#this is definitely the most commentary I've written on a single song

[lopez-richter-fangirl]

Hiiii long sappy post ahead but read for info about the upcoming release of my college fic in bold!!

I’m just over halfway through final edits and the final word count is hovering at around *drum roll* 127k words 😳 If you've been following, I know what you're thinking, yes that is more words than the first draft, I promise I did cut some stuff, this is what we're working with 🤪

So now I'm like... pretty much ready for it to be out in the world? And I hope everyone loves it as much as I do because it really has become very dear to me 🥹 Structure-wise it's appalling, clearly there's still so much that needs to be cut but I'm too attached to it. But emotionally, I think it hits all the right places, there are points it makes me want to cry, there are points it was pure torture to write and yet this doesn't even cover as many years as the real life pre-relationship, there are scenes where I really think the writing is beautiful if I do say so myself. It strayed a little further from real life than I think I originally thought it might but there are still a lot of moments that feel very real to me, or at least to what I imagine they could have been. And this particular characterisation of them? They're my babies. And I had to keep reminding myself while writing it that at this point they WERE babies (18 and 21??????) 😭

I’m very excited to post the first chapter tomorrow (for a reason that will be revealed) and then twice weekly after that on Wednesdays and Saturdays 🗓 Mostly because I don't know if or when I'll write another fic so I'm not ready for this one to be over too quickly 🥺 (Side note: definitely not ruling another fic out! I truly love writing these two so much and if inspiration strikes me again I'm sure I would go for it, but this was the last solid idea I had for a whole fic and I think that's part of why I've taken so much care over it and made it so fucking long trying to include every possible idea I had, because if I am going out on this I want to be going out on a high, which I think this is. I'm gonna try and shift focus to working on some original stuff and we'll just see what happens on the fic front. Anyway!) But when I was calculating dates I realised a twice weekly schedule also means it'll be starting in September and ending in May, which feels like a fitting span for this story, even though it takes place over several years 💙💛

It's going to be a longgg journey, but I hope you'll join me for it, if you want. I've been thinking it might be fun to post the wattpad links to each chapter on here along with a little mini commentary of any thoughts I have about it, any BTS on the process, songs that particularly fit?? I know that’s what author’s notes are for but I feel more connected to my tumblr audience than to wattpad, you know? I don't know, let me know ✏️ But I'm grateful for anyone that wants to read it and any and all feedback. It's rare for me to love my writing as much as I do with this fic but I think it's because of how grounded in reality it is, they definitely feel the most true to the way I see Joey and Lauren that I've ever written them. And I'm really excited to share it with you 🥰

Shoutout to Gabi who's read all but the epilogue and tells me it's good so I know at least one person likes it before I publish it, and is also all round the best and most supportive friend ❤️

And I have to say a huge thank you to anyone who's ever read one of my fics. It started off as a single oneshot after AVPW and I now have like 175k total reads across all my works 🤯 I know that's probably the same 5 people rereading them thousands of times but that's still an absolutely mind blowing number for me. I might not have rediscovered my love of writing if it weren't for all of you. Thank you 💗

And finally here's a cover reveal for Right Place, Wrong Time ‼️ (very basic lmao but some fun/painful fitting details)

[hatari-translations]

Tortímandi (Eradicator) - official translation/commentary

Time for “Tortímandi” and its very poetic, eccentric line splits and formatting as it bombards you with unsettling imagery about fascism!

This song is on the Neysluvara EP. The official English translations for these songs are all quite faithful and translated in the same spirit as I’ve been translating here - so rather than arbitrarily retranslating them, I’ll just be publishing the official lyrics and translation (though reformatted in my usual way) and then writing some notes on that translation, in the vein of what I usually do.

If you’d like to see other Hatari material transcribed/translated, feel free to drop an ask in my askbox!

Icelandic lyrics

MATTHÍAS:

Hann er þögull

   sem múrveggur

hávær

   sem handleggur

brotinn

   í agnir niður

aumkun

   sem engu nemur

öskur

   sem hamar og meitill

höggstaður

   alráður

hatur

   sem flóðbylgjur

ótti

   óheflaður

Kunnuglegur tortímandi

Styrkri hendi mundar spjótið

Við erum brothætt

   sem heimsálfa

hangir

   á bláþræði

heróp

   í bergmáli

aumkun

   sem engu nemur

öskur

   sem hamar og meitill

höggstaður

   alráður

hatur

   sem flóðbylgjur

ótti

   óheflaður

Kunnuglegur tortímandi

Styrkri hendi mundar spjótið

Kunnuglegur tortímandi

Styrkri hendi mundar spjótið

KLEMENS:

