80 replies to this topic

[kissdbyfire]

Credit to tze, who spotted this on another thread.
But I'm extremely curious as to how the Night's Watch vows have been translated into other languages.
If anyone can post the vow here the way they've read it in languages other than English it would be brill.
The question tze asked that made me start this topic is why the vow says walls (plural):

I did search, and in every book it appears, it is the same:

'I am the watcher on the walls'.

Edited by Kissdbyfire, 18 May 2012 - 01:31 PM.

[zalim]

Hört meine Worte und bezeugt meinen Schwur
Die nacht zieht herauf und nun beginnt meine Wache
Sie soll nicht aufhören bis zu meinem Tod
Ich werde keine Frau nehmen keine Land besitzen und keine Kinder zeugen
Ich werde keine Kronen tragen und keinen Ruhm erlangen
Ich werde leben und sterben in meinem Amt
Ich bin das Schwert in der Dunkelheit
Ich bin der Wächter auf den Mauern
Ich bin der Schild, der das Königreich der Männer bewacht
Ich verpflichte meine Leben und meine Ehre der Nachtwache
für diese Nacht und alle Nächte, die noch kommen mögen

vows in german even in german it says WALLS (Ich bin der Wächter auf den Mauern)
Mauern = Walls

Edited by zalim, 28 November 2011 - 07:42 PM.

[JonHo]

It's really late now, but i'm going to look up the vows tomorrow, in Dutch!

[kissdbyfire]

zalim, on 28 November 2011 - 07:34 PM, said:

vows in german even in german it says WALL (Ich bin der Wächter auf den Mauern)
Mauern = Walls

Thank you!

JonHo, on 28 November 2011 - 07:35 PM, said:

It's really late now, but i'm going to look up the vows tomorrow, in Dutch!

Cheers!

Edited by Kissdbyfire, 28 November 2011 - 07:40 PM.

[zalim]

sorry i meant Walls not wall

[mor2]

From our sister wikis:
Wall, in russian "я — дозорный на Стене"  no -ax.
Walls, in french "Je suis le veilleur aux remparts"

Edited by mor2, 28 November 2011 - 07:44 PM.

[LordBloodraven]

Je suis le veilleur aux remparts.

Edited by LordBloodraven, 28 November 2011 - 07:49 PM.

[kissdbyfire]

zalim, on 28 November 2011 - 07:42 PM, said:

sorry i meant Walls not wall

Thanks for the correction.

[David Selig]

In Bulgarian
"Нощта се спуска и започва моят страж. До смъртта ми няма да свърши. Няма да взема съпруга, няма да имам земя и баща на деца не ще стана. Не ще нося корони и слава не ще печеля. Ще живея и ще умра на поста си. Аз съм мечът в тъмното. Аз съм стражът на стените. Аз съм огънят, що гори срещу студа, светлината, що води утрото, рогът, що буди спящите, щитът, що пази човешкото кралство. Животът и честта си обричам на Нощния страж, за тази нощ и всички нощи, които предстоят.".

It's "walls" in it too.

[Val the Wildling Princess]

En español/ In spanish it says "Muro"= Wall

"Escuchad mis palabras, sed testigos de mi juramento ... La noche se avecina, ahora empieza mi guardia. No terminará hasta el día de mi muerte. No tomaré esposa, no poseeré tierras, no engendraré hijos. No llevaré corona, no alcanzaré la gloria. Viviré y moriré en mi puesto. Soy la espada en la oscuridad. Soy el vigilante del Muro. Soy el fuego que arde contra el frío, la luz que trae el amanecer, el cuerno que despierta a los durmientes, el escudo que defiende los reinos de los hombres. Entrego mi vida y mi honor a la Guardia de la Noche, durante esta noche y todas las que estén por venir."

Edited by Val the Wildling Princess, 28 November 2011 - 08:04 PM.

[kissdbyfire]

Now I think there may be much and more open to interpretation in the NW vows. Where are the polyglots? We need to get the vows compared in lots of different languages, bit by bit. Of course, one can't dismiss the possibility that there may be things missed in translation, so to speak.
From the posts we've got so far, it says 'wall', singular, only in Spanish. Maybe tomorrow we'll get a few more...

Cheers, guys!  

Edited by Kissdbyfire, 28 November 2011 - 08:15 PM.

