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au large de ma vie

English translation: out in the wide open spaces of my life

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:au large de ma vie
English translation: out in the wide open spaces of my life
Entered by: Karen Tucker (X)

16:51 Oct 28, 2004
French to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / art catalog text
French term or phrase: au large de ma vie
Any ideas for this one? I'm at a loss. This was written by a Breton artist who paints Breton landscapes, including the sea, and scenes of traditional life. Thanks, Karen

Je t’attendais au large de ma vie
sur ces chemins de mémoire
Il n’y a plus ton bruit, ton sourire
le soleil a fait naufrage.
Karen Tucker (X)
United States
Local time: 20:04
out in the big open spaces of my life
Explanation:
may be too long

I waited for you on memory lane
out in the big open spaces of my life
Selected response from:

RHELLER
United States
Local time: 18:04
Grading comment
I want to thank all of you for your creative suggestions and analyses. The author's explanation suggests that this is the closest translation. In his poems and other text, he does talk a great deal about open spaces, vistas, immensity, infinity, etc. I ended up using "wide open spaces." Karen
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +1on the tides of my life
Anthony Chalkley (X)
5my entire life
Javier Herrera (X)
5off the coast of my life
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
4off the shoreline of my life
Dr Sue Levy (X)
3 +1out in the big open spaces of my life
RHELLER
2 +2My (french) understanding
Michel A.
3I waited for you on the shores of my life
carole patton
2... in the far off, my life
Thierry LOTTE
2see comment below...
Tony M


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
my entire life


Explanation:
...

Javier Herrera (X)
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
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9 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
on the tides of my life


Explanation:
you need some sort of nautical image - "open sea" won't work - maybe "ebbs and flows" or something of the sort

Anthony Chalkley (X)
Local time: 02:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Thierry LOTTE: I like this one. Even if it is a little bit far from the text... but " licence poétique" is nt it ?...
8 mins
  -> merci
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16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
off the shoreline of my life


Explanation:
is how it translates literally.

I think some reference to the sea is important - given the last line.

Dr Sue Levy (X)
Local time: 02:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 27

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X): off the coast OR off + geography thingie place name or type, also
20 mins
  -> yep I know but shoreline sounds more poetic :-)
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
out in the big open spaces of my life


Explanation:
may be too long

I waited for you on memory lane
out in the big open spaces of my life

RHELLER
United States
Local time: 18:04
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 38
Grading comment
I want to thank all of you for your creative suggestions and analyses. The author's explanation suggests that this is the closest translation. In his poems and other text, he does talk a great deal about open spaces, vistas, immensity, infinity, etc. I ended up using "wide open spaces." Karen

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  RomEst (X): I like it.
56 mins
  -> merci :-)
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20 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
... in the far off, my life


Explanation:
Je sais bien que ma virgule change un peu le sens, mais... licence poétique...

Thierry LOTTE
Local time: 02:04
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 4
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +2
My (french) understanding


Explanation:
especially from the end of the poem I think that "au large de ma vie" means at the end/twilight of my life - it's all about memories nostalgia "il n'y a plus ton bruit, ton sourire" (she probably died before) and the only meeting point now is inside his "mémoire", proustian somewhere

Michel A.
Local time: 20:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 14

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Dr Sue Levy (X): hmm why not? For me, "au large de ma vie" signifies a place apart from the mainstream of life, so yes, why not the end
1 hr
  -> Cheers Sue
agree  Laurel Porter (X): My non-French but instinctive understanding as well.
22 hrs
  -> Great hearts... ;-) Cheers Laurel
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
I waited for you on the shores of my life


Explanation:
I waited for you on the shores of my life
On these walks full of memories
There is no longer your smile, your sound,
The sun has forever gone down.

I like the image of someone ON the shore, where they used to walk together and looking out to sea with some sort of expectation, until the strong image of the sun failing to rise again ends that hope.
I guess I just find this easier to relate to - being a big fan of beach walks at sunrise and sunset for happy and sad times, for writer's block even.

It is still in keeping with dictionary (le PR) definitions of large and au large:
AU LARGE. Être au large : avoir beaucoup de place.
Le large : la haute mer.
Large: Qui est étendu (dans quelque sens que ce soit); sur un vaste espace.

But anyway, as Jane L-R says, poetry is fun (compared to haynes manuals say)!



carole patton
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:04
Native speaker of: English
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
see comment below...


Explanation:
I waited for you at the height of my life,
on these paths of memory
Your sound, your smile are no longer,
The sun has gone down for me...


The nautical metaphor is all very well, but I think 'au large' means getting away from the shore; the idea is 'high seas', to be 'out of ones depth' [ne plus avoir pied], and not at all related to the safety of the shore...

'go down' is what we usually say of the sun, but also what we say of a ship that sinks; I think here understatement is more than enough.

Sorry, everyone, I'm drunk, but I always find that helps with poetry :-)

I think Jane has come very close to the right idea... but I prefer to keep away from the idea of 'coast'


Tony M
France
Local time: 02:04
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 128
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10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
off the coast of my life


Explanation:
au large is usually to do with boats going along off a coastline or bit of coast......or au large de Cap Horne....for example, OFF Cape Horn...I think it would be nice to keep the metaphor of the guy as a boat who couldn't get the shore [love] of his life, wouldn't it?

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Note added at 13 mins (2004-10-28 17:04:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I was waiting for you,
Off the coast of my life,
Your sounds, your smile are gone.
The sun has gone under.
OR
The sun is a shipwreck.

It\'s fun to translate poetry...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 mins (2004-10-28 17:06:05 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

FORGOT ONE LINE!

Off the coast of my life
Along memory\'s lanes.

........[not paths..because sealanes exists and this is all happening in the sea, right?]

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 mins (2004-10-28 17:10:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The sea metaphor is the operant one here...

:)

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 3 hrs 8 mins (2004-10-29 19:59:54 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

well then..it can also be said as: In the ocean of my life....

but I prefer my original....

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 80
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