s pounding against my temples" is wrong with the new text. I decided to change the translation myself, but I made a mistake, I wanted to write "It throbs in my temples" of course.

[Lies 1396]

@Pierrick

 

Well then, mistery solved 

"It throbs in my temples" is a fine translation, as far as I am concerned. Although I would guess pounding might be more an external influence and throbbing comes more from within. But to be sure you would have to ask a native speaker, I'm not sure I can grasp the finesse in this distinction. Also we would then get into the interpretation, as the question arises whether the beating hearts of the others inflict a pound or a throb. I would stick with the throb 

 

Must have been a mere coincidence that I stumbled on this one, I (almost) randomly clicked on HALT to see if I still recognised any of the translations after two months or so. Do you reckon the rest is ok?

 

[LudicrousC 5375]

Le 29/08/2022 à 10:59, Pierrick a dit :

@Lies

 

It's because I realized (after you worked on translations) that there were some mistakes in the German text on RammsteinWorld.com. And your translation is based on that version with mistakes. For exemple, it's not  "Es tritt in meinen Schläfen" but "Es dröhnt in meinen Schläfen". And so your translation "It’s pounding against my temples" is wrong with the new text. I decided to change the translation myself, but I made a mistake, I wanted to write "It throbs in my temples" of course.

 

Le 29/08/2022 à 21:12, Lies a dit :

@Pierrick

 

Well then, mistery solved 

"It throbs in my temples" is a fine translation, as far as I am concerned. Although I would guess pounding might be more an external influence and throbbing comes more from within. But to be sure you would have to ask a native speaker, I'm not sure I can grasp the finesse in this distinction. Also we would then get into the interpretation, as the question arises whether the beating hearts of the others inflict a pound or a throb. I would stick with the throb 

 

 

 

When I re-read @Lies 's translations, I had "dröhnt" in mind.  Since "dröhnen" is like a deep, loud, continuous sound (like "roar" in English - but the noun "drone" gives a good impression of it too) :

 

- @Lies's idea "It's pounding against my temples" is perfectly fine because it's the verb we often use with a head (ex: My head is pounding with the noise) - the only problem is that we miss the continuous sound aspect;

- @Pierrick's idea with the verb "throb" is also a good one here ("It's throbbing in my temples"): it adds a strong idea of pain (the verb "throb" usually describes migraines) and a continuously pulsating sound.

 

That's why I think both are good here: "pound" focuses on the violence whereas "throb" focuses on the sound, so it depends on what you think is the most important.

 

 

Edit: Wait! Is Halt one of the few I translated, actually?

 

Anyway, I really don't mind changing "It's pounding" for "It's throbbing". To me, both are fine to translate "dröhnen".

Edited September 4, 2022 by LudicrousC

[Lies 1396]

 @LudicrousC

 

On 9/4/2022 at 12:10 PM, LudicrousC said:

 

Edit: Wait! Is Halt one of the few I translated, actually?

 

Yup, I'm pretty sure you did 

 

 

With this elaboration I would go for emphasis on the sound (throbbing), as before emphasis is given to "Geräuschen". Which is then answered by violence, going home and getting the gun. (which I can relate to very easily when someone is eating an apple in my vicinity  ) 

 

@Pierrick

I noticed the translation now says " it throbs", if you have time one of these days maybe you can change that to "it's throbbing". 

 

Next song up: Gib mir deine Augen 

[LudicrousC 5375]

Il y a 13 heures, Lies a dit :

Next song up: Gib mir deine Augen 

 

Yeah, that one is tough. I might not be able to start translating the extra songs right now (beginning of the school year - I now work at two high schools). But I'll sure be able to give some help in a few weeks.

 

 

Il y a 13 heures, Lies a dit :

maybe you can change that to "it's throbbing". 

 

 

Yep, I agree.

 

@PierrickLe temps pour le présent continu "it's throbbing" collerait mieux avec l'ensemble, pour accentuer le focus sur le narrateur qui devient fou et ses sentiments incontrôlables.

Edited September 6, 2022 by LudicrousC

[Lies 1396]

 

@LudicrousC

 

On 9/6/2022 at 10:51 AM, LudicrousC said:

Yeah, that one is tough

I didn't know this song. It's nice poetry, will take a bit to get that one right.

 

On 9/6/2022 at 10:51 AM, LudicrousC said:

I now work at two high schools). But I'll sure be able to give some help in a few weeks.

That would be nice. No rush, no worries.

 

Edited September 11, 2022 by Lies
a.o. removed a silly remark about a Schimanski jacket

[Lies 1396]

@LudicrousC

 

Give me something
Leave something here
Please leave something of yours here
A few tears would be fine
Rub me over with them at night / Anoint me with them at night (1)

 

The tear flows
But it flows weakly
I strike at it and help along
And when I do ask for water
I'll take the wells with me right away

 

Hand me your eyes
Hand me your light
Give me your tears
I don't want the soul
Give me something

 

Give me something
I am urging
Your thighs hang heavy / Your thighs hang down (2)
Take the lips off the face
Smell bad, I don't need them

 

The eyes are the window to the soul / The eyes are the gateway to the soul (3)
Want to take care of them, want to hoard them
Now happiness lies in forsaking
Hand them to me, you don't need them

 

Hand me your eyes
Hand me your light
Give me your tears
I don't want the soul

 

Hand me your eyes
Hand me your light
Give me your tears
I don't want the soul

 

Give me something
Give me something
Give me something

 

From the eye sockets
The soul tries to get away
Piece by piece I stuff
The soul back into the head

 

Hand me your eyes
Hand me your light
Give me your tears
I don't want the soul

 

Hand me your eyes
Hand me your light
Give me your tears
Though you shall not weep

 

(1) To rub in is an activity you can perform yourself, I am not sure if "to be rubbed over" is used very often. To anoint might better match the meaning as the person undergoes the action of being anointed. I like the rub better as it sounds like reib, but maybe it is less correct.

(2) "den Kopf hängen lassen" means you are depressed, disappointed, without courage. "jemandem das Herz schwer machen" means you make someone sad. There are some similar expressions that have to do with hängen and schwer. It is not known what is meant here, but the combination of hängen, schwer and thighs hint towards less happy physical or perhaps sexual experience. In English alternatives like having your "head down", "hang your head" or heaving a "heavy heart" relate to being depressed/sad. I cannot find a sharp distinction between "hang down" or "hang heavy". Maybe heavy is the best alternative, as it is the translation of schwer.

