As you can see, I'm back from my trip to the scandinavian lands, maybe I'll even share some photos and memories later.
Todays song is a duett from one of my favourite musicals, Elisabeth, and it is called "Bote in der nacht" - literally Ships in the night. It is a duett sung by Elisabeth and her husband Franz Joseph, the later still beeing hopeful, while Sissi tries to make him believe that they do not suit, a beautiful and emotional moment, I think.
I have two translations for this song, the first is a word by word translation of the original german lyrics the second is a word by word translation of the hungarian translation, hungarian version of the song - because I heard it first in hungarian. I try to do my best and stay as close to the original meaning as possible but english is not my mother tongue so there may be some phrases that sound odd to a nativ speaker. Just let me know and I'll try and explain and figure out how to formulate it better.
You can listen to one of the german versions here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjFjJ5VeU2s
I say one of the german versions because there were several german productions of the show, in Vienna, in Essen, in Stuttgar and more. The actress playing and singing Sissi is the original Sissi, her name is Pia Douwes. She was the very first actress to take this role in the musical and reprised it several times.
Here is another german version with english subtitles that was NOT made by me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3qYG8wNAJM
Maya Hakvoort is singing Sissi here, another actress famous for this role but there are so many of them!
Here is my translation, based on the first german video:
Franz Joseph: You know why I’ve come?
Elisabeth: No but I have a suspicion.
Franz Joseph:
Come home Sissi. We belong together. I still believe that. I love you And Love
can, as they say, heal all wounds.
Elisabeth: Love can do a lot but sometimes Love is not
enough.
Belief is strong but sometimes belief itself is nothing but deception.
We wanted wonders but they did not happen
It’s time to finally admit it to ourselves:
We are like two ships in the night,
each has its own destination and its own cargo.
We meet on the sea and then it is hard to say goodbye
but we can’t choose what forces us to go on
(there might be a mistake, that’s
why it is so different in the)
Franz Joseph:
You
want everything but sometimes just a little is so much
Elisabeth: Your dream is too small for me
Franz Joseph:
Be
close together in the dark – isn’t that enough as a goal?
Elisabeth: I don’t want to be your shadow
Together: If
you could see only once through my eyes
then you would no longer
misunderstand me!
We are like two ships in the night,
each has its own destination and its own cargo.
We meet on the sea and then it is often hard to say goodbye
Why is it made so hard for us to be happy?
Elisabeth: You
and me, two boats in the night
Franz Joseph
(at the same time): Understand me… I
need you… I love you
Franz Joseph:
Why can’t you be with me?
Elisabeth: each has its own destination and its own
cargo
Franz Joseph
(at the same time): Understand me… I
need you… I love you
Franz Joseph:
Why are we alone?
Together: We meet on the sea and are even more lonely
than before
Why is it made so hard for us to be happy?
Franz Joseph:
I love you
Elisabeth: Understand,
there are things that simply can’t be
The hungarian version can be found here(music only):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgn2DukAbik
Janza Kata as Sissi - she was Jasmines hungarian singing voice in Aladdin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kKsD9CxKCA
Vágó Bernadett as Sissi - she plays Belle in the hungarian musical version of Beauty and the beast and also voiced Anna from Frozen and Tiana from Princess and the frog.
I have a few more but either Franz Joseph or Sissi are sung by an actor or acress that can be heard in these two as well and I wanted to show as many different ones as possible :)
And here is my translation of the hungarian lyrics:
Franz Joseph: You know why I’ve come?
Elisabeth: No but I have a suspicion.
Franz Joseph:
Come home Sissi. We belong together. I still believe that. I love you And Love
can, as they say, heal all wounds.
Elisabeth: There are feelings and strength in our
hearts but there are things it can’t resolve
our faith is strong but it can’t disengage us
maybe we waited for a miracle but there is no reason to do so anymore
Even if we shared a path in the past it has already ended.