Allt sem þú aldrei varst

aldrei varðst

aldrei varst

Bréfið sem aldrei barst

aldrei barst

aldrei barst

Klettsbrún af hverri þú dast

hverri þú dast

hverri þú dast

Allt sem þú aldrei varst

aldrei verður

aldrei varst

Allt sem þú aldrei -

MATTHÍAS:

Kunnuglegur tortímandi

Styrkri hendi mundar spjótið

Kunnuglegur tortímandi

Styrkri hendi mundar spjótið

Official English translation

MATTHÍAS:

He is silent

   as a wall

loud

   as an arm

smashed

   to smithereens

pity

   nearly nil

a scream

   like a hammer and chisel

a weak spot

   arbiter

hatred

   like tidal waves

fear

   unchecked

Familiar eradicator

Strong of hand aims the spear

We are fragile

   as a continent

hanging

   by a thread

battle cry

   in an echo

pity

   nearly nil

a scream

   like a hammer and sickle

a weak spot

   arbiter

hatred

   like tidal waves

fear

   unchecked

Familiar eradicator

Strong of hand aims the spear

Familiar eradicator

Strong of hand aims the spear

KLEMENS:

All that you never were

never became

never were

The letter that never came

never came

never came

The cliff off which you fell

which you fell

which you fell

All that you never were

never will be

never were

All that you never -

MATTHÍAS:

Familiar eradicator

Strong of hand aims the spear

Familiar eradicator

Strong of hand aims the spear

Notes

I have one real niggle with this translation: for some reason, the first “hamar og meitil” is translated (correctly) as “hammer and chisel”, but the second instance of the exact same line in the exact same context is translated (incorrectly) as “hammer and sickle”. I honestly think this may just plain be a typo - “hammer and sickle” is a more common phrase that I can easily see your brain just autofilling when you’re trying to say “hammer and chisel”. But given the hammer and sickle’s strong association with the Soviet Union, it’s possible they intentionally made the reference (...only in one spot out of two, only in the English translation) given the themes of authoritarianism and dictatorship in the song.

That being said, I think in English you’d more naturally talk about a “mallet and chisel”? If I Google “hammer and chisel” I just get some kind of bodybuilding program. We use the word “hamar” for both.

You know how in The People Behind the Costumes, Einar says Klemens recruited his cousin Matthías to scream some poems he (Matthías) had written over some electronic music he (Klemens) had composed? It would definitely not surprise me if “Tortímandi” (or at least the two main verses) was a poem that Matthías had written before they turned it into a song. The lyrical formatting, with the really short lines and those indents (I’m not sure if you’ll be able to see the indents on mobile because mobile Tumblr is terrible, but oh well), really looks like written poetry and not song lyrics, and if this were being written as lyrics, I can’t help but imagine the lines would be split more along the rhythmic lines of the song.

These lyrics are really interesting as used in the song, though. In particular, the sentence structure here noticeably does not line up with the rhythmic lines of the song. That is, if you go by the rhythmic lines (where there are pauses), it sounds like this:

Hann er þögull

sem múrveggur hávær

sem handleggur brotinn

í agnir niður aumkun

which would translate to...

He is silent

as a loud wall

like a broken arm

into smithereens pity

and so on - the lyrics initially just seem to make no sense because the line splits garble them up into statements that appear to be nonsensical or contradictory. But then you listen better and realize no, it’s actually:

Hann er þögull sem múrveggur,

hávær sem handleggur brotinn í agnir niður,

aumkun sem engu nemur...

or:

He is silent as a wall,

loud as an arm smashed into smithereens,

pity nearly nil...

I think it’s a pretty neat effect that enhances the unsettling nature of the song’s imagery; it’s all just sort of coming at you in a way you don’t expect and you have to decipher what it means a little.

This is another song consisting of strong, stark images, and the lyrics are kind of cryptic. But I think what’s being gotten at with the imagery is clearly fascism/authoritarianism: the idea of this ‘strong leader’ preparing for war, the juxtaposition of this unsettling, intimidating, pitiless authority figure, the hatred and fear that they stoke in the populace, and the violence that they command, as a fragile continent hangs in the balance. And of course, this leader, or eradicator, is familiar: we’ve seen this before, and where it leads.