(3) I think window to the soul is used more often, but gateway is a more literal translation of Pforten.

Edited September 12, 2022 by Lies
type-o's, I shouldn't write stuff after a long day ;)

[Lies 1396]

@LudicrousC

 

My country (1)

 

Where are you going, where?
I'm going with me from east to south
Where are you going, where?
I'm going with me from south to west
Where are you going, where?
I'm going with me from west to north

 

Here he comes running
With the flag in the hand
My country
My country
You are here in my country
My country
My country
You are here in my country
My country

 

Where are you going, where?
I'm going with me from north to east
Where are you going, where?
I'm going with me from east to west
Where are you going, where?
I'm going alone from country to country

 

And nothing and nobody
Invites me to stay
My country
My country
You are here in my country
My country
My country
You are here in my country
My wave and my beach
Yes

 

A voice from the light
Falls from the face of the sky
Ripps the horizon in two
Where are you going, there is nothing free here anymore  (there is nothing vacant here anymore)
This is my country
This is my country
This is my country

 

My country
My country
You are here in my country
My country
My country
You are here in my country
My wave and my beach
My country
Expelled (To be expelled)
My country
Expell (To expell)
My country
Forgotten
My country
Nowhere to stay  (Nowhere can I stay)
My country

 

(1) An alternative is land. I chose country as a reference is made to a flag. Land is more related to ground / terroir. In Dutch there is only one word "land" as in German, I find it difficult to decide whether country or land fits better.

[Lies 1396]

@LudicrousC

 

Do not forget us

 

When we layed together
With the hips like insects
Started spreading myself
And the field started to bloom
The seed was good and early the year
Although the soil was not fertile

 

The old womb didn't want to receive
And all the tiny little snakes
Fell through the loingrid
And freed a thunderstorm

 

Don't forget us
Do you remember in March
The father had nourished the field
The mother broke the heart / The mother's heart broke (1)

 

Don't forget us
Do you remember in March
The father had nourished the field
The mother broke the heart / The mother's heart broke

 

The children got out of the skin
Unto the ground and sang loudly
Where me myself disseminated (2)
My heart in dead earth stays / My heart in dead earth stands (3)

 

Don't forget us
Do you remember in March
The father had nourished the field
The mother broke the heart / The mother's heart broke

 

Don't forget us
Do you remember in May
The father had lost his heart
The mother broke it in two / The mother's broke in two (4)

 

(1) 

Der Mutter brach' das Herz.

> To me it seems a little ambiguous exactly whose heart is broken, the mother's or the father's. Perhaps the detail is in the ', as a substitute for a him or something else, I'm not sure

(2) 

Wo ich mich selber ausgesät
Mein Herz in toter Erde steht

> The order of the words doesn't make a proper sentence in German either, or at least a little dificult one, so I thought I'd leave it that way.

(3)

Steht could a.o. be stays or stands, I would choose stays in this context, with all the snakes lying around on the floor and such.

(4)

Der Mutter brach's entzwei

idem 1

 

 

[LudicrousC 5375]

@Lies Here I am back again. (It's been a while, sorry - September's always complicated for me, especially now that I work at two different high schools ) Here are my suggestions for Gib mir Augen:

 

Give me your eyes

 

Give me something
Leave something here
Please leave something of yours here
A few tears would be fine
I rub them in at night *

 

The tear runs down
But it runs down softly ¤
I lash out and help along
And when I do ask for water
I take the wells away with me at once

 

Give me your eyes
Give me your light
Give me your tears (as a gift)
I don't want your soul
Give me something

 

Give me something
If you don’t mind [I’m begging you] §
Your thighs are sagging %
Take the lips off your face
They smell bad, I don't need them

 

The eyes are the window of the soul
I want to take care of them, want to hoard them
Now happiness lies in forsaking
Give them to me, you don't need them

 

Give me your eyes
[...]

 

Give me something
[...]

 

From the eye sockets
The soul tries to get away
Piece by piece I stuff
The soul back into the head

 

Give me your eyes
[...]

 

Give me your eyes
Give me your light
Give me your tears (as a gift)
Though you must not weep

 

Comments:

 

I understand what you wanted to do with the verb "hand" - it'd be great to have two verbs in English, just like in French we can say donner / geben and offrir / schenken (unfortunately offer doesn't mean the same in English) - but:

- geben is definitely give in English (same etymology, same meaning) so I find it weird to translate it with another word;

- the verb hand needs a complex structure (Hand your tears over to me) which makes the chorus (and the title) really heavy.

Maybe adding "as a gift" to translate schenken makes things easier? But I think that the best option is just give everywhere. After all, repetitions are less of a problem in English.

 

* I tried to make it more simple. Rub over is a possibility but it's always rub something over (the expression is used for cooking mostly though), not rub me over (nor rub myself over, which would be more grammatically correct) because the tears are spread on the person, not the person on the tears. (The subject must be I because it's not an imperative form here, that's why I later added the subject everytime it seems necessary, to avoid confusion.) I prefer rub in though, not sure why. I guess because it seems legit for a skin product.

 

¤ Schwach can mean faint or soft too - when somebody's crying, softly sounds better to me.

 

§ Ich bitte daran is often translated into If you don't mind / you wouldn't mind if so that's why I thought about that expression. But I'm begging you is closer to the text. (Urge is a transitive verb, so it needs a follow-up, and it's closer to the meaning of encourage or advise whereas bitten in German is closer to request.)

 

 

% I've pondered a long while on that one since I don't really know exactly what is meant here. When I have a look at the French translation by Pierrick, I think the verb sag would be the closest to the idea. But it's a tough choice. If you want to get closer to your idea of a head hanging down, there's also the verb droop, but it adds much about a sad feeling, which might create even more confusion...

 

@Pierrick

Je pense que dans le troisième couplet de Gib mir Augen, c'est Deine Schenkel hängen schwer (avec une majuscule) et dans la trad en français:

- Avec lesquelles je me frictionnerai le soir (sans -s)

- Prends les lèvres de ton visage

- (juste une suggestion) Les yeux sont le miroir de l'âme

 

 

Edited October 19, 2022 by LudicrousC
modifications après échanges

[Lies 1396]

 

@LudicrousC

 

20 hours ago, LudicrousC said:

It's been a while, sorry

 

Well, in my opinion it is best for the body and mind if you give your attention to a limited number of tasks and not have it scattered all over the place, so to me it is a wise decision of you to refrain (from this or whatever). This is also something I advise myself but also can be difficult to achieve. I have to tendency to respond swift, because I do not like the thought of someone waiting for me, even in this case a complete stranger. No need to get into the root cause of that  The result is I let myself get into a cumulative time-squeeze (occasionally) and the response is half, which then is very unfulfilling. The nice thing is: if you have a slow response time, then I also can have a slow response time, which works best for me. 

