Saturday 14 December 2019

Work for the Lord

Last time we had a religious song, this time we have basically a spiritual, only it's not in English, but in Lingala, a language nobody I know seems to know (certainly not any of those who put the lyrics online or in CL songbooks). How did I meet this song? Well, it's pretty well-known among members of Communion and Liberation, a Catholic movement born in Italy and spread over the whole world.
I learnt a deformed version of it as basically Gibberish (except the recognizable words from religion) in my childhood… and then one day I decided I'd try figuring out the meaning – which for a language freak like me CLEARLY didn't just mean go online and trust the first translation I found. And BOY did I find a mess of deformation and incredibly creative translations! You have no idea.
But first, the song. The title is "Salelaka Mokonzi", "Keep working for the Lord". Now, what video do I give y'all? I will certainly give you this one, which, despite being a bit slow for my taste, basically has the text completely right – just a Kristu instead of Kristo, and another difference from my text which is perfectly valid and I will comment on below.
But, that only has two verses, and my childhood featured hearing a version with three. For that, I give you this one. Oh, there's actually 6 verses to this song – SIX. That was a surprise.
OK, so now I definitely have to analyze the text I reconstructed. Indeed, there was not a single completely correct text online, so, after a first analysis with this half-translated originally-French Lingala dictionary and Glosbe's Lingala reference, and a Quora help request, and asking a Stack Exchange question about Lingala subject prefixes, I used this chat room, which I'd created to discuss the song without asking an Off-Topic question, to make a huge critical note comparing all versions and reconstructing a sensible text. Huge critical note that probably was turned into this monster of a video, with a follow-up in this baby monster.
So let's jump into the analysis. Feel free to skip the bulleted list and go straight to the dating info and the song. For the analysis, I will let the tone marks, ɛs, and ɔs slide. In the actual text, I tried to gather as much info on those as possible. Lingala is a tone language with 7 vowels, a e i o u ɛ ɔ, but the pairs e/ɛ and o/ɔ are often not differentiated in writing, and the tone marks are often omitted. The spoiler button hides/reveals the word-by-word analysis, so that those not interested can hide it and skip to the lyrics and translations.

