Tuesday 23 June 2020

The sound of silence (translated by Ånton Xiè)

Well, I guess no intro is needed here: the song is very well-known.
  1. Basically, at some point, I ran into half of the first verse, in Ånton's Hakka translation; it was probably via a 13/7/17 17:01 message in a WhatsApp group chat I have since been removed from;
  2. I posted this Facebook note with it (presumably on Jul 14 2017, if Facebook shows posting dates of notes and not last edit dates or otherwise);
  3. It would seem that Ånton commented, but the comment is now gone; what is left is me tagging him to ask if he'd completed it on 6/4/19, and him answering with this link to a video (postead 15/7/17 10:37) of him singing the song, verse by verse, first in Hakka then in English; the version there is the original version below, apart from the following handful of differences:
    • "Tian ngai kong nyi boi han m kiang" has no "han" in the video;
    • "Ciap nga siu ngai boi han hiau kiu nyi" loses its "boi" instead;
    • "chiong mo hiong kai lok sui sang" ends with "thin" instead of "sang"; while the previous differences don't substantially alter the meaning, this one may, as it introduces a completely new word which I'm not sure how to spell;
  4. Upon my remarking that the link seemed dead, he posted a comment with… almost the lyrics of the revised version on 20/1/20; there's "ten-kong" 灯光 instead of "phak-kwong" 白光; there's also the dialectal difference of jim-lok in place of yim-ngok, plus all the dialectal differences in pronunciation I am well aware of which I won't list here; I assume the "lia" in "Lia nen-tshin shui-tsiang li" was added by me because this translation wasn't really well fitted to the tune – no, actually he sent these lyrics on 31/1/20 at 10:28, and this comment has Hanzi with the "lia" at 2:31 on 1/2/20;
  5. The original version below is actually from this 15/7/17 3:49 post;
  6. Note that the translation was already complete by 16:11 on 14/7/17, where a Chinese-character version was sent to that famous WhatsApp group; that spelling was virtually the same as the original one below, except:
    • The first appearance of the title had the probable error "mo-sang kai sang-jim" (無聲个聲音);
    • "Nyin-ka fun-min" in verse 3 was "Nyin kong fun-min" (人講分明), "People said they understood", I think;
    • "Lian jim-lok tu mo hiong-sang" had no mo, appearing as 連音樂都響聲, which was definitely an error since the songs are supposed to never be shared by voices, and thus cannot hiong-sang = resonate;
    • L. 2 of the last verse appeared as 佢白燈神佢兜做个 "Ki phak-ten sin ki-teu co kai".
Let's look at the translation! I'll have the original lyrics and the Hakka translation in characters on the left, and the literal English translation of the Hakka and the transliterated Hakka on the right.
I did not bother to conform the original version to my spelling and romanization rules, but I did add dashes to distinguish word and syllable boundaries, and I also linebroke both Hanzi and transliteration to better match the revision.
There are a couple remarks: 寧 is apparently nen even for him, but in the original version he wrote nin; 渾 seems to be bun/vun, not bon/von, and I believe it's a typo of his; 躬 is khiung to Wiktionary, but I guess dialectal differences make it khung to Anton.
The * in the romanization mark the differences between original and revision. In particular, a part of a line between * means that has changed, a * only to the right of a syllable means that syllable has changed, and ** means something was inserted there.
The change 裸光->白光 seems strange to me, because the former was more literal. Maybe it just sounds strange in Hakka?
Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision
That was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed
By the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs
That voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

"Fools, " said I, "You do not know
Silence, like a cancer, grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words
Like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said:
"The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds of silence