[LudicrousC 5375]

Le 14/10/2022 à 14:03, Lies a dit :

The nice thing is: if you have a slow response time, then I also can have a slow response time, which works best for me.

 

I definitely agree on that.

 

Your translation of Mein Land looks really fine to me (just a few typos and a few suggestions below). I also think "country" is better to translate Land - after all, it was the choice made by The BossHoss for their "remix" of the song, so the band might approve of it.

By the way, I like the way they simplified ich / mit mir into we for most of the song, as me and I is actually a grammar mistake. (I wonder what you'd think of changing me into myself? It sounds slightly better but also much heavier, so I don't know...)

 

My country

 

Where are you going, where?
I'm going with me from east to south
Where are you going, where?
I'm going with me from south to west
Where are you going, where?
I'm going with me from west to north

 

Here he is running up $
With the flag in the hand
My country
My country
You are here in my country
My country
My country
You are here in my country
My country

 

Where are you going, where?
I'm going with me from north to east
Where are you going, where?
I'm going with me from east to west
Where are you going, where?
I'm going alone from country to country

 

And nothing and nobody
Invites me to stay
My country
My country
You are here in my country
My country
My country
You are here in my country
My wave and my beach
Yes

 

A voice from the light
Falls onto the face from the sky @
Rips the horizon in two ¤
Where are you going, there is no room here anymore *
This is my country
This is my country
This is my country

 

My country
My country
You are here in my country
My country
My country
You are here in my country
My wave and my beach
My country
Expelled
My country
Expel
My country
Forgotten
My country
Nowhere to stay
My country

 

 

NB:

$ I think using a phrasal verb would make the line much smoother. Kommen is used to say that the guy with the flag is running towards the persona, and that's what run up means. So why not get rid of come!

@ von / vom mean from and I believe dem Himmel is a dative case, not a genitive one. So I feel that the guy with the flag was replaced by some kind of god who repeats the same bullshit right into the persona's face.

¤ I had thought of "Tears the horizon apart" but it's probably too much.

* In the remix, the BossHoss sing "there ain't no room for you", that's why I thought it could be a good compromise (free / vacant are correct but the first makes me think of free products - I don't have to pay for them - and the second reminds me of hotels, accommodation or seats rather than pieces of land, which are more often said to be "unoccupied" or "empty")

 

[Lies 1396]

 

@LudicrousC

 

This one is a lot to chew on, also after a second look. 

 

On 10/13/2022 at 5:58 PM, LudicrousC said:

I think that the best option is just give everywhere

 

I agree with your line of thought, I also started with just give. Then I felt a nuance was missing. In Dutch there is also the distinction between geven en schenken, the latter can only be done voluntarily, so giving as a gift would be more correct but then the text doesn't flow anymore. To complicate further, two other things come into my mind, although this could just be my interpretation of course:

1. Who is in control of the giving? Are we more in the area of a demand or are we listening to a plea? For instance when I look at the line "Die Seele will ich nicht", the person is in control of what should be given and what is not needed, which is more on the demanding/controlling side.

2. When you listen to the music and voice, I tend to lean to the demanding side as well, but maybe that is a wrong interpretation and this is a plea. Or both at the same time, I don't know.

Looking at a list of synonyms for give, an alternative could be for the lines containing schenken -> to allow: Allow me your tears. That would bring the song more on the plea side, but to me there still are demanding elements that keep the situation ambiguous. Unfortunately to allow means zulassen/erlauben in German, which is something completely different from schenken . 

> it's an impossible puzzle, sticking to give everywhere is the simplest alternative

 

On 10/13/2022 at 5:58 PM, LudicrousC said:

The subject must be I because it's not an imperative form here, that's why I later added the subject everytime it seems necessary, to avoid confusion.

 

Reib mich abends damit ein
My guess was this is imperative, as present would be ich reibe instead of reib, there is no '. Then again I am no native speaker so I miss out on this type of finesse. Also the giver of the tears is gone already, the tears are left, so the giver didn't stay to be spoken to in the imperative.

> Maybe we could change to: Rub me in with them at night

 

On 10/13/2022 at 5:58 PM, LudicrousC said:

when somebody's crying, softly sounds better to me.

> I like this alternative

 

On 10/13/2022 at 5:58 PM, LudicrousC said:

Urge is a transitive verb, so it needs a follow-up, and it's closer to the meaning of encourage or advise whereas bitten in German is closer to request.

Maybe "ich bitte sehr" can both be encouraging and requesting, I'm not sure about that. I'm begging you brings us more to the plea side, I went for the demanding side.

> I agree "I am begging you"  is closer to the original text

 

On 10/13/2022 at 5:58 PM, LudicrousC said:

Your thighs are sagging %

I also do not know what is meant here. Looking up sagging I see this can also mean "falling in value", which is quite a different meaning from the hang heavy / depression side. Falling in value then nicely fits with the lips that smell bad too, the body of the other person is devaluated. I see the French translation is more on the hang heavy side, but maybe you can translate it with sagging as well, I don't know. Hang heavy fits more to the original text, sagging fits more to the devaluation of the body. To me the emotions of the other person are not present or are in an abstract form (Die Träne fließt), the song is mostly about the emotion / of the me person. With that in mind, I would go with the devaluation of the other.

> your thighs are sagging.

 

On 10/13/2022 at 5:58 PM, LudicrousC said:

I even take the wells away with me

I think this would translate back to German as: Nehm ich sogar die Brunnen mit. Although I like the drama this entails, I think it is less correct

 

On 10/13/2022 at 5:58 PM, LudicrousC said:

I take the lips off the face

I think "Nimm die Lippen vom Gesicht" is Imperative, otherwise it would say nehme instead of nimm?

 

On 10/13/2022 at 5:58 PM, LudicrousC said:

The eyes are the window of the soul

Looking for to versus of, I find more to's, but of is there as well. In Dutch it is: de ogen zijn de spiegel van de ziel, the "van" means of,  don't mind the of.