  1. [ENGLISH] I started the translation on 26/9/19, doing two verses and the chorus. Then I translated version 5 of verse 3 as «Oh you worker of the Lord, I believe in you: / You speak for everything which truly doth love» around midnight on 29/9, together with verse 4. Then came the "nd'oboti" version of verse 2, which meant that, at 19:10 on 30/9, verse 2 was changed from «The voice of the Angel to Mary did come, / She birthed the Emmanuel, redeemer Jesus Christ». The next day, at 17:50, I fixed verse 3 as well. Finally, at 17:54 I did verse 6, and at 17:55 I had verse 5 as well, completing the translation.
    But wait: there's more. For the moment, we just have the change from "But he who believes in Mary | His salvation gets» to the present version, 1:18 8/10/19, cfr. the boyambi vs. moyambi debate in verse 4, and the same change in the Italian, from "Ma chi crede in Maria | La salvezza ha», same day same time.
  2. [ITALIAN] Did I mention I translated it to Italian? Well, I did. I started on 7/10/19 at 19:14 and had it done by 19:19, modulo the fix I just mentioned. I also want another translation as a column-filler, probably French, but we'll see. Oh, the Italian only translates the default version of verse 3. It gives two versions of the chorus, the first one for "Okoyoka nd'esengo", the second one for "Okoyoka esengo".
  3. [FRENCH] Welp, 8/10/19 15:02-15:10, the whole French was done, with just a rue->route at the end of verse 5 and a discarding of "En sanctifiant Dieu" before even writing it in verse 6.
  4. [MULTILINGUAL UPDATE 1] Preparing for the analysis video, I figured out that:
    • «Mpo manso maloba yo nd'oyeli ngai» could be «So that everything may say you indeed have come for me», and adopted it since one version is essentially this text; this means an extra tab for Lingala and English, and that the Italian «Tutto mi dice che / Sei venuto per me» and the French «Car tout me dit que tu / Es venu pour moi» need fixing. New English version 30/10/19 23:56. New Italian version same day 23:57. New French version same day 23:58.
    • The "musumuki" could be "mosumuki", "sinner", which I prefer to "mutu nyoso" because the translation is less clunky :), which means that «Rejoice oh people all», «Che gioisca ogni uomo», and «Que chaque homme se réjouisse» need fixing. English 30/10/19 0:01, Italian (includes fixing all verbs) 0:02, French (includes fixing «Et le remercie» at the end) 0:02.
    Also, at 0:05 I finally do away with the problem of "today" stressed by the music on the o in verse 5's «But today Christ the life»[, presumably by moving "today" to the end of the line].
  5. [MULTILINGUAL UPDATE 2] Update of 31/5/20, day of recording the English, and perhaps also the other, translations:
    • Why the heck do I have mutu nyoso in verse 6 when I opted for mosumuki? Fix! Also, «Yembela nde Ye» is missing an ɛ́ɛ́.
    • Between today and last sunday (24/5), probably no sooner than thursday (28/5), new options came up for the Italian chorus, «Gioia certo tu ne avrai» and «Gioia vera/invero tu ne avra», but I still opted for the one below, getting rid of «Certo gioia sentirai».
    • What in the world possessed me to translate verse 2 as «The voice of the angel, Mary, came to you», which fits the tune as much a swarm of flies at a bar mitzvah? (Thanks Lemony Snicket for that simile :).) Thought up the fix below around 12:55:30 as I recorded the bottom voice for the English version.
    • The below follows the bottom voice (I refrain from transcribing the lyrics of every voice, the captions in the video will do that), putting the non-parallel voice of the chorus and the bottom voice's "pseudo-chorus" that's after each of verses 3-6 in braces. However, even the bottom voice has changed quite a bit as, between 16/4 and 17/4, I fit the words to the tune. More specifically, the changed parts were:
      • «Oh Paradise of Adam, / Your road has been blocked, / But Christ, the life, today / Opens up the way», aka verse 5 in English;
      • «Come, sanctify God» in the English verse 6;
      • «Il peccato original / La morte portò» in Italian verse 4;
      • «Dio santifica» in Italian verse 6;
      • «Ainsi qu'tout me dise que tu» in French verse 3;
      • «O le péché de Ève! / La mort est venue. / Mais la foi de Marie / Nous a sauvés» aka French verse 4;
      • Adding «maintenant» in l. 2 of French verse 5.
    • Around 13:02 today, right after recording the English bottom voice, I thought up the English non-parallel voice. I'm not sure I remember that now, but it's time to add a version to all languages, starting 14:02:30, finishing 14:05:30.
  6. [FRENCH UPDATE] For the French video, recorded on 14/6/20 (first 4 voices) and 21/6/20 (non-parallel one), I made a couple of changes to the text, which concerned the following lines, below in their original form:
    1. Il nous a mandé son Fils;
    2. Travaille: tu s'ras heureux, which oscillated between séras and sėras;
    3. Ta route est férmée maintenant.
  7. [CHINESE] But that is not the end, because at 10:30-10:41 on 31/1/21 I translate two verses and the chorus into Chinese, with a tweak at 17:31.
    Then this sits incomplete on my computer until, on 24/4/21, I take it back up and do verse 3 in 1/4h before 22, and verse 4 in the 1/4h right after midnight. Then I finally get around to the other two verses on 9/5/21, 18:07-18:28. Then, after a chorus tweak at 18:30, I add it in here at last.
    At some point I debated whether 快乐 or 幸福 is best here. I'm still not sure, I'll have to ask a native, perhaps the Chinese priest I have among my contacts. Will do at some point.
    In the meantime though…
    1. Original chorus: «请为了天主工作 / 你会感到真快乐»;
    2. On 12/4/22 between 16 and 16:30, I change the chorus from the original to «你就感到真快乐»…
    3. …then «你就感到大快乐»;
    4. Then on 18/10/22 I think back to this and consider «你就变得真快乐»…
    5. …and «你一定就变快乐»…
    6. …and «你就一定变快乐»…
    7. …to finally land on «就变得真地快乐» at 16:15 on 22/10, still with the doubt as to whether to use 快乐 or 幸福; leaving the former for now, and off I go to replace the current «你就感到大快乐»;
    8. And on 22/11/22 at 13:47 I think of taking that version back to having zhēn instead of dà [so 你就感到真快乐], and honestly, I will not implement this 22/11 version;
    9. 19/2/23 9:04 Turkish time I think of 你就觉得真快乐, but mentioning it here I think the current… 就变得真地快乐? Wasn't it supposed to be 你就感到真快乐? I guess it's even better than what I thought was current then, and it uses the juede of the new version;
    10. Then on 10/6/23 at 18:47 I think back to the multiplicity of choruses in Chinese and I establish a more literal version to be adopted as final and replace the current one (which I just found out to be 就变得真地快乐): 就拥有真的幸福;
    11. And as I type this at 23:51 on 13/6/23, I think of using 真正 in there, which eventually ends up turning 你就感到真的快乐 to 你就拥有真正的幸福.
Let's jump into it, shall we?