Like two galleys on the sea of the night (Like two galleys was later changed
to Tired galleys)
but our fates are different now
you go that way, I go this way
The flood carried us close but fate parts us already
and there is no way out, no hope
Franz Joseph:
If you aim too high, that is not even
worth a little (I
guess he means if she wants too much she will never ever be satisfied)
Elisabeth: Maybe you are defeatist
Franz Joseph:
To take care of each other, that should
be the only goal
Elisabeth: How
very primitive
Together: Please try to see through my eyes once, then
maybe we would understand each other
Like two galleys on the sea of the night (Like two galleys was later changed
to Tired galleys)
but our fates are different now
you go that way, I go this way
The flood carried us a little closer but fate parts us already
Why has the light in us faded so much?
Elisabeth: You and me two galleys on the sea of the
night
Franz Joseph(at
the same time): Don’t hurt me… Don’t leave me… Don’t cast me away
Franz Joseph:
I would love you
Elisabeth: but our fates are different now
you go that way, I go this way
Franz Joseph(at
the same time): Don’t hurt me… Don’t
leave me… Don’t cast me away
Franz Joseph:
Loneliness
does not help
Together: The flood carried us a little closer but
fate parts us already
Why has the light in us faded so much?
Franz Joseph:
Don’t cast me away
Elisabeth: Please,
believe, what’s gone, is no more
And, for those, who are interested, here is the original german text, written by Michael Kunze
source: https://genius.com/Elisabeth-boote-in-der-nacht-lyricsFranz-Joseph:
Du weißt, warum ich gekommen bin?
Elisabeth:
Nein. Aber ich ahne es
Franz-Joseph:
Komm heim, Sissi. Wir gehören zusammen. Ich glaube immer noch daran. Ich liebe dich. Und Liebe, sagt man, kann alle Wunden heilen
Elisabeth:
Liebe kann vieles, doch manchmal ist Liebe nicht genug
Glaube ist stark, doch manchmal ist Glaube Selbstbetrug
Wir wollten Wunder, doch sie sind nicht geschehn
Es wird Zeit, dass wir uns endlich eingestehn:
Wir sind wie zwei Boote in der Nacht
Jedes hat sein eig‘nes Ziel und seine eigene Fracht
Wir begegnen uns auf dem Meer, und dann fällt der Abschied uns schwer
Doch was uns treibt, liegt nicht in uns’rer Macht
Franz-Joseph:
Du möchtest alles, doch manchmal ist wenig schon sehr viel
Elisabeth:
Dein Traum ist mir zu klein
Franz-Joseph:
Sich nach zu sein im Dunkeln - genügt das nicht als Ziel?
Elisabeth:
Ich will nicht dein Schatten sein
Elisabeth & Franz-Joseph:
Könntest du einmal nur durch meine Augen sehn!
Dann würdest du mich nicht länger mißverstehn
Wir sind wie zwei Boote in der Nacht
Jedes hat sein eig’nes Ziel und seine eigene Fracht
Wir begegnen uns auf dem Meer, und oft fällt der Abschied uns schwer
Warum wird uns das Glück so schwer gemacht?
Elisabeth:
Du und ich, wir sind zwei Boote in der Nacht
Franz-Joseph (gleichzeitig):
Versteh‘ mich...
Ich brauch‘ dich...
Ich lieb‘ dich...
Kannst du nicht bei mir sein?
Elisabeth:
Jedes hat sein eig’nes Ziel und seine eigene Fracht
Franz-Joseph (gleichzeitig):
Versteh‘ mich...
Ich brauch‘ dich...
Ich lieb‘ dich...
Warum sind wir allein?
Elisabeth & Franz-Joseph:
Wir begegnen uns auf dem Meer und sind mehr allein als vorher
Warum wird uns das Glück so schwer gemacht?
Franz-Joseph:
Ich lieb‘ dich!
Elisabeth:
Begreif doch:
Was nicht sein kann, kann nicht sein