[Buckwheat]

"Prisluhnite mojim besedam in bodite priča moji zaobljubi.
Noč se zgrinja in zdaj se začenja moja straža. Ne bom se končala, dokler ne preminem. Ne bom se poročil, si lastil zemlje, zaplodil otrok. Ne bom nosil kron in z bojem iskal časti. Živel in umrl bom na svojem stražnem mestu. Sem meč v temi. Sem opazovalec na obzidju. Sem ogenj, ki gori proti mrazu, luč, ki prinaša zoro, rog, ki budi speče, ščit, ki čuva kraljestva ljudi. Svoje življenje in čast zaobljubljam Nočni straži za to noč in vse noči, ki prihajajo."

Igra prestolov, 524 - Slovene translation

obzidje - an interesting word for walls.  Grammatically singular (eno obzidje), but the meaning is walls as in "all the walls that surround one fortress/town". Also checked in the dictionary: the definition includes both walls and wall.

zalim, on 28 November 2011 - 07:34 PM, said:

Hört meine Worte und bezeugt meinen Schwur
Die nacht zieht herauf und nun beginnt meine Wache
Sie soll nicht aufhören bis zu meinem Tod
Ich werde keine Frau nehmen keine Land besitzen und keine Kinder zeugen
Ich werde keine Kronen tragen und keinen Ruhm erlangen
Ich werde leben und sterben in meinem Amt
Ich bin das Schwert in der Dunkelheit
Ich bin der Wächter auf den Mauern
Ich bin der Schild, der das Königreich der Männer bewacht
Ich verpflichte meine Leben und meine Ehre der Nachtwache
für diese Nacht und alle Nächte, die noch kommen mögen

Meine Leben? How many are there? The original says "my life" in singular. That is strange.

[zalim]

Buckwheat, on 29 November 2011 - 05:44 AM, said:

"Prisluhnite mojim besedam in bodite priča moji zaobljubi.
Noč se zgrinja in zdaj se začenja moja straža. Ne bom se končala, dokler ne preminem. Ne bom se poročil, si lastil zemlje, zaplodil otrok. Ne bom nosil kron in z bojem iskal časti. Živel in umrl bom na svojem stražnem mestu. Sem meč v temi. Sem opazovalec na obzidju. Sem ogenj, ki gori proti mrazu, luč, ki prinaša zoro, rog, ki budi speče, ščit, ki čuva kraljestva ljudi. Svoje življenje in čast zaobljubljam Nočni straži za to noč in vse noči, ki prihajajo."

Igra prestolov, 524 - Slovene translation

obzidje - an interesting word for walls.  Grammatically singular (eno obzidje), but the meaning is walls as in "all the walls that surround one fortress/town". Also checked in the dictionary: the definition includes both walls and wall.



Meine Leben? How many are there? The original says "my life" in singular. That is strange.

well vows are a bit diff in german and maybe because of german grammer
but Meine Leben stands for my life not my lives
meine or mein doesnt really turn something to plural or singular
Meine can also be used with some singular objects

but offcourse you are right its mein Leben not meine leben it was a typo
but next word thanks for the correction

[Kate Poem]

In Polish:

"Nadchodzi noc i zaczyna się moja warta.
Zakończy ją tylko śmierć.
Nie wezmę sobie żony, nie będę miał ziemi, nie spłodzę dzieci.
Nie założę korony i zapomnę o zaszczytach.
Będę żył i umrę na posterunku.
Jestem mieczem w ciemności.
Jestem strażnikiem na murach.
Jestem ogniem, który odpędza zimno, światłem, które przynosi świt, rogiem, który budzi śpiących, tarczą, która osłania krainę człowieka.
Moje życie i mój honor należą teraz do Nocnej Straży na te noc i wszystkie pozostałe"

[Buckwheat]

zalim, on 29 November 2011 - 06:10 AM, said:

well vows are a bit diff in german and maybe because of german grammer
but Meine Leben stands for my life not my lives
meine or mein doesnt really turn something to plural or singular
Meine can also be used with some singular objects

but offcourse you are right its mein Leben not meine leben it was a typo
but next word thanks for the correction

Singular objects - only when they are female, right, not for neutal? Otherwise I am really confused and normally I do understand German.

You are welcome! Apparently my German knowledge is somewhat useful .