Bolingo bwa Nzámbe
Bolekí bonɛ́ne
Wan'atindelí bísó
Yésu Mobíkisi

Chorus
Sáleláká Mokonzi
Okoyoka nd'esengo
{Sálelá Mokonzi, iya ee
Sálelá Mokonzi, iya ee
Mokó Mokonzi,
Mokó Mokonzi,
Mokó Mokonzi,
Mokó Mokonzi,
Sálelá Mokonzi, iya ee
Sálelá Mokonzi, iya ee}

Lolaka l'anjelu
Loye, Maria,
Nd'obotí Emanuele
Krísto Mosikoli

Chorus
Mosáleli wa Nzámbe
Nandimelí yɔ̌
Mpó manso maloba yɔ̌
Mayelá ngai
{Sálelá Mokonzi,
Okoyoka nd'esengo!}
Mosáleli wa Nzámbe
Nandimelí yɔ̌
Mpó manso malobí
Yɔ̌ nd'oyelí ngai
{Sálelá Mokonzi,
Okoyoka nd'esengo!}
Mosáleli wa Nzámbe
Nandimelí yɔ̌
Mpó manso malobí
Ye nd'ayelí ngai
{Sálelá Mokonzi,
Okoyoka nd'esengo!}
Mosáleli wa Nzámbe
Nandimelí yɔ̌
Mpó manso maloba
Yɔ̌ nd'oyelí ngai
{Sálelá Mokonzi,
Okoyoka nd'esengo!}

Chorus

O lisúmu lya Eva,
Liwá liye ɛ́ɛ́,
Boyambi bwa Maria
Tozwí libiki.
{Sálelá Mokonzi,
Okoyoka nd'esengo!}

Chorus

Paradízu ya Adamu,
Nzel'ezipamí,
Lɛlɔ Kristo bomɔi
Apɛ́sé nzelá.
{Sálelá Mokonzi,
Okoyoka nd'esengo!}

Chorus

Mosumuki sepelá
Kumisá Nzámbe,
Yembelá nde Ye ɛ́ɛ́,
Mpé tɔ́ndá Ye
{Sálelá Mokonzi,
Okoyoka nd'esengo!}

Chorus



L'amor di Dio per noi
Supera ogni misura:
Per noi Lui mandato ha
Gesù il Salvator.

Rit.
Lavora per il Signor,
Felice ti sentirai
{Sì, lavorā per il Signor!
Sì, lavorā per il Signor!
Un solo Signor,
Un solo Signor,
Un solo Signor,
Un solo Signor,
Sì, lavorā per il Signor!
Sì, lavorā per il Signor!}

La voce dell'angelo
Giunse a te, o Maria,
E nacque l'Emmanuele
Cristo Redentor

Rit.