 

On 10/13/2022 at 5:58 PM, LudicrousC said:

Though you must not weep

I think this would translate back to German as: "Doch weinen darfst du nicht", weeping is forbidden. Sollen leaves ambiguity, as it can also mean: you don't have to cry. Thinking about this, my version with "shall" is  also not correct, as it is also on the weeping is forbidden side. We can also go for ought, which is more on the friendly side, however not as ambiguous as sollen. 

[LudicrousC 5375]

Le 16/10/2022 à 15:35, Lies a dit :

it's an impossible puzzle, sticking to give everywhere is the simplest alternative

 

Well, yeah, it is more simple but it's also the only solution left that is grammatically correct. Hand is a phrasal verb so we need to change the structure radically. Allow means grant more than give, with very specific nouns actually (for example: allow leave = let someone get out of prison; allow travelling expenses = give money in order to pay for a trip) and if we start it with "allow me" it actually means "let me" (not give me).

 

Le 16/10/2022 à 15:35, Lies a dit :

My guess was this is imperative, as present would be ich reibe instead of reib, there is no '.

 

Those extra songs' lyrics are fan transcripts actually because the lyrics were not available in any CD booklet.

 

Le 16/10/2022 à 15:35, Lies a dit :

> Maybe we could change to: Rub me in with them at night

 

Still the same problem of meaning. The I (me/myself) is not the product that is spread here.

 

Le 16/10/2022 à 15:35, Lies a dit :

Maybe "ich bitte sehr" can both be encouraging and requesting, I'm not sure about that.

 

Why not? But urge just doesn't work the same way as bitten, it can't stand alone.

 

Le 16/10/2022 à 15:35, Lies a dit :

Looking up sagging I see this can also mean "falling in value"

 

Well, only in a figurative way, but here that figurative meaning just doesn't work with thighs. Thigh is not a price.

 

Here it means that the thighs are "hanging heavily" like ill-fitted trousers, they don't look nice because of the way they hang - slightly clearer in English than it sounds in German because sag can be specifically used for the bottom part of the body.

 

Le 16/10/2022 à 15:35, Lies a dit :

I think this would translate back to German as: Nehm ich sogar die Brunnen mit. Although I like the drama this entails, I think it is less correct

 

Oh, okay, so the French translation needs to be changed. As for your translation, adding right before away changes its meaning because it's not part of the verb anymore:

 

Le 11/09/2022 à 20:35, Lies a dit :

I'll take the wells // with me // right away

 

But the verb is take away. Only an object can fit inbetween. (I'll take the wells away) Any addition has to come after away.

 

=> I'll take the wells away with me at once

 

 

Le 16/10/2022 à 15:35, Lies a dit :

I think "Nimm die Lippen vom Gesicht" is Imperative, otherwise it would say nehme instead of nimm?

 

You're right. I'd change the article for the possessive then. Otherwise it just sounds wrong in English.

 

=> Take the lips off your face

 

Le 16/10/2022 à 15:35, Lies a dit :

Looking for to versus of, I find more to's, but of is there as well.

 

Because it depends on what is meant: an access to the soul (to) or a glimpse of the soul (of)? Here, obviously, the persona doesn't care about the access to the soul: he cherishes the eyes as treasures themselves. That's why I'd change for of.

 

Le 16/10/2022 à 15:35, Lies a dit :

I think this would translate back to German as: "Doch weinen darfst du nicht", weeping is forbidden. Sollen leaves ambiguity, as it can also mean: you don't have to cry. Thinking about this, my version with "shall" is  also not correct, as it is also on the weeping is forbidden side. We can also go for ought, which is more on the friendly side, however not as ambiguous as sollen. 

 

I don't agree: sollen has three meanings

- obligation

- (strong) advice

- prediction

It can't mean an absence of obligation, which is muss nicht actually. (cf lyrics for Dicke Titten: Sie muss nicht reich sein.)

 

Here specifically, I understand the line as

=> You're not supposed to cry though

with a pretentious tone, if you see what I mean. It's less of a command (You shall not weep) and more of an exasperated reminder (c'mon! you mustn't weep). I don't know if it's clear.

 

 

[LudicrousC 5375]

I come back with Vergiss uns nicht. A lot of changes, mostly because I'd worked on the French translation, so I took a lot of time to think through it.

 

Do not forget us

 

When we came together  [As we sticked/stuck together] *
With our hips like insects
I myself began spurting %
And the field started blooming
The seed was good, it was early in the year
Although the soil was infertile

 

In the old womb, nobody was welcome §
And all the tiny little snakes
Fell through the loins fence µ
And set a thunderstorm free

 

Don't forget us
Do you remember in March
The father tilled the soil +
Broke the mother’s heart °

 

Don't forget us
Do you remember in March
The father tilled the soil
Broke the mother’s heart

 

The children got out of the skin
Unto the ground and sang loudly
Where I myself was sowed @
My heart has remained in dead earth >

 

Don't forget us
Do you remember in March
The father tilled the soil
Broke the mother’s heart

 

Don't forget us
Do you remember in May
The father lost his heart
Broke the mother's in two ¤

 

NB:

* layed is impossible - complicated English grammar here, but to sum up: the past form of lay is laid (laid), and the past form of lie is lay (lain). Here I think you wanted to refer to get a lay (sleep with someone) but the correct verb is lie with somebody (so lay with sb in the past tense). However it's complicated to use that verb with together. I chose to remain as ambiguous as the line is in German: I prefer come together, as there is the idea of meeting, whereas stick together focuses on being together (though stick is closer to stecken).

 

% I changed the verbs to get closer to the German text, and the order to make things clearer. I think mich selber is here to enhance the subject I, as if the persona insisted on the fact that he started it all. (I chose spurt instead of spray because I feel that verb is much better to refer to ejaculation - spread doesn't really work here).

 

§ Here again, I think it's better to change the word order to make things clearer, otherwise it's tough to understand receive in the meaning of welcome guests (which is exactly what empfangen means).

 

µ Loin is for a pork loin or the body part which is in the lower back. Here, it can only be the loins (the female genitalia) so we have to keep the -s. I also changed the grid because it's too abstract (a grid is more geometrics, mathematics, and so on). I prefer fence because it prevents animals from crossing, but a grate would be good too, I guess.

