Herbert Grönemeyer has got to be one of the most interesting, compelling and (most of the time) polarised German singer of our times. With over 20 albums made over the years and several platinum records and singles, an interesting actor career and some quite weird (hence polarising) song texts, he can – in my opinion – claim to be one of THE last real German vocal artists at the moment.
(Compare it with what Germany has to offer at the moment: Tokyo Hotel, Monrose, and all the other Casting bands from all the various franchises out
there… I am not counting Xavier Naidoo into the equation, since his career counts about a quarter of the length of Grönemeyers.)
Throughout Grönemeyer’s various albums there are several highlights, like “Kinder an die Macht” (Give children the power) or “Männer” (Men) etc., but one topic is almost always present: discrimination. In “Musik nur wenn sie laut ist” for instance he is describing a young girl dance. Everything seems fine, until we learn in the Chorus that she is in fact deaf and – hence the title – she likes music only when it’s loud. In “Bochum” he sings about his city, which is known throught the world as being one of the most industrial towns of Germany in the middle of the Ruhrgebiet. But with
his lyrics he manages to show that although people don’t like the town, it is still home.
These all are different articulations of discrimination – the girl that we would only pity if we knew beforehand of her handicap, the ugly town – turned upside down and exposed by brilliant lyrics.
As the driven person that he is, Grönemeyer couldn’t help but be affected by the turn of current events in the last years. Religious fanaticism or any other militantism endangering our society, our integrity and our humanity from all sides have been our constant shadow since September 11, but actually already way before that could the signs be seen. Grönemeyer addresses these issues in an album that will hit the stores in March. The first single “Stück vom Himmel” (A piece of heaven) however, has been released to the radio stations last week and will be available to buy around February 2nd.
Here is the text and if you can find it on a radio station, please listen: this is someone with a plea.
| Warum in seinem Namen? Wir heißen selber auch. Wann stehen wir für unsre Dramen? Er wird viel zu oft gebraucht. Alles unendlich, unendlich. Welche Armee ist heilig? Ein Stück vom Himmel, Religionen sind zu schonen, Welches Ideal heiligt die Mittel? Ein Stück vom Himmel Es sind Geschichten, Wer nichts beweist, Es gibt keinen Feind, es gibt keinen Sieg. Die Erde ist freundlich, |
Why in his name? We have names as well. When will we stand for our dramas? He es needed too often. Everything endless, end-less. Which army is holy? A piece of heaven, Religions are to be spared, What ideal justifies the means? A piece of heaven These are stories, Who doesn’t prove anything, There is no enemy, there is no victory. The earth is friendly, |
Literal translation by Yseult. The lyrics of “Stück vom Himmel” are the property of Herbert Grönemeyer and his Record company EMI. The English translation is my own and may be copied with a link to this post. Thank you.
UPDATE: The single has now been released and the accompanying video can be viewed (and thus the song heard) directly at Grönemeyer’s homepage (in the top left corner, under the artists name). This is a slightly slimmed down version compared to the one that was released for the radio.
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… interesting explanation and nice translation! I posted some thoughts about Grönemeyers new song on my blog. Enjoy!
Thanks Max for the link and the mention in your blog. A nice day to you…
“und wir teilen diese Welt,”
Is translated as:
“and we divide this world,”
But it also can be translated as:
“an we share this world,”
The verb “teilen” means “share” and “devide”.
“Nichts kann niemand alleine,” (“Nothing can be done by anyone alone,”)
“Es gibt genug für alle,” (“There is enough for everyone,”)
“wir haben raue Mengen,” (“we have an abundance,”)
These quotes show, that you can translate
“und wir teilen diese Welt,” as you see it!!!
Well, thank you Martin and hello.
I never claimed anywhere that this was the only possible translation, but that it was my literal translation, so there really is no need for a triple exclamation mark.
‘Literal translation’ means that there are subtleties from the original lost, such as the polysemantic meaning of teilen which does in fact as you point out translate into share but also into divide.
