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худсовет

Glossary entry

Russian term or phrase:

"... я буду их перебирать"

English translation:

I'll caress them

Added to glossary by Alina EN-RU
Jan 2, 2010 20:12
14 yrs ago
1 viewer *
Russian term

…ja budu ikh perebirat'

Russian to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature Opera libretto
Context: "Narvite mne cvetov……ja budu ikh perebirat'
i zapakh prohladnykh……nezhnykh lepestkov byt'
mozhet dast pokoj..."
I don't speak a word of Russian. I'm translating into Italian from an English translation of the original Russian text: "Pick me some flowers…I’ll go through them, and the scent of cool……gentle petals...perhaps will bring me peace…" The frase I don't find convincing is "I'll go through them". Can anybody provide a better translation? Thanks!
Proposed translations (English)
4 +2 I'll caress/fondle them
4 +5 I'll ruffle them
4 +2 (vedi dentro)
4 +1 I will look them over (and sort out the best among them)
4 +1 I will arrange them in a bunch
3 +1 ...i will finger them...
4 ....I will be sorting them out
3 I'll play with them
Change log

Jan 3, 2010 22:51: Alina EN-RU Created KOG entry

Discussion

Fiorsam (asker) Jan 3, 2010:
What a fantastic group of translators! Each answer has given me a slightly different perspective on the meaning of the phrase, and now I feel that I have gained a full understanding of the action that is described - not easy when you don't know the original language. Michael's "semantic" explanation was very helpful in confirming my choice (hi, Michael - fancy meeting you here!). So, a heartfelt thank you to all of you. Perhaps we'll meet again before I'm done with this translation. :)
Alla_K Jan 3, 2010:
Fiorsam, Is it essential to retain the original rhythm of the phrase in the translation?
Rachel Douglas Jan 2, 2010:
Agreed Yes, way too "busy." That Italian translator probably had the images of a hundred poetical-operatic bouquets and garlands stuck in his head, from Dante's Leah - "... e vo movendo intorno / le belle mani a farmi una ghirlanda", to the chorus of ladies-in-waiting in Figaro:
"Ricevete, oh padroncina,
queste rose e questi fior,
che abbiam colti stamattina
per mostrarvi il nostro amor."
(Those are the only two I know, but there must be a hundred.)
Fiorsam (asker) Jan 2, 2010:
re. Rachel's comment I had seen that Italian translation - "intrecciare" - but it didn't ring true to me. It just sounded to "purposeful" and "busy" for the state Iolanta is in, sad and confused, she doesn't know she's blind. I have a real wealth of suggestions to choose from, (thank you all) and I think I already know what sounds right to me and would sound right in italian as well. But I'll sleep over it before deciding.
Judith Hehir Jan 2, 2010:
That's funny, Rachel! I still like Galina's translation best. All things considered it makes the most sense. Besides, it has an emotional appeal
Rachel Douglas Jan 2, 2010:
Would you believe... "intrecciare"! Hah! Fiorsam, here's evidence that you may write just about whatever you think sounds nice. An earlier translator of the Iolanta libretto into Italian wrote for this passage: "Coglietemi dei fiori, io poi li intreccero. E il profumo dei petali, morbidi e freddi, mi dara forse la tranquilita" (sorry for the lack of diacritical marks). So, in that version, the translator decided that Iolanta was going to plait the flowers. (No, I'm not saying that's what perebirat means.)
Alina EN-RU Jan 2, 2010:
Women usually love flowers and are very gentle to them... Especially if Iolanta can't see them, if she is sad and all that
Alexandra Taggart Jan 2, 2010:
She run her fingers through with a purpose to compose her desirable accord among the smells.Too much of the therapy?
DTSM Jan 2, 2010:
I think перебирать simply means 'to feel/touch one by one'. That's what blind people do. They need to touch something to 'see' it. The source just does say she was caressing them or fingering (???) them or whatever.

Alina EN-RU Jan 2, 2010:
Iolanta just enjoys the smell and texture of the flowers and touches them gently one by one to feel and smell better. Caress, why not?
Judith Hehir Jan 2, 2010:
Uh-oh. Good luck to Fiorsam with all this controversy. Both meanings of perebirat' are legit, don't you think, Alexandra? But since the protagonist is blind, wouldn't it make more sense for her to be sorting out the best of the bunch by feeling them? This is tricky!
Alexandra Taggart Jan 2, 2010:
"пианист перебирал клавиши" "перебирать" -is an act of sorting and hasn't changed it's original meaning.Pianist SELECTIVELY pressed the keys in order to find/compose a certain accord.
Judith Hehir Jan 2, 2010:
Oops which are *best
Judith Hehir Jan 2, 2010:
If that's the case, then the intended meaning is definitely what Galina or Rachel have suggested (unless she can make a judgment about which are based without using her eyes). I don't particularly care for "finger" or "fondle" in English because of the sexual overtones, but...well, it's the meaning in Russian that matters for an accurate rendering in Italian.
Fiorsam (asker) Jan 2, 2010:
Clarification I didn't think of providing this information before, but I think it might be useful. The frase is spoken by Iolanta in the opera by the same name. She is blind, so she can only feel and smell, but cannot see the flowers.

Proposed translations

+2
26 mins
Russian term (edited): …ja budu ikh perebirat\'
Selected

I'll caress/fondle them

to touch, stroke, etc., lightly, as if in affection, to fondle a precious object, e.g. "The breeze caressed the trees".

