What to consider when translating songs?

by Target Language Translation Services

- November 19 2021

While some people don’t pay much attention to the lyrics and enjoy music and songs in virtually every language, for others it's vital to understand the lyrics they hear. This is why the translation of songs isn’t only optional; it’s essential for every artist that wants to reach a broader audience.

Contrary to popular belief, translating a song - short word sentences, simple language, not too many words - isn’t always a quick and easy task. There are so many rules, guidelines, and nuances to take into account when translating songs from one language to another.

Main ways to translate songs

Generally, translation replaces the original text written in one language into a chosen language. While this is the overall premise, translation is a process that considers many variables, options, and rules. Single words and short phrases are easy to translate because you can do a literal translation, meaning you find the exact equivalent of the word from one language into the other

But when it comes to translating special subjects, especially literary texts such as songs, proverbs, and poems, a literal translation is not acceptable. Still, there are exceptions to the rule, as always.

One thing that the client should consider is finding a subject matter expert who has years of experience translating songs and knowledge of musical genres, melodies and rhythms, etc. Song translation is akin to adapting to a new culture since the original lyrics often contain sentiments, words, thoughts, and aspirations that are part of the culture of the original songwriter or lyricist.

The translator has to find a way to convey the original meaning of the song’s lyrics. At the same time, he or she aims to adapt the song’s context into something that could be directly opposite to the source. The song translation process becomes more complicated since the translator has to adjust the translation into a language where historical and cultural references of the target audience are involved.

Considerations of translating songs

It is hard to evaluate the musical success of the translated songs, there are so many criteria to consider, such as rhyme, rhythm, language register, semantics, syntax, metrics, and choreography which are combined in the writing, even the translation of an entire text. It is vital to comprehend the process of creation of the songs, then analyze the overall meaning of the texts in question to apply this process in their translation.

Here are the factors need consideration when translating the lyrics of a song:

Style

Some song lyrics have a very specific style, with puns or alliterations, for instance. This style is hard to transcribe in a translation because of the number of words imposed by the rhythm. However, if this style is not respected, the song loses all its charm, and the presence of the author disappears, and everything that made the charm of the song gets lost.

References

Many songs are written about events, except that these references are not always known by the audience for which they are translated. It's necessary to try to translate these references so that they are understandable, but there is always a word limit because of the rhythm.

Rhythm

The lyrics must be in accordance with the rhythm of the song, except that many languages use more words than the original language to express the same idea. Therefore, if the word-for-word translated song is intended to be sung, it would be impossible to set certain lyrics to the rhythm. The literal translation can also lead to rather weird song lyrics, just as with a classical text translation.

Different options to translate songs

A song has lyrics, music, and likely performance. Music, on the other hand, has harmony, musical sense, and melody. Therefore, the translator has different options in approaching the song translation:

Avoid translating the lyrics.

There are instances when the translator opts not to translate the lyrics, depending on how the song is intended to be used. For example, in some films available in other languages, the song used is not translated. This could be because the song is viral, even in its original language. It might be due to budget constraints or other factors, or because the song has more impact and relevance to the film on its own that translation is not necessary.

Translate the lyrics without considering the music.

When it is assumed that the listeners or readers are aware of the musical form of the original song, it’s an option when the translation will be used for information, as a supplement to the original text, or as a guide to subtitling, such as a TV broadcast of a film. The translated lyrics are not intended to be sung but read.

Write a new set of lyrics.

The process of translating songs is dependent on the purpose of the translation. When the song has to be performed, most of the focus is on the lyrics. However, there are words in some languages that cannot be translated directly into another language. Likewise, some words have different meanings in another language. Thus, the translator must carefully consider the intended message and find the words that closely match the lyrics. Otherwise, a new set of lyrics, based on the original as its model, will have to be written.

Adapt the music to the translated song or adapt the translation to the song’s music.

Further, the words should rhyme and fit the music. Thus, in some song translations, there are variations and shortcuts necessary to conform to the original.

Conclusion

Song translation is a challenging task and is not for just anybody. Target Language Translation works with a team of experienced linguists in the field of song translation to make sure that the translation clicks with the target audience and the song to be catchy, melodious, and fun to listen to. Our experts are available at short notice throughout the year. Contact us and request a quote! Global success is a phone call away.

This article is reprinted from Trusted Translations, PoliLingua and Day Translations.

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