Klemens’s lyrics are even more cryptic, but I think it’s addressed to the nation that’s falling into this trap. I feel like “The letter that never came” is referencing some historical story of a crucial letter not arriving and thus failing to prevent bloodshed; a couple of friends pointed to the Battle of New Orleans, which was fought after the war was already over but before word had reached the front lines, but I’m not sure that fits into the rest of what the song is depicting. Friend also points out it may just be referring to communications being controlled/manipulated in an authoritarian state, which makes sense.

Incidentally: “Klettsbrún af hverri þú dast” is using the same unusual-in-Icelandic “off which you fell” construction as Matthías’s lines in “Ógleði”; the normal way to write that would be “Klettsbrún sem þú dast af” (a cliff that you fell off). Obviously this phrasing facilitates the rhyme, but I also just find it delightfully signature Matthías to be repeatedly using this grammatical structure we don’t usually in his lyrics.

#hatari #tortímandi #lyrics #icelandic #politics #this is definitely the most commentary I've written on a single song

[watch-grok-brainrot]

Hi! So I saw some of your commentary on translation and decided it's worth a shot to ask. Sorry if it's a bother! What is, in your opinion, the most faithful translation of this line? "Who cares about the crowded, broad road? I'll stick to my single-log bridge until it's dark". I've seen a few variations, including "into the dark". It's a minor difference, I guess, but it's such an important line, I want to know as much as possible!

Not a bother at all! I’m so honored someone would ask my opinion of a translation! And your question is delightfully open ended. i’ve been needing an excuse to go down a rabbit hole of chinese and cql! That means if i wander and end up super off topic, it’s ok! (also, this is the first ask i’ve gotten about something not due to a tumblr game so i’m really excited!) 

Any-hoot! The line in question is:

管他熙熙攘攘阳关道 我偏要一条独木桥走到黑

In short, both “into dark” and “until dark” work. But let’s talk a bit in depth about the elements of the line since you want to know as much as possible. Also, translation, IMO, is personal so you can decide what you prefer. Hopefully i’ll give you enough information to help you form an opinion. 

管他 - guan ta -  no matter, who cares. 管 has a lot of meanings: tube, pipe, valve, manage, control, care, jurisdiction, etc. 他 is him/other. In this case, together, the phrase is a VERY casual (borderline rude) way of saying who cares -- fitting of WWX’s relaxed speech pattern.

熙熙攘攘 - xi xi rang rang -  bustling/full of people. Per Baidu, this is a 成语 (1)  referring to a line from 《史记·货殖列传》: “天下熙熙，皆为利来；天下攘攘，皆为利往”. 史记 is commonly thought of as China’s first “biolographical history”. Written in the Han Dynasty, it chronicles all Pre-Han dynasties and kingdoms. It set the precedent of not discussing the current dynasty in a piece of history writing because under the circumstances one cannot be impartial (i.e you can say whatever you want about previous rulers but not those related to the current ones lest you want to risk decapitation). The passage the term is from is a section that discusses merchants. The line can be translated as “Everyone [under heaven] is happy, all arriving for profits; everyone [under heaven] is troubled, all leaving for profits.” The coming and going captured from the source is reflected by the current usage of the term as bustling/full of people. 

阳关道 - yang guan dao - character by character: sunny, pass, path/way/road. 阳关道 is a reference to a road going through a pass on the Silk Road. There were two options onto the silk road back in the Han Dynasty. The north road forces you through 玉门关 (Yu men guan). The south road forces you through 阳关. Located in modern day Gansu Province, 阳关道 is said to have been 120 meters wide (which is massive even by today’s standards!). Within this context, it indicates a well known, well traveled, busy, broad road. (2) (3)

我偏要 - wo pian yao - character by character: i, wilfully, want. So, in short, “i insist on”. Like 管他, WWX is just being casual in his speech here. The idea of willful, though, is important as a character trait for him. He will do what’s right; he will follow his path; come hell or high water. 

一条 - yi tiao - a. Seriously, the first character is one. The second is a measure word for a stick-like thing. This is a fun (aka highly frustrating for non-native speakers) part of chinese! When you refer to an object that can be counted, you need to use measure words. You use the wrong one, and the implications get odd. Sometimes I would translate measure words via “a [measure word] of [something]”. E.g. A unit of person. A head of cattle. A cup of water. BUT! If you use the wrong measure word, it seems really weird. E.g. A cup of person. A stick of water. 