Servitore del Signor,
Ïo credo in te:
Perché tutto dica che
Sei venuto per me
{Lavora per il Signor,
Sarai felīce!}

Rit.

Fu la colpa di Eva che
La morte ci portò,
Per la fede di Maria
La salvezza abbiam
{Lavora per il Signor,
Sarai felīce!}

Rit.

Paradiso di Adamo,
Chiusa è la via per te;
Oggi Cristo, vita nostra,
Apre a noi la via.
{Lavora per il Signor,
Sarai felīce!}

Rit.

Peccator, rallegrati,
Santifica il Signor:
Canta inni a Lui
E ringrazialo.
{Lavora per il Signor,
Sarai felīce!}

Rit.



天主的那段爱
意想不到地大
他曾经把救世主
耶稣送给我们

合唱:
请为了天主工作
就拥有真的幸福
【请继续为天主来工作
请继续为天主来工作
有一位天主
只一位天主
有一位天主
只一位啊
请继续为天主来工作
请继续为天主来工作】

天使的声音来
玛利亚的耳朵
她生了厄玛奴耳
基督那赎当者

合唱

哦天主的仆人啊,
我相信于你
为了万物说
你为我而来
(请位天主工作
你就拥有真正的幸福)

合唱

为了夏娃的原罪
死亡就有来
玛丽亚的信仰
将我们拯救
(请位天主工作
你就拥有真正的幸福)

合唱

亚当的天堂啊
道路阻塞了
基督就是生活
他也开道路
(请位天主工作
你就拥有真正的幸福)

合唱

啊罪人情开心
请将天主圣化
给他唱赞歌
给他感谢
(请位天主工作
你就拥有真正的幸福)

合唱
The love of God for us
Is exceedingly great,
So great that he sent his son,
Our Saviour, Jesus Christ

Chorus:
Keep on working for the Lord:
You certainly will feel joy
{Oh keep on with your work for the Lord!
Oh keep on with your work for the Lord!
The one only Lord,
The one only Lord,
The one only Lord,
The only Lord,
Oh keep on with your work for the Lord!
Oh keep on with your work for the Lord!}

The angel of the Lord,
Mary, spoke to you,
You birthed the Emmanuel,
Redeemer Jesus Christ.

Chorus
Oh you worker of the Lord
I believe in you:
May all the words you say
Happen for me
{Oh work thou for the Lord,
You will indeed feel joy!}
Oh you worker of the Lord
I believe in you:
For ev'rything doth say
You have come for me
{Oh work thou for the Lord,
You will indeed feel joy!}
Oh you worker of the Lord
I believe in you:
For ev'rything doth say
He has come for me
{Oh work thou for the Lord,
You will indeed feel joy!}
Oh you worker of the Lord
I believe in you:
So ev'rything may say
You have come for me
{Oh work thou for the Lord,
You will indeed feel joy!}

Chorus

Because of the sin of Eve,
Death has come for us.
It was the faith of Mary
That saved us all
{Oh work thou for the Lord,
You will indeed feel joy!}

Chorus

Paradise of Adam's time,
Blocked is the road to you,
But Christ, the life, today
He leads the way.
{Oh work thou for the Lord,
You will indeed feel joy!}

Chorus

Oh sinner, you rejoice,
Sanctify God,
Sing songs of praise for Him
And thank Him
{Oh work thou for the Lord,
You will indeed feel joy!}

Chorus



L'amour de Dieu pour nous
Est vraiment infini:
Il nous a envoyé son Fils,
Jésus, nôtre Sauveur.