 

+ Another possibility: The father ploughed the field

I have a problem with nourish: first we've got better words in the context of agriculture; secondly, the man doesn't actually nourish the woman's loins: what he does is more like a mechanical gesture that breaks her heart in the end. Here I understand the words this way: he insisted on having children, but the woman is just too old, so it never works, and he gets angrier and angrier; he "loses his heart" (or he becomes heartless) and he breaks hers (or inflicts pain) and then, probably forgets her (that's why the unborn children are pleading: Do not forget us - they are talking to the persona, who is the man).

 

° I think the apostrophe is unnecessary here (again, it's a fan transcript) and the subject of the verb is the father because:

- der Mutter can't be a subject, it's a Genitiv case;

- das Herz is most probably Akkusativ because of the Genitiv case.

So, if the mother's heart is the object, the subject must be the line before: the father.

(Another possibility: the mother's heart could be the subject, but it doesn't change much of the meaning because when a heart breaks, it's often because someone breaks it.)

 

@ I choose sow because it's better in the context of agriculture - disseminate is something bees would do, I guess.

 

> has stayed would be another possibility. I prefer the present perfect here because it's much closer to the meaning (the child's heart was put there maybe a while ago but it's still there: that's 100% the value of the present perfect in English.)

 

¤ Here is why there was an unnecessary apostrophe before: Der Mutter brach es entzwei (and also that line shows that the father is most probably the subject).

 

 

Edited November 8, 2022 by LudicrousC

[Lies 1396]

 

@LudicrousC

 

Responses are piling up now, I see. I'll just have to "keep calm and carry on"  

 

On "Gib mir deine Augen":

 

On 10/19/2022 at 12:00 PM, LudicrousC said:

the lyrics were not available in any CD booklet

Searching a bit for a validated transcript / lyrics version gets me nowhere. There are lots of lyrics sites, but none of them have any validity. If you are right, then they are all wrong, by the way. I'll stick with you on the lyrics being present tense.

 

On 10/19/2022 at 12:00 PM, LudicrousC said:

Still the same problem of meaning. The I (me/myself) is not the product that is spread here.

 I searched for some more English examples containing "rub in", but then I ran into all the nasties on the internet. I think your suggestion is the most correct.

> I rub them in at night 

 

On 10/19/2022 at 12:00 PM, LudicrousC said:

Why not? But urge just doesn't work the same way as bitten, it can't stand alone.

I guess not. It's just that I do not think if you are asked in this manner by this person, it would feel like a request you can actually turn down

> I am begging you

 

On 10/19/2022 at 12:00 PM, LudicrousC said:

On 10/16/2022 at 3:35 PM, Lies said:

Looking up sagging I see this can also mean "falling in value"

 

Well, only in a figurative way, but here that figurative meaning just doesn't work with thighs. Thigh is not a price.

 

Here it means that the thighs are "hanging heavily" like ill-fitted trousers, they don't look nice because of the way they hang - slightly clearer in English than it sounds in German because sag can be specifically used for the bottom part of the body.

I interpreted the falling in value not only about money but as a devaluation as a whole, also the spirit can be sagging. I think it is a nice choice of words as sagging can be both literal as figurative

> Your thighs are sagging

 

On 10/19/2022 at 12:00 PM, LudicrousC said:

On 9/11/2022 at 8:35 PM, Lies said:

I'll take the wells // with me // right away

 

But the verb is take away. Only an object can fit inbetween. (I'll take the wells away) Any addition has to come after away.

 

=> I'll take the wells away with me at once

I see. I was focussing on the translation of "doch gleich" (in Dutch: toch meteen) and not so much on the prescribed order of words in English, so I missed that one.

 

On 10/19/2022 at 12:00 PM, LudicrousC said:

I don't agree: sollen has three meanings

- obligation

- (strong) advice

- prediction

It can't mean an absence of obligation, which is muss nicht actually. (cf lyrics for Dicke Titten: Sie muss nicht reich sein.)

Sollen is a very versatile word, I see Duden gives us 10 different meanings. It is a bit like the Dutch zullen. To me it is a question which meaning is used here.

 

On 10/19/2022 at 12:00 PM, LudicrousC said:

Here specifically, I understand the line as

=> You're not supposed to cry though

with a pretentious tone, if you see what I mean. It's less of a command (You shall not weep) and more of an exasperated reminder (c'mon! you mustn't weep). I don't know if it's clear.

Intuitively I can go along with this interpretation, I have seen/heard the use of musn't in this way before. What I find difficult is that I can't find any formal references to this being correct usage of the English language. When in doubt about Dutch, you go to Genootschap Onze Taal (www.onzetaal.nl), which is governed by scholars in the Dutch language. When I have questions about German the first place for me to look is Duden. For questions on English I see many sites, but none seem an authority. There is Brittanica, but they are more of a dictionary and not very elaborate on grammar or etymology. None of the sites I questioned suggest "you musn't" can be used in the "you're not supposed to" manner. Maybe you have found better sources than I have. I still think "doch weinen sollst du nicht" could better be translated as: "but you shouldn't cry", although I don't really have a proper reference for that.

 

Edited October 26, 2022 by Lies
typo

[Lies 1396]

 

@LudicrousC

 

On 10/15/2022 at 5:35 PM, LudicrousC said:

The BossHoss for their "remix" of the song

superbe & brilliant!

The other way around I also like the Rammstein version of La Paloma by the way 

 

On 10/15/2022 at 5:35 PM, LudicrousC said:

what you'd think of changing me into myself? It sounds slightly better but also much heavier, so I don't know...)

Well, apart from the being unwelcome element in the song, I was wondering if this was the only reason for the me-person to be all over the place. Is there one story told or are there two (or more) stories mixed, and if so what is this second story. When I was looking at this text a while ago, I was considering to translate with: I take myself from ... to ..., but that's too far off from the original text, it's just: I go with me. However, it reminded me of less happy times in my life, fortunately quite a while ago. I was out and about for work and on holiday and despite the fact that I was in quite good company with nice/caring people in my vicinity, I still felt lonely. Regardless of where you are and who you are with, unfortunately you cannot shake yourself off and have to take yourself and an emotion such as loneliness with you. So for me, indeed, myself would be a bit heavy 

 

On 10/15/2022 at 5:35 PM, LudicrousC said:

I think using a phrasal verb would make the line much smoother. Kommen is used to say that the guy with the flag is running towards the persona, and that's what run up means. So why not get rid of come!