Interestingly enough our two possible translations show two different possibilities of understanding Grönemeyer’s song: a rather optimistic one and a pessimistic one.
In one (yours) we need to remember that we share this world and thus need to make it a better place for anyone. In the other (mine) we divide the world into good/bad, rich/poor, believers/unfaithful etc. and exclude everything that does not fit our belief (cf. “es wird zuviel geglaubt”). The only way out of that is this: “Who doesn’t prove anything,
proves already quite a lot.” (“Wer nichts beweist, der beweist schon verdammt viel.”)
Greetings!
Interesting debate!
Hi yseult,
Your translation is absolutely well done; not only in literal sight, but also in the sight of metre (you nearly can “sing” your translation to the music).
So please do not attach the triple exclamation mark to your translation, but to the meaning of last lines.
You are absolutely right, there are to points of view: “a rather optimistic one and a pessimistic one”. Especially according to the last lines of this song the question about the point of view is no to be answered. It is well done by Grönemeyer, how his song gets more and more critical and then leaves an open ending.
In my eyes the answer to this open ending will not be found in discussion, but in future’s history.
Greetings
Well said indeed, Martin.
It’s Grönemeyer’s genius to always leave a doubt in the meanings of his texts. It’s what makes him so appealing, because even if he does preach, you’ll never know it. (This is an intended pun towards the legions of the new Mannheim preachers
)
Take care and thank you for commenting here.
Hey, very well done translation & nice article ^^
But I have a question on the text…
The line “Nichts kann niemand alleine”
does for me mean “Nobody can do nothing alone”
. I had had a real problem while reading the german phrase there (Yes, and I’m a German guy).
Yeah, I know this doesn’t make much sence but that is what is written there in the German text (at least for me
Your translation does mean “Niemand kann etwas alleine tun” (again just FOR ME) ^^
I dont know if its an error in the “translation” or if I’m just silly ^^
But I really don’t find a sence in the german words, only if I interpret it to “Niemand kann etwas alleine tun” as you did it in the english translation.
This would make sence ^^
But anyways, very(!) well done translation you have much talent =)
Hi Mereep,
“I dont know if its an error in the “translation” or if I’m just silly”
In neither case (dt. “weder… noch”). “Nichts kann niemand alleine” is a double negation (dt.: “doppelte Verneinung”). Grammatically this is an affirmation (dt. “Zustimmung”, “Bejahung”). The double negation “Nothing can do anyone alone” could be read as the affirmation “Everyone can do everything alone.”
But it is very common in German people’s speaking to take a double negation as a superlative with vice versa meaning (dt “umgekehrte Bedeutung), q.e.d. By literally translating this into English, the meaning would change. So in my eyes it is translated properly.
Greetings
Martin
Hello Mereep,
I am sorry for the time delay in responding, but I am down with the flu (the real deal) and I do have trouble staying in front of the PC for too long. My attention span suddenly resembles the one of my ever distracted dog…
It’s quite true Nichts kann niemand alleine doesn’t make much sense in German either. Like Martin has pointed out quite correctly the double negation if often used in poetic language to emphasise the meaning and thus it works like an exclamation mark. I’d say that this is what Grönemeyer wants to get across here, but since the English language doesn’t have the same poetical emphasis, I left it like I understood it.
Thank you for your kind remarks and Martin for helping out.
Greetings to you both!
Hi yseult,
I wish you to get well soon and not to have too bad days until then…
Greetings
Martin
Hi!
thx for your fast(!) responses =)
I also think he just wanted to say it the way
you translated it. Yes, and “doppelte Verneinungen” are used here in German quite often. But outside of lyrics etc. You can’t write sentences the way he did it there. If I would write that into my next essay in Deutsch (School),
I would get a big question-mark next to it and an “expression mistake”(Don’t know how “Ausdrucksfehler” are called in English ^^’). But maybe Herbert writes such phrases just to let the reader thing a little bit about it, just to draw attention to it. So that they will think a about the political background that is interlaced in the text.