深暗喂喂老朋友
涯又翻來尋汝寮
因為有異象輕輕跁等
留下佢米時涯裏睡等
裏个異象
尾下種落涯腦子肚
還有在
寧靜無響个聲音

無結煞夢肚涯家行
在石牯磚个細路巷
在裏白燈下个圓光
寒冷肚涯折起衫頸
涯分裏白燈
个光線靗到目花花
切斷半夜
拌著無響个聲音

在裸光下涯親眼看
渾萬隻人還有好算
人家講譮毋使出聲
人家分明毋使去聽
人家寫歌曲
連音樂都無響聲
哇無人敢
搞躁無響个聲音

癲涯講汝會還毋驚
寧靜像癌病肉肚生
聽涯講涯還曉教汝
接涯手涯會還曉救汝
涯譮
像無響个落水聲
回聲在
裏寧靜个水井

涯看著人躬身擎拜
其白燈神佢兜做个
其白燈照出來佢警告
佢照出來个字係仰講
其白燈講
先知師个譮
寫在其地下壁
天安門廳
偷偷講無響个聲音
Darkness, hey hey, old friend,
I've come looking for you again to talk(?)
Because there was a vision softly creeping there,
When it left its seeds, I was sleeping here,
This vision
Was eventually planted down in my brain
[And] is still
In quiet sounds that don't echo.

In unsettling dreams I myself walked
On narrow alleyways of stone tiles
In the halo below this white light,
In the cold I folded [my] collar up
I by this white light's
Light ray was shined on so that my eyes blurred
[The light] cut the midnight
[And] touched the sounds that don't echo

Below the naked light I personally saw
A full 10.000 people, there were still more to count
People spoke [and] needed not make sounds,
People understood [and] needed not listen,
People wrote songs
And even the music didn't echo
And no-one dared
Disturb the sounds that don't echo

«Crazy ones!», I said, «Can you still not fear?
Quietness grows in the flesh like cancer.
Listen to me speaking, I can still teach you,
Take my hands, I might still save you.»
My words
Like echo-less sound of falling rain
Echoed in
Silent wells

I saw people lift(?) [their] body to worship
That white-light god made by them
That white light flashed out its warning
The letters it flashed out said the following,
That white light said:
"The words of the prophets
Are written on those underground walls
[And] Tian'anmen halls,
[And] secretly say unechoing sounds".



Chim-am ui-ui lo phen-jiu
Ngai *jiu fan loi chim nyi liau*
Jin-bui jiu *ji-siong* khiang-khiang pha-ten
Liu-ha kia mi* si ngai li* soi-ten
Li kai *ji-siong*
Mui-ha cung lok nga no-si tu
Han *jiu choi*
Nin-chin mo-hiong kai sang-jim

Mo-kat-sat mung *tu ngai ka hang*
Choi* sak-ku con kai se lu-hong
Choi lia phak-ten ha kai jan*-kong
*Hon-lang tu ngai cap-hi sam-kiang*
Ngai pun lia phak-ten
Kai kong sian chang teu muk-fa-fa
Chiat* thon pan-ja
Pan to mo-hiong kai sang-jim

Choi lu* kong ha ngai chin-ngan khon
Bon ban cak nyin han jiu ho-son
Nyin-ka kong boi m-si chut-sang
Nyin-ka fun-min m-si hi thang
Nyin-ka sia ko-khiuk
Lian jim-lok tu mo hiong-sang
Ba mo-nyin kam
Kau-chau mo-hiong kai sang-jim

Tian ngai kong nyi boi han m kiang
Nin-chin chiong *ngam-phiang* nyiuk tu sang
Thang ngai kong ngai ** han hiau kau nyi
Ciap nga siu ngai boi han hiau kiu nyi
Nga boi
Chiong mo-hiong kai lok-sui sang
Fui-sang choi
** nin-chin kai sui-ciang **

Ngai khon to nyin *khung-sin khia pai*
Ka phak-ten sin ki-teu co kai
Ka phak-ten cau chut-loi kia ** kin-kau
Ki cau chut-loi kai si he nyong** kong
Ka phak-ten kong
Sian-ti-si kai boi
Sia choi ka thi-ha piak
Thian-on-mun thang
Theu-theu kong mo-hiong kai sang[-jim!]
Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision
That was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed
By the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs
That voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

"Fools, " said I, "You do not know
Silence, like a cancer, grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words
Like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said:
"The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds of silence