I guess you're right. In Dutch the "er kommt angerannt" is "hij komt aangerend", so "comes running" might be more Denglish (Dutch speaking English)

> Here he is running up

 

On 10/15/2022 at 5:35 PM, LudicrousC said:

@ von / vom mean from and I believe dem Himmel is a dative case, not a genitive one. So I feel that the guy with the flag was replaced by some kind of god who repeats the same bullshit right into the persona's face.

I do like this idea. The first line poses no difficulties:

Eine Stimme aus dem Licht > A voice from the light

 

The second line has the details on what relates to what/whom:

Fällt dem Himmel vom Gesicht > literally: Falls the heaven (dative) from the face

 

If you translate:
"Falls onto the face from the sky", and you follow through with the Gesicht being the persona's face, wouldn't the " onto the face"  translate back to German as auf's Gesicht or in's Gesicht? Reading back I also think Himmel simply should be heaven, I don't know why I went for sky. 

 

On 10/15/2022 at 5:35 PM, LudicrousC said:

¤ I had thought of "Tears the horizon apart" but it's probably too much.

For me this is conceptually almost the same, but it's less close to the original words

 

On 10/15/2022 at 5:35 PM, LudicrousC said:

* In the remix, the BossHoss sing "there ain't no room for you", that's why I thought it could be a good compromise (free / vacant are correct but the first makes me think of free products - I don't have to pay for them - and the second reminds me of hotels, accommodation or seats rather than pieces of land, which are more often said to be "unoccupied" or "empty")

I agree

 

 

[Lies 1396]

 

@LudicrousC

 

On 10/23/2022 at 3:48 PM, LudicrousC said:

* layed is impossible - complicated English grammar here, but to sum up: the past form of lay is laid (laid), and the past form of lie is lay (lain). Here I think you wanted to refer to get a lay (sleep with someone) but the correct verb is lie with somebody (so lay with sb in the past tense). However it's complicated to use that verb with together. I chose to remain as ambiguous as the line is in German: I prefer come together, as there is the idea of meeting, whereas stick together focuses on being together (though stick is closer to stecken).

I see. As soon as other people start using layed too, I am a first mover and inventing new language here  (until then I'm just incorrect) 

I would go for the stick together, being closer to stecken. I thought the past tense was stuck, but I see sticked is also possible.

> Als wir uns zusammen steckten

> As we sticked together

 

On 10/23/2022 at 3:48 PM, LudicrousC said:

With our hips like insects

> Mit den Hüften wie Insekten

den is not our, why the change? 

 

On 10/23/2022 at 3:48 PM, LudicrousC said:

% I changed the verbs to get closer to the German text, and the order to make things clearer. I think mich selber is here to enhance the subject I, as if the persona insisted on the fact that he started it all. (I chose spurt instead of spray because I feel that verb is much better to refer to ejaculation - spread doesn't really work here).

> Begann' mich selber zu versprühen

I myself began spurting  or  Started spreading myself

Difficult one, this one.

Mich selber can also be used in this form in Dutch, literally this would be "Begon mezelf te versproeien". The "versprühen" is a verb that needs some object or something that is spread, you cannot go and versprühe indiscriminately. The same goes for spreading, therefore the change from spreading to spurting leads away from the "mich selber" (the what is spread), but I agree it is a better reference to ejaculation. I would say "Began spreading myself" is closest to the original text, "I myself began spurting" is more lyrical freedom. I am more in favor of the spreading alternative, as this is also what people do who have babies, they spread themselves. But I can go with the spurting alternative as well.

 

On 10/23/2022 at 3:48 PM, LudicrousC said:

§ Here again, I think it's better to change the word order to make things clearer, otherwise it's tough to understand receive in the meaning of welcome guests (which is exactly what empfangen means).

agree

 

On 10/23/2022 at 3:48 PM, LudicrousC said:

µ Loin is for a pork loin or the body part which is in the lower back. Here, it can only be the loins (the female genitalia) so we have to keep the -s. I also changed the grid because it's too abstract (a grid is more geometrics, mathematics, and so on). I prefer fence because it prevents animals from crossing, but a grate would be good too, I guess.

I agree on the loin-s.

A fence is not the same as a gitter, that would be a Zaun. I looked up grate, that would be more correct.

 

On 10/23/2022 at 3:48 PM, LudicrousC said:

+ Another possibility: The father ploughed the field

I have a problem with nourish: first we've got better words in the context of agriculture; secondly, the man doesn't actually nourish the woman's loins: what he does is more like a mechanical gesture that breaks her heart in the end. Here I understand the words this way: he insisted on having children, but the woman is just too old, so it never works, and he gets angrier and angrier; he "loses his heart" (or he becomes heartless) and he breaks hers (or inflicts pain) and then, probably forgets her (that's why the unborn children are pleading: Do not forget us - they are talking to the persona, who is the man).

This I find a very likely interpretation of the text.  

In the context of the "versprühen", I interpreted the "bestellen" (Duden: (den Boden) bearbeiten) as fertilizing, but your interpretation of the mechanical gesture is more likely. "Das Feld" is better translated as " the field" I think. 

 

On 10/23/2022 at 3:48 PM, LudicrousC said:

° I think the apostrophe is unnecessary here (again, it's a fan transcript) and the subject of the verb is the father because:

- der Mutter can't be a subject, it's a Genitiv case;

- das Herz is most probably Akkusativ because of the Genitiv case.

So, if the mother's heart is the object, the subject must be the line before: the father.

(Another possibility: the mother's heart could be the subject, but it doesn't change much of the meaning because when a heart breaks, it's often because someone breaks it.)

agree

 

On 10/23/2022 at 3:48 PM, LudicrousC said:

Where I myself was sowed @
My heart has remained in dead earth >

 

On 10/23/2022 at 3:48 PM, LudicrousC said:

@ I choose sow because it's better in the context of agriculture - disseminate is something bees would do, I guess.

 

> has stayed would be another possibility. I prefer the present perfect here because it's much closer to the meaning (the child's heart was put there maybe a while ago but it's still there: that's 100% the value of the present perfect in English.)

Wo ich mich selber ausgesät
Mein Herz in toter Erde steht

 

I was not aware of the more narrow meaning of disseminating. I see your translation is more correct when it comes to English, I do wonder if we can have an alternative in which the poetry of the German text is kept a bit more. In the German version the two sentences belong together, the first line is a specific of the location where the heart stays. I'll come back to that if I think of a better alternative.

