Black blanc beur

English translation: Black white brown

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:Black blanc beur
English translation:Black white brown
Entered by: Philippa Smith

15:34 Feb 12, 2017
French to English translations [PRO]
Music
French term or phrase: Black blanc beur
I'm translating a poem about racism in France.

« ...
Alors que tu frappes mes frères
Je m'arme de patience

Bleu blanc rouge
Black blanc beur
... »

Bleu blanc rouge refers to the colours of the French flag and Black, blanc, beur to blacks, whites and Arabs, meaning that France should be inclusive and is made up for people of all backgrounds but I'm trying to find a punchy way to translate Bleu blanc rouge, Black Blanc beur.

Any ideas?
Magenta Baribeau
Canada
Local time: 04:52
Black white brown
Explanation:
I think it would work in the context of the poem: you've got the colours of the flag then the (skin) colours of the people who make up society in all their shades of black white and brown. I wouldn't be worried about using the two lines with just colours, like the original. Depending on the target for your translation, and if you are meant to be providing something equally poetic or simply a translation to explain the lines, you may want to add a note indicating that they are flag colours/people colours....
Selected response from:

Philippa Smith
Local time: 09:52
Grading comment
Thanks! It's perfect for what I'm doing (subtitling, so the shorter, the better).
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +4Black white brown
Philippa Smith
4Black White North African
Francois Boye


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Black white brown


Explanation:
I think it would work in the context of the poem: you've got the colours of the flag then the (skin) colours of the people who make up society in all their shades of black white and brown. I wouldn't be worried about using the two lines with just colours, like the original. Depending on the target for your translation, and if you are meant to be providing something equally poetic or simply a translation to explain the lines, you may want to add a note indicating that they are flag colours/people colours....

Philippa Smith
Local time: 09:52
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 24
Grading comment
Thanks! It's perfect for what I'm doing (subtitling, so the shorter, the better).

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: Depending on the scansion required, in En we might more naturally say 'red, white, and blue', in which case you could equally add the 'and' in the second line.
4 hrs
  -> Indeed. Thanks Tony

agree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne: This works pretty well. The idea of three colours, three one-syllable words like the original.
4 hrs
  -> Thank you Nikki

disagree  Francois Boye: Les beurs ne sont pas des latinos (Brown in US English). Ce sont des arabes qui se définissent par leur terre d'origine, l'Afrique du nord, anciennement colonisée par la France.. http://www.economist.com/node/322257
7 hrs
  -> I know what beur means François, as does the asker, but in a poem you can't be literal; adding in North African or Arab would not work. Brown is an apt colour description, and a cultural note can be added if necessary.

agree  Charles Davis: It wouldn't be the first time: http://spiritofblackparis.blogspot.com.es/2013/05/africa-in-... And even in US brown is not just latino: "(Often Offensive) Of or being a person of nonwhite origin" (Am. Heritage).
8 hrs
  -> Thanks Charles

agree  Mair A-W (PhD): I have red white & blue / black white & you stuck in my head
16 hrs
  -> Haha! Thanks Mairaw

agree  Yvonne Gallagher
21 hrs
  -> Thanks Gallagy
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

28 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Black White North African


Explanation:
This is the literal meaning in France. It became a slogan after France won the World Football Cup in 1998.

Football = Soccer in US English

The message is France is made up of black, white and North African people; unless they unite, France cannot win.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 30 mins (2017-02-12 16:04:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Instead of North AFrican, you can say North African Arab

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs (2017-02-13 00:31:58 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beur

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 hrs (2017-02-13 00:50:10 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

An explanation in English of the origin of the expression 'Black Blanc beur':

http://www.economist.com/node/322257

Francois Boye
United States
Local time: 04:52
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search