深暗喂喂老朋友
来讲故
因为有影那里轻轻爬
留下它的秧时里滴这里
这里
尾下到底我的脑屎
还在那里
宁静无响声音

无结煞使人不安肚里之内流浪
石牯石头细路巷
白灯下灯光
冷到都折起衫颈衣领
白灯
光线照亮到目花花模糊
两断半夜
无响声音

在白光下亲眼看
完万只人还有好算
人家讲譮说话毋使无须出声
人家分明毋使无须去听
人家写歌曲
连音乐都响声
人敢
搞躁打扰无响声音

«癫!»,讲,«会还
宁静像发癌肉生。
会还
我的会还。»
我的
像无响落水下雨
回声在
宁静水井里

看着人跪下来拜
白灯神佢兜他们
白灯照出来它(的)警告
照出来仰形这样
白灯讲
先知师先知
写在地下壁
天安门厅
偷偷无响声音
Darkness, hey hey, old friend,
I've looked for you again to tell a story
Because there was a shadow softly creeping there,
When it left its seedlings, I was sleeping here,
This shadow
Was eventually planted down in my brain
[And] is still there
In quiet sounds that don't echo.

In unsettling dreams I roamed
Along narrow alleyways of stone tiles
In the light below this white light,
I was so cold I folded this collar up
I by this white light's
Light ray was shined on so that my eyes blurred
[The light] broke the midnight into two
[And] touched the sounds that don't echo

Below the white light I personally saw
A full 10.000 people, there were still more to count
People spoke [and] needed not make sounds,
People understood [and] needed not listen,
People wrote songs
And even the music didn't echo
And no-one dared
Disturb the sounds that don't echo

«Crazy ones!», I said, «Can you still not fear?
Quietness grows in the flesh like cancer.
Listen to me speaking, I might still teach you,
Take my hands, I might still save you.»
My words
Like echo-less sound of falling rain
Echoed in
These silent wells

I saw people kneel to worship
That white-light god made by them
That white light flashed out its warning
The letters it flashed out said the following,
That white light said:
"The words of the prophets
Are written on those underground walls
[And] Tian'anmen halls,
[And] secretly say unechoing sounds".



Chim-àm ûi-ûi ló phên-yíu
Ngâi fan chim nyî lâi kóng-kù
Yin-vùi yìu yáng kâi khiang-khiang phâ-tén
Lîu-hà kia yong shî ngai lî-tit shòi-tén
Lia kài yáng
Mui-hà cúng lȯk nga nó-shí tú
Hân tshoi kài
Nên-tshìn mô-hióng kài shang-yim

Mo-kat-sat mùng tú-lî lîu-lòng
Lȯk sȧk-kú con kài sè lú-hóng
Tshoi lia phȧk-ten hà kài ten-kwong
Lang tèu ngâi tu cap-hí lia sam-kiáng
Ngâi pun lia phȧk-ten
Kài kwong-sièn tshâng tèu muk-fa-fa
Lióng thon pàn-yà
Pan tó mô-hióng kài shang-yim

Tshoi phȧk-kwong hà ngâi tshin-ngán khòn
Vôn vàn cak nyîn hân yìu hó-sòn
Nyîn-ka kóng voi m-síi chut-shang
Nyîn-ka fun-mîn m-síi hì thang
Nyin-ka siá ko-khiuk
Liên yim-ngȯk tu mô hióng-shang
Và mô nyîn kam
Káu-tshàu mô-hióng kài shang-yim

«Tien!», ngai kong, «nyi vòi hân m kiang?
Nên-tshìn tshiòng pot-ngâm nyuk tú sang.
Thang ngâi kóng ngâi vòi hân hiáu kàu nyî,
Tsiap nga shíu ngâi vòi hân hiáu kìu nyî.»
Nga voi
Tshiòng mô-hióng kài lȯk-shúi shang
Fûi-shang tshoi
Lia nên-tshìn shúi-tsiáng lî

Ngâi khòn tó nyîn khwúi hà lôi pài
Ka phȧk-ten shîn kî-teu tsò kài
Ka phȧk-ten càu chut-lôi kia kài kín-kàu
Kî càu chut-lôi kài sìi hè nyong-hîn kóng
Ka phȧk-ten kóng
Sien-ti-sii kài voi
Siá tshoi ka thì ha piak
Thian-on-mûn thang
Theu-theu kóng mô-hióng kài shang-yim

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