 

On 10/23/2022 at 3:48 PM, LudicrousC said:

¤ Here is why there was an unnecessary apostrophe before: Der Mutter brach es entzwei (and also that line shows that the father is most probably the subject).

agree

[LudicrousC 5375]

Le 26/10/2022 à 16:53, Lies a dit :

What I find difficult is that I can't find any formal references to this being correct usage of the English language. When in doubt about Dutch, you go to Genootschap Onze Taal (www.onzetaal.nl), which is governed by scholars in the Dutch language. When I have questions about German the first place for me to look is Duden. For questions on English I see many sites, but none seem an authority. There is Brittanica, but they are more of a dictionary and not very elaborate on grammar or etymology. None of the sites I questioned suggest "you musn't" can be used in the "you're not supposed to" manner. Maybe you have found better sources than I have. I still think "doch weinen sollst du nicht" could better be translated as: "but you shouldn't cry", although I don't really have a proper reference for that.

 

It's mostly due to English being a language that is not strictly "ruled" (if I may use that verb). There is no authority that prescribes usage like the Académie in France for example. Or more precisely: the only "authority" is BBC (which is only the English spoken by upper middle class Londoners, a super tiny minority). As English is the native language of many people, not just the British and Americans, it's just impossible to prescribe a specific grammar, anyway.

That's why I usually check several websites for a better syntax, such as Linguee, the examples given on WordReference, or to get faster directly on Google with quotation marks (I compare the number of occurences of different possibilities when I hesitate - it's not entirely mistake-proof because everything can get a reference, even poorly-written reddit posts, but high occurence scores give a very good idea on what is mostly used and what is not).

But to tell you the truth, I also have many grammar books that I regularly re-read to prepare my classes (I'm an English teacher), so these books are the first place I check actually.

 

Le 28/10/2022 à 21:51, Lies a dit :

Well, apart from the being unwelcome element in the song, I was wondering if this was the only reason for the me-person to be all over the place. Is there one story told or are there two (or more) stories mixed, and if so what is this second story. When I was looking at this text a while ago, I was considering to translate with: I take myself from ... to ..., but that's too far off from the original text, it's just: I go with me. However, it reminded me of less happy times in my life, fortunately quite a while ago. I was out and about for work and on holiday and despite the fact that I was in quite good company with nice/caring people in my vicinity, I still felt lonely. Regardless of where you are and who you are with, unfortunately you cannot shake yourself off and have to take yourself and an emotion such as loneliness with you. So for me, indeed, myself would be a bit heavy 

 

You're right. I've pondered a little on it and your version sounds better.

(Sorry to learn about loneliness being a tough moment to go through for you, even if it was a while ago. Unfortunately, loneliness can become a nasty companion who would let go then come back. )

 

Le 28/10/2022 à 21:51, Lies a dit :

The second line has the details on what relates to what/whom:

Fällt dem Himmel vom Gesicht > literally: Falls the heaven (dative) from the face

 

If you translate:
"Falls onto the face from the sky", and you follow through with the Gesicht being the persona's face, wouldn't the " onto the face"  translate back to German as auf's Gesicht or in's Gesicht? Reading back I also think Himmel simply should be heaven, I don't know why I went for sky. 

 

I realise what I had written was confusing. As you noticed, von/vom is actually not in front of Himmel, so what I wrote didn't make sense.

The problem is, the sentence in German sounds a bit weird to me, probably because there's another value to von/vom that I don't get or because the word order was messed up a bit for poetic value. (Though I don't understand why not put a Genitiv case for Himmel to mean "the face of the sky", it wouldn't change much, so that's probably not what Till meant).

The only thing for sure: the dative form is for origin (and you're right: "from heaven" is better ), but translating the line into "Falls from the sky of/from the face" sounds weird - that's why I tried to make sense out of the words by looking at the translation in French (I didn't work on that one) and figuring out what would be the most logical meaning in context. But I may have gone astray when I thought the order had to be changed.

 

 

Le 06/11/2022 à 21:23, Lies a dit :

I thought the past tense was stuck, but I see sticked is also possible.

 

Yep, on the irregular verb list, stick is indeed (pret.) stuck/ (past p.) stuck, but just like the verbs dream or learn, the regular form is getting more and more often used.

 

But I wouldn't mind putting the irregular form "stuck" instead. It's up to you.

 

 

Le 06/11/2022 à 21:23, Lies a dit :

> Mit den Hüften wie Insekten

den is not our, why the change?

 

Well, it just feels right to specify whose hips are talked because they are not the insects' or someone else's - they are the couple's. Just like we say "put your hands up" and not "put the hands up", or "you're close to my heart" and not "you're close to the heart". As a bodypart belongs to someone, I always tell my students to avoid "the" and specify whose bodypart it is. So it's not grammatically incorrect to say "the" here, and the meaning is nearly the same. But I would say "our" maybe out of habit.

 

Le 06/11/2022 à 21:23, Lies a dit :

A fence is not the same as a gitter, that would be a Zaun. I looked up grate, that would be more correct.

 

Okay for grate. I realise I prefered fence for reasons that are not direct translation: I like the sound of fence, and the connotations of it. But grate is certainly better as a strict translation.

 

[Lies 1396]

 

@LudicrousC

 

On 11/8/2022 at 11:28 PM, LudicrousC said:

I also have many grammar books that I regularly re-read

Your explanation makes sense, I'll have to my hands around some of those grammar books too. You have an interesting profession btw 

 

 

On 11/8/2022 at 11:28 PM, LudicrousC said:

Though I don't understand why not put a Genitiv case for Himmel to mean "the face of the sky", it wouldn't change much, so that's probably not what Till meant

I deem it unlikely that I'll ever find out what is actually meant, so I can only speculate: I would say the four lines are connected and formulated like this carefully.  It starts with "imme", "icht" and "ei" being repeated, but that is just form. A voice emerges from the light (1), which is potentially some divine experience. Instead the voice is ugly, it is unwelcoming (4), shocking as it's ugliness rips the horizon in two (3). The heavens, which could have had some esteem before this event, now lose value as in this sudden / unguarded event the true face is shown (2). It's a bit like the idea you already postulated.  

 

 

On 11/8/2022 at 11:28 PM, LudicrousC said:

Sorry to learn about loneliness being a tough moment to go through for you, even if it was a while ago. Unfortunately, loneliness can become a nasty companion who would let go then come back.

