TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

I was just wondering if any of our local linguists have a translation of this one?

I could plug the lyrics into Babelfish.com or somesuch but I expect I'd only get gibberish back...  Or is it really gibberish anyway?

I've got as far as guessing the title is something about parting, probably a parting of friends, but my French is virtually non-existent these days...

Miss P......try looking under Bob Dylan .....(possibly) If You've Gotta Go.......or Go Now
not sure of the exact title, but it is a french version of BDs song.

Mic

yep it is a direct translation-
Listen to me, baby,
There's something you must see.
I want to be with you, gal,
If you want to be with me.

But if you got to go,
It's all right.
But if you got to go, go now,
Or else you gotta stay all night.

It ain't that I'm questionin' you.
To take part in any quiz.
It's just that I ain't got no watch
An' you keep askin' me what time it is.

But if you got to go,
It's all right.
But if you got to go, go now,
Or else you gotta stay all night.

I am just a poor boy, baby,
Lookin' to connect.
But I certainly don't want you thinkin'
That I ain't got any respect.

But if you got to go,
It's all right.
But if you got to go, go now,
Or else you gotta stay all night.

You know I'd have nightmares
And a guilty conscience, too,
If I kept you from anything
That you really wanted to do.

But if you got to go,
It's all right.
But if you got to go, go now,
Or else you gotta stay all night.

It ain't that I'm wantin'
Anything you never gave before.
It's just that I'll be sleepin' soon,
It'll be too dark for you to find the door.

But if you got to go,
It's all right.
But if you got to go, go now,
Or else you gotta stay all night.
 ;D

Manfred Mann had the UK hit with the English version.

Oh yeah! That's why the "If you got to go, go now" line is so familiar  ::) Thanks for that folkicons  8)

But the Fairport version skips quite a few verses, and the translation into French was apparently carried out by an audience member who was doing a French A-Level, so it's not quite right.

Chris (Peluche) should be able to give you a literal translation of the Fairport lyrics.

I think that the lyrics in Fairport's version are actually Pidgin French.
Maybe our lovely Jude can confirm this?

Jen

Not a thing I was involved in, but yes I believe you are right, Jen. Translated in a hurry by someone for a giggle, I suspect. It's probably detailed in Ashley's book

Jude

In my humble opinion I think it's mostly ok - just a couple of bits where I just can't get it right when I sing along e.g. "Que faire que tu ne jamais fais" but I'm probably wrong. The verses they sing are:

It ain't that I'm wantin'
Anything you never gave before.
It's just that I'll be sleepin' soon,
It'll be too dark for you to find the door

It ain't that I'm questionin' you.
To take part in any quiz.
It's just that I ain't got no watch
An' you keep askin' me what time it is.

You know I'd have nightmares
And a guilty conscience, too,
If I kept you from anything
That you really wanted to do.

With a couple of small changes (in the first verse it says "it's just that it's getting late" instead of "it's just that I'll be sleeping soon") but I shall now shut up now as my command of the French language is not as great as it was...

Rachel (talking rubbish)
;D

C'est pas que je te demande
Que faire que tu ne jamais fais
C'est seulement qu'il fait trop tard
Et il fait trop noir pour trouver la porte

Mais si tu dois partir, va t'en
Mais si tu dois partir, va t'en
Si non, tu dois rester la nuit

C'est pas que je te demande
De prendre part dans ce jeu
C'est seulement je n'ai pas de montre
Comme toujours faire le par contre

Mais si tu dois partir, va t'en
Mais si tu dois partir, va t'en
Si non, tu dois rester la nuit

Tu sais j'aurais des cauchemars
Et aussi mauvaise conscience
Si je t'empêche de faire
Ce que vraiment tu espère

Mais si tu dois partir, va t'en
Mais si tu dois partir, va t'en
Si non, tu dois rester la nuit

The story goes that the French lyrics were obtained when (according to Nicol in Record Mirror) the group appealed for a translator at one of its shows at the Middle Earth club.

    "The scene at Middle Earth was that you'd do two sets, and they'd be separated by quite a considerable time while other bands did their thing," verifies Nicol. "I think the boredom factor was one of the reasons we came up with this wacky idea. Three or four punters joined us in the dressing room; they were either French visitors or students of French working in London, and happened to be there that night. Sandy and Richard between them had fairly good school-level French. That's how we sort of thrashed it out. But nobody would pretend that the translation of that lyric would have passed muster at the Strasbourg court of justice." "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" had at this point only been released by Dylan on an obscure European-only single, though Manfred Mann had taken it to #2 in the UK, in English of course, back in 1965. Nicol admits that had the song been better known, they might not have been quite so reckless in turning it upside down: "If it had been on [Dylan's 1964 LP] Another Side of, maybe we wouldn't have been so libertarian with it. 'Cause he was on a pedestal at that time."
 ;D

Aren't you lot just wonderful!  Thankyou and thankyou again! :D

Sorry, just found this thread ... here's the translation :

It's not because I ask you
To do what you have never done
It's only that it's too late
and it is too dark to find the door

--
But if you have to go, then go
But if you have to go, then go
If not, you must stay the night
--

It's not because I ask you
To take part in this game
It's only that I have no watch
Like always makes the 'par contre' ??

(this line doesn't make sense, maybe it should be contre-pas ... 'a backwards step')
--
chorus
--
You know I would have the nightmares
And also bad conscience
I prevent you from ...
exactly what you really hope

Sorry, can't do better as I don't know the song and it's easier to 'hear' some things as they are in the orginal  ;)

the singing by Sandy is still a wonder to behold all these years later...............

Bob Dylan 1965


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xdeEE_7Nn0g