独木桥 - du mu qiao - character by character: single, wood, bridge. Aka a single plank bridge. It is often paired with 阳关道 since they contrast so well. There is also a chinese saying: “你走你的阳关道，我走我的独木桥” which basically says you walk your broad path, I’ll walk my single plank bridge. It means to each their own. This is definitely part of what WWX is trying to do. He saved the Wens. He’s exiled himself from the Jiangs and the cultivation world. He says to Jiang Cheng that he just wants to be left alone to live out his life. And that sentiment is reflected in this statement about busy broad paths and single plank bridges. 

走到黑 - zou dao hei - character by character: walk, reach/until, black/dark. In this case, the color black indicates an ending. I’m thinking death or some sort of fall from grace. Usage-wise, it can just refer to the end of an alley (alleys existed even in the Tang Dynasty since cities were organized in grids). Sometimes, in a slightly longer phrasing, the wording can mean stubbornly choosing to do something without looking back. So how do we want to interpret this part of the line? Based on context of WWX, his stubbornness, and his 独木桥, I would say he is mindfully heading towards the end. For that reason, I prefer “into the dark” over “until dark”. (4)

That said, we can also be less literal with our translations! Let me offer this as an option of a fairly liberal translation that still captures the essence and the tone: “Who cares! To each their own!  I’ll walk my own path come hell or high water!”

And I’d like to leave you with the idea of LWJ saying to WWX: The feeling of “walking my own path come hell or high water” isn’t bad indeed.

Footnotes: 

成语s are idioms and are usually 4 characters long. They are super common in modern chinese. As a child, you either pick up their meanings from context or are taught the meaning. Oftentimes, the meaning derives from a story or a literary reference that are only tangentially related to the characters of the idiom. 

It’s actually a modern day tourist attraction! In my wanderings on Baidu, i saw a picture of modern day 阳关道. There was a picture of a stone memorial and the writing on the stone literally said former location of 阳关. I don’t know why i found this so funny... oh, well. 

Both  阳关 and  玉门关 are well known to Chinese children due to their presence in Tang Dynasty poetry.  For example: 送元二使安西 作者：唐 王维 (Sending Off Yuan Er Towards Xi’an by tang poet Wang Wei) 渭城朝雨浥轻尘，客舍青青柳色新。劝君更尽一杯酒，西出阳关无故人。(Morning rain in Weicheng dampens the light dust ， Making the inn verdant and freshening the willows’ color 。 I implore you to drink one more cup of wine ， Once west of Yang Guan you will have no more familiar people 。)

Full disclaimer: I might be partial to into the dark because of that Deathcab for Cutie song “I will follow you into the dark”. Also, uh… LWJ’s mood when he named LSZ (5), right?!  “Love of mine, someday you will die/But I'll be close behind and I'll follow you into the dark” FOLLOW YOU INTO THE DARK. I AM SCREAMING. What are wangxian feels?! Why are they EVERYWHERE. 

In case you don’t know, LSZ’s S and Z are 思 (si, to think/miss) and 追 (zhui, to follow/chase). LWJ explains it as 思君不可追, 念君何时归. People (i think both in chinese and english speaking fandom) explain it as “missing you but can’t go after/be near you, thinking about you and wondering when you’ll return.” I always interpreted this line very dramatically: LWJ wanted to follow WWX into death but could not because of this child. By bestowing the name on the child, he expresses his desire to chase after WWX. (also, WTF does my footnote have a footnote?!)

(I want to say I consider myself a native Chinese speaker but I grew up outside of China. I didn't go to school in China but I did manage to work my way through textbooks (aka my dad sat me down nearly every day for 10 years to teach me the language) so that I have at least a late middle school/early high school reading level. I have read the unabridged/simplified Journey to the West but none of the other famous 4 novels. From interacting with people, I believe I have good language sense. I also pick up wordings and phrases pretty easily. The language makes sense to me. However, I am not well read or well studied.) 

Welp, @ ho-heystranger let me know if you’re happy with this. If not, feel free to follow up in the notes or something. oof. this got way longer than i anticipated!

#ho-heystranger #i got an ask! #mo dao zu shi #the untamed 陈情令 #translation #管他熙熙攘攘阳关道 我偏要一条独木桥走到黑 #wei wuxian #lan wangji #lan sizhui #definite ramblings #some historical context #everything is a reference in chinese #and the more you read the more you learn your references but the more you want to bang you head against a wall #yes this is personal experience #also ngl i kinda love it #chinese is so old its references has references and other references #reference-ception? #i'm gonna stop now #my ramblings are ending up in the tags