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Note added at 2 hrs (2010-01-02 23:01:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

'i zapakh prohladnykh……nezhnykh lepestkov ...' - the petals are COOL and SILKY/GENTLE, the AROMA is wonderful. This means that she really ENJOYS and CARESS the flowers

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2010-01-02 23:02:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

*CARESSES

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Note added at 1 day2 hrs (2010-01-03 22:49:13 GMT) Post-grading
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My pleasure! Glad to help.
Peer comment(s):
agree Angleterre (X)
23 mins
Thank you, Anna!
agree Judith Hehir
46 mins
I appreciate it, thank you so much, Judith!
neutral Alexandra Taggart : The blind can "see" by their tips.
1 hr
Yes, being blind she enjoys the smell and the texture of the flowers. Can't see any problem with the translation - caress, why not?
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you. This seems to fit the context very well - the "soft touch" of a caress - sensual, but not sexual."
+1
6 mins

...i will finger them...

..run one's fingers over smth... - to touch
Peer comment(s):
neutral Angleterre (X) : I only meant "I will finger them" option, that's just the first thing that springs to mind. you wouldn't want someone to giggle at such a serious poem, would you? ;)
37 mins
run one's fingers over the strings... there isnt anything sexual to my mind. but any way thanks for your opinion
agree engltrans : I'll touch them (in turn) one by one
16 hrs
thanks
Something went wrong...
16 mins

....I will be sorting them out

or may be:
... I will be playing with them
Something went wrong...
+1
17 mins

I will look them over (and sort out the best among them)

The English "go through them" works, too.
Peer comment(s):
agree sokolniki
1 hr
Thanks, sokolniki, but I just found out that the girl in question is blind.
Something went wrong...
+1
1 hr

I will arrange them in a bunch

and the aroma of delicate cool petals may bring me solace...
Peer comment(s):
agree Judith Hehir : I think this could work, too, but I'm no opera buff. Truth be told, I have little to no experience in all three areas: opera, gardening, and floral arrangements
23 mins
Thanks! Yes, you are - when you really feel the thing.Are you gardening?If not-you may think that is the job of the florist!
Something went wrong...
+5
18 mins

I'll ruffle them

I think that's what you do with flower blossoms, fanning through and slightly separating their petals.


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Note added at 23 mins (2010-01-02 20:36:04 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To elaborate:
The Russian verb perebirat can mean to go through, in the sense of to pick over. But that doesn't seem to match the context! "Give me some flowers and I'll pick 'em over to see if any are wilted" (?!). In view of the cool and tender fragrance that's about to be let loose, I think a different meaning is more to the point: it can mean to touch some things lightly in succession. The dictionary (Ozhegov) example is "perebirat the strings (of an instrument) with your fingers."

So, "run my fingers over them" might be a precise description of what the person's going to do, but in English I think this action is called "to ruffle."

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Note added at 1 hr (2010-01-02 21:56:50 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Now that you reveal the source, I looked up one non-verse English translation of the Tchaikovsky libretto, which says simply, "I would like to hold them"! You could say "touch", since in the context that seems to be the main thing: the blind Iolanta "looks at" or "sees" things by touching them with her fingers.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Judith Hehir : Perhaps you are right about the meaning (though those who pick flowers generally sort through and keep only the best for their bouquets), but Galina's "caress, fondle" would better convey the action than "ruffle," which quickly brings feathers to mind.
25 mins
Thx, Judith. I grow, pick & sort thru flowers for bouquets I'm making; not so sure a girl wd announce she's going to do that w a bouquet received! I thought to ruffle petals or fan a ream of paper described the action, asker cd find poetic Italian.
agree Natalie
26 mins
Thanks, Natalie.
agree Alexandra Taggart : "run my fingers through"-
1 hr
Dear Alexandra, I did not give the task of "ikebaning" to anybody, because 1) I reject the notion of an English verb "to ikebane" based on the Japanese art of ikebana, and 2) I do not think a blind girl would be able to manage ikebana very well.
agree DTSM : "I would like to hold them"! You could say "touch"...
1 hr
Thanks, Dmitry.
agree Dr Lofthouse : goes well
17 hrs
Thank you.
agree Angela Greenfield
22 hrs
Thanks, Angela.
Something went wrong...
+2
3 hrs

(vedi dentro)

Ciao, Fior (appunto!)
Eccoti tutta la frase (così potrai vedere il contesto):

Gather me some flowers.... I'll touch them one by one... and the fragrance of their cool .... tender petals perhaps would bring (me some) peace"

Ammazza che sciroppo! Adesso ti do la semantica: pere=fare ripetutamente (over and over again); birat'(brat')=prendere; dunque il significato primario è "to sort". Caress, fondle, ruffle (non sono mica, rispettivamente, pelo, tette e capelli!) sono licenze poetiche, nmo fiorvianti. Non essere Fior-viante! Auguri per 2010!
Peer comment(s):
agree Alla_K : I have not noticed among Italian text that you had already proposed "touch them one by one"
7 hrs
thanks. Doesn't matter. Silly stuff, anyway. "I will caress the whole bunch / obtaining peace from their stench"... hah-hah
agree DTSM : I'll touch them one by one// :)
10 hrs
Thanks, D! She'll touch all the stalks available...
Something went wrong...
16 hrs

I'll play with them

just an option. Iolanta is upset and feels she is up to do something pleasant to distract herself from sad thoughts:

Pick me some flowers! I’ll play with them. And scent of cool and tender petals will maybe calm me down.
Something went wrong...
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