No worries, it's quite different when you look back versus when you are in the midst of it. I wish it  doesn't find you (or me) anytime soon. Thinking about this, just a figment for (strange) fun:

 

Some others have told me they have sighted loneliness recently, a bit further away, on the river of tears, in a tiny little boat together with self-denial and despair. Currently I am allowed to reside in the forest of openness, somewhere near the tree of compassion, loneliness doesn't like it there at all. But it is up to luck if I meet loneliness again I guess. Not being to fond of him, I tried to make a deal with fate but she only seems to make strategic arrangements with religion and chance. Some have managed to love fate, but I don’t think I can count myself in at this moment. Maybe I'll ask some of the shiny happy people here what they do to keep him away, or maybe this new Rammstein fragrance can keep him at a distance 

 

One of these days I'll collect all the stuff above and put it in a .txt that Pierrick can use. Don't know if all has been cleared now, it a bit of a mess, but we'll see.

[Lies 1396]

 

Gib mir deine Augen - agreed version attached

Mein Land                  - agreed version attached

Vergiss uns nicht       - agreed version attached

Eisenmann                 - to do. Nice text

 

 

 

Gib mir deine Augen English v4 agreed.txt

Mein Land English v2 agreed.txt

Vergiss uns nicht English v2 agreed.txt

 

Edited November 27, 2022 by Lies
edit2

[LudicrousC 5375]

il y a 30 minutes, Lies a dit :

Eisenmann                 - to do

 

Oh you're right, there's that one left still!

 

(I often forget that demo exists. )

[Lies 1396]

@LudicrousC

 

Iron man

 

My heart beats for metal
Iron is everywhere
The family of metals
Is the hardest of them all

 

You must speak to the iron
Yes, you must love the iron
Then it will break apart
It will bend itself for you

 

Knives clang and complain
Cages for people and animals

 

Armor chains and machines
Armor chains and machines
Nails, screws and turbines
Nails, screws and turbines
Bridge pillar (1, railway (2
Railway
Yes I am an iron man

 

My heart beats for metal
The siblings chrome and steel
When the skin turns dark red
The rust is killed with zinc

 

If you want to separate the iron
Shall burn it with love (3
Will kindly part
But never look into its eyes

 

Knives clang and complain
Cages for people and animals

 

Armor chains and machines
Armor chains and machines
Nails, screws and turbines
Nails, screws and turbines
Bridge pillar, railway
Railway
Yes I am an iron man

 

Rivets, ships and tractors
Pistons, rails and engines
Fire pokers (4 and safes
Anvils, hammers all drills
cannons and rockets
like to play with magnets

 

Knives clang and complain
Cages for people and animals

 

Armor chains and machines
Armor chains and machines
Nails, screws and turbines
Nails, screws and turbines
Bridge pillar, railway
Railway

 

(1 - the transcript may be wrong, Brückenpfeile would mean bridge arrow. There might be an "r" missing, then it would be bridge pillar

(2 - railway or railroad, I have read the distinction here is English vs American, with some nuance there between the tracks versus the whole rail ecosystem. You as an English teacher might know better which one to choose

(3 - zerbrennen does not seem to exist. Zertrennen = cut, brennen = burn

(4 - the transcript may be wrong, Feuerhaken misspelled with an extra c 

[LudicrousC 5375]

One eternity later...

 

Le 04/12/2022 à 12:00, Lies a dit :

Iron man

 

My heart beats for metal
Iron is everywhere
The family of metals => The metal family *
Is the hardest of them all

 

You must speak to the iron
Yes, you must love the iron
Then it will break apart
It will bend itself for you => It will buckle for you ¤

 

Knives clang and complain
Cages for people and animals

 

Armor chains and machines => Tank tracks
Tank tracks and machines
Nails, screws and turbines
Nails, screws and turbines
Bridge pillars => piers, railroad
Railroad
Yes I am an iron man %

 

My heart beats for metal
The siblings chrome and steel
When the skin turns dark red
The rust is killed with zinc

 

If you want to separate the iron => split
Shall burn it with love => scorch
Will kindly part => come apart +
But never look into its eyes

 

Knives clang and complain
Cages for people and animals

 

Tank tracks and machines
Tank tracks and machines
Nails, screws and turbines
Nails, screws and turbines
Bridge piers, railroad
Railroad
Yes I am an iron man

 

Rivets, ships and tractors => Studs £
Pistons, rails and engines
Fire Pokers and safes µ
Anvils, hammers all drills
Cannons and rockets
Like to play with magnets

 

Knives clang and complain
Cages for people and animals

 

Tank tracks and machines
Tank tracks and machines
Nails, screws and turbines
Nails, screws and turbines
Bridge piers, railroad
Railroad

 

(1 - the transcript may be wrong, Brückenpfeile would mean bridge arrow. There might be an "r" missing, then it would be bridge pillar => % 1

(2 - railway or railroad, I have read the distinction here is English vs American, with some nuance there between the tracks versus the whole rail ecosystem. You as an English teacher might know better which one to choose => % 2

(3 - zerbrennen does not seem to exist. Zertrennen = cut, brennen = burn => +

(4 - the transcript may be wrong, Feuerhaken misspelled with an extra c => µ

 

* The expression used by Till is weird enough to allow both meanings: metal as the solid stuff and metal as the music - that's why I prefer the expression that would enable both meanings

 

¤ Just another possibility - I chose buckle mostly because verbiegen also means corrupt - there's nothing that gets close enough, apart from buckle (= bend + accept unwillingly).

 

%1 You're right about the missing -r in the chorus. As for the correct word in English, I'm not sure at all, but I think the pillar is the part that can be seen from outside, whereas the pier is the metal structure that is stuck into the ground (or underwater) to make sure that the bridge is stable.

As for Panzerketten, it seems to me that tank tracks are better here.

%2 As you said about railway / railroad, I'll go for railroad (or rail tracks, but this expression is less common than railroad) to talk about the tracks specifically (railway is more often used as a noun modifier).

 

+  I think there's a play between what can be done with iron and what happens in a love relationship when it goes wrong, that's why I chose verbs that can apply to both meanings. As for scorch, I think the correct transcript should be verbrennen (I can't hear zertrennen in the song but there's definitely an extra syllable in front of brennen) - so if it's actually verbrennen, I understand it as "burn really bad" or "scorch".

£ Just another possibility. I actually don't know enough about mechanics to guess which word would be the most common.

µ You're right about the German spelling. As for poker, it works just fine without fire as a modifier.