But know one can know it exactly until someone asks him personally ^^
GreeZ
Mereep (And sorry for writing-mistakes, I’m not as good in English as you are in German ;-)
“You can’t write sentences the way he did it there. If I would write that into my next essay in Deutsch (School),
I would get a big question-mark next to it and an “expression mistake”(Don’t know how “Ausdrucksfehler” are called in English ^^’).”
He doesn’t write that. He sings (“speaks”) it. There’s a big difference.
“But maybe Herbert writes such phrases just to let the reader thing a little bit about it, just to draw attention to it. So that they will think a about the political background that is interlaced in the text.”
It should make you thinking…
Sure
But:
“But know one can know it exactly until someone asks him personally ^^”
Don’t do! The lyrics first should have that meaning to you, which they have.
It is a common mistake, first to look at a text in order to find out, what the author wanted to say. The first question is, what the text tells you, what you make out of the text. If you read, feel like going on a travel or to some exciting place. Let the words catch you. Have an adventure! Reading and also lyrics of a song can be exciting, if you let them be this way.
And be sure, that there is the right place for everything. A double negation is nothing that goes well with an essay. But it is also no “don’t do”. It can be very nice in a poem or some lyrics or in a kind of drama. Find the place, where you can put it and you will be creative in writing!
By the way… I’m a German native speaker also.
Greetings
Martin
Thank you all for your well wishes for my flu. That already helped
@Mereep:
well, that’s why it is called poetry. In poetry things might linguistically be allowed and sound fine while in spoken or normal written language they are odd or wrong even. That’s why I love Grönemeyer that much. He simply has a way of manipulating the language on several levels. That’s what makes it so interesting to listen to his songs over and over again. You will always find another new or different meaning to things you thought you already had pegged.
@Martin:
I absolutely agree with you. But of course as a historian I always try to find out what the author tries to tell me anyway. That’s the reason why I need poetry that much. It helps me counter balance this impulse.
Amidst all this we should also never forget about the fun or the inspiration. Not every language game or funny expression has to bear a deeper meaning. Sometimes the poet or writer just uses it, because it’s fun. Because it appeals to him.
Btw if you want to discuss in German here at the Attic, go ahead. I made the translation for English speaking friends, and some discussion in English is great, but if it gets too tedious, talk in the language that suits you best.
Have a great evening!
Hi there,
@yseult
“But of course as a historian I always try to find out what the author tries to tell me anyway.”
Sometimes it’s a mercy to be a Germanist and Theoligian and not a Historican. I try to keep it with Mat. 18,3.
“That’s the reason why I need poetry that much. It helps me counter balance this impulse.”
Oh YES!
Ooops… the language should not be the problem, although I’m not used to write in English. Understanding always is easier than writing, but ok…
There’s one thing which is bothering me since a few days: What’s are the “legions of the new Mannheim preachers”? Xavier N. & Co.?
Good to hear, that you are getting better
Greetings
Martin
Well, Martin, being somewhat of an Aquinas scholar does help too
Let’s say that I really am not part of the group of relativists that do their historical research just out of fun. I still believe that medieval philosophy for instance has a lot to teach us.
Yes, “the Mannheim preachers” was aimed at Xavier Naidoo and the rest of his gang. I listened to him since the first song he made with Sabrina Setlur, have all his records except the last one and the ones of the “Söhne Mannheims”… BUT I cannot listen to him anymore. Which is a real shame. It’s all so uniform all of a sudden, everything is in the same style and the texts are becoming more and more stale. It’s repetitive, just like a preacher that year after year rants against the carnival. (A totally random example)
So, I like to poke fun at X. hoping and wishing that someday he’ll find his force of expression again.
Thanks. I am getting better, but am still to tired to do anything substantial…
A good weekend to you!
absolut interesting comments and side …congratulation
yseult to Your health and with my love
Absolutely brilliant Betti, enthralling to the last. I am going to have to find some of Grönemeyer’s music for myself.
Thank you for another remarkable piece that has kept my eyes glued to the monitor once again.