Ref.
Travaille pour le Seigneur,
Tu séras vraiment heureux.
{Oui, travaille donc pour le Seigneur!
Oui, travaille donc pour le Seigneur!
Y a seul un Seigneur,
Y a seul un Seigneur,
Y a seul un Seigneur,
Y a seul un Seigneur,
Oui, travaille donc pour le Seigneur!
Oui, travaille donc pour le Seigneur!}

La voix de l'ange de Dieu
Vint à toi, ô Marie,
T'as enfanté l'Emmanuel,
le Christ, le Rédempteur.

Ref.

Ô serviteur du Seigneur,
Moi je crois en toi,
Ainsi que tout dise que tu
Es venu pour moi.
{Travaille pour le Seigneur,
Travaille: tu s'ras heureux!}

Ref.

Il fut le péché de Ève
Qui nous porta la mort,
Mais la foi de Marie
Nous a tous sauvés.
{Travaille pour le Seigneur,
Travaille: tu séras heureux!}

Ref.

Ô Paradis d'Adam,
Ta route est férmée!
Aujourd'hui Christ, la vie,
Nous ouvre la route.
{Travaille pour le Seigneur,
Travaille: tu séras heureux!}

Ref.

O! Réjouis-toi donc, pécheur,
Et sanctifie Dieu,
Chante des hymnes pour Lui
Et remercie-Le.
{Travaille pour le Seigneur,
Travaille: tu séras heureux!}

Ref.



Tiānzhǔ de nà duàn ài
Yìxiǎngbùdào de dà
Tā céngjīng bǎ Jiùshìzhǔ
Yēsū sòng gěi wǒmen

Héchàng:
Qǐng wèile Tiānzhǔ gōngzuò
Jiù yǒngyǒu zhēn de xìngfú
[Qǐng jìxù wéi Tiānzhǔ lái gōngzuò
Qǐng jìxù wéi Tiānzhǔ lái gōngzuò
Yǒu yī wèi Tiānzhǔ
Zhǐ yī wèi Tiānzhǔ
Yǒu yī wèi Tiānzhǔ
Zhǐ yī wèi a
Qǐng jìxù wéi Tiānzhǔ lái gōngzuò
Qǐng jìxù wéi Tiānzhǔ lái gōngzuò]

Tiānshǐ de shēngyīn lái
Mǎlìyǎ de ěrduǒ
Tā shēngle Èmănúěr
Jīdū nà Shúdàngzhě

Héchàng

Ó Tiānzhǔ de púrén a,
Wǒ xiāngxìn yú nǐ
Wèile wànwù shuō
Nǐ wèi wǒ ér lái
(Qǐng wèi Tiānzhǔ gōngzuò
Nǐ jiù yǒngyǒu zhēnzhèng de xìngfú)

Héchàng

Wèile Xiàwá de yuánzuì
Sǐwáng jiù yǒu lái
Mǎlìyà de xìnyǎng
Jiāng wǒmen zhěngjiù
(Qǐng wèi Tiānzhǔ gōngzuò
Nǐ jiù yǒngyǒu zhēnzhèng de xìngfú)

Héchàng

Yàdāng de tiāntáng a
Dàolù zǔsèle
Jīdū jiùshì shēnghuó
Tā yě kāi dàolù
(Qǐng wèi Tiānzhǔ gōngzuò
Nǐ jiù yǒngyǒu zhēnzhèng de xìngfú)

Héchàng

A zuìrén qíng kāixīn
Qǐng jiāng Tiānzhǔ shènghuà
Gěi tā chàng zàngē
Gěi tā gǎnxiè
(Qǐng wèi Tiānzhǔ gōngzuò
Nǐ jiù yǒngyǒu zhēnzhèng de xìngfú)

Héchàng

2 comments:

  1. Bulawayo is a name of a city in Zimbabwe...not Lingala for prostitute.Prostitute for Lingala is...Ndumba.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glosbe agrees with you wholeheartedly. dic.lingala.be agrees with you on Ndumba, but has this one example with bulawayo as prostitute, and an entry that glosses it that way. What would that sentence mean if bulawayo were to be read as a city name? "Because she had arrived in Bulawayo"? "So that she might get to Bulawayo"?

      Delete