[kissdbyfire]

Kate Poem, on 29 November 2011 - 06:29 AM, said:

In Polish:

"Nadchodzi noc i zaczyna się moja warta.
Zakończy ją tylko śmierć.
Nie wezmę sobie żony, nie będę miał ziemi, nie spłodzę dzieci.
Nie założę korony i zapomnę o zaszczytach.
Będę żył i umrę na posterunku.
Jestem mieczem w ciemności.
Jestem strażnikiem na murach.
Jestem ogniem, który odpędza zimno, światłem, które przynosi świt, rogiem, który budzi śpiących, tarczą, która osłania krainę człowieka.
Moje życie i mój honor należą teraz do Nocnej Straży na te noc i wszystkie pozostałe"

Cheers. But is it plural or singular? Murach?
Murach seems to be plural, ok.

Edited by Kissdbyfire, 29 November 2011 - 06:58 AM.

[Val the Wildling Princess]

It is curious that the spanish version is the only one so far that uses the singular form of Wall yet the rest of the translation is pretty much literal

Edited by Val the Wildling Princess, 29 November 2011 - 07:26 AM.

[Jape]

In Tagalog:

"Heto na ang gabi, at umpisa na ng pagbabantay ko.

Hindi ito magwawakas hanggang sa ako'y mamatay.

Hindi ako mag-aasawa, magmamay-ari ng lupain, magiging ama.

Hindi ako magsusuot ng putong at maghahangad ng kaluwalhatian.

Mabubuhay at mamamatay ako sa aking tungkulin.

Ako ang sandata laban sa dilim.

Ako ang tagapagmatyag sa mga dingding.

Ako ang apoy na nagliliyab laban sa lamig, ang liwanag na magdadala ng bukang-liwayway, ang tambuling gigising sa nahihimbing, ang kalasag na nangangalaga sa daigdig ng mga tao.

Inaalay ko ang buhay ko't dangal sa Bantay ng Gabi,

sa gabing ito at sa lahat ng mga gabing parating."

Damn that was hard. I just realized how little i use my native language. Our words are too damn long compared to other languages. But that was nice, the vow sounds more awesome to me now.

Edited by Jape, 29 November 2011 - 07:38 AM.

[kissdbyfire]

Val the Wildling Princess, on 29 November 2011 - 07:09 AM, said:

It is curious that the spanish version is the only one so far that uses the singular form of Wall yet the rest of the translation is pretty much literal

It is interesting, isn't it? I'm even more curious now to see how it was translated in Italian and Portuguese. We already have French and Spanish, one plural and the other singular. I wonder if Google Translate is reliable. I suppose if it's just for the one word, it should be reliable enough...

Jape, on 29 November 2011 - 07:17 AM, said:

In Tagalog:

"Heto na ang gabi, at umpisa na ng pagbabantay ko.

Hindi ito magwawakas hanggang sa ako'y mamatay.

Hindi ako mag-aasawa, magmamay-ari ng lupain, magiging ama.

Hindi ako magsusuot ng putong at maghahangad ng kaluwalhatian.

Mabubuhay at mamamatay ako sa aking tungkulin.

Ako ang sandata laban sa dilim.

Ako ang tagapagmatyag sa mga dingding.

Ako ang apoy na nagliliyab laban sa lamig, ang liwanag na magdadala ng bukang-liwayway,

ang tambuling gigising sa nahihimbing, ang kalasag na nangangalaga sa daigdig ng mga tao.

Inaalay ko ang buhay ko't dangal sa Bantay ng Gabi,

sa gabing ito at sa lahat ng mga gabing parating."

Damn that was hard. I just realized how little i use my native language. But that was nice, the vow sounds more awesome to me now.

Cheers, Jape. One question, is wall singular or plural? Is this the word - dingding - ?

[Lady Meera Reed]

Kissdbyfire, on 29 November 2011 - 07:41 AM, said:

It is interesting, isn't it? I'm even more curious now to see how it was translated in Italian and Portuguese. We already have French and Spanish, one plural and the other singular. I wonder if Google Translate is reliable. I suppose if it's just for the one word, it should be reliable enough...



Cheers, Jape. One question, is wall singular or plural? Is this the word - dingding - ?

Not Jape, but I know Tagalog too.
It is plural, "mga dingding" ("dingding" means wall, but when you add "mga" it becomes plural)

Edited by morally grey, 29 November 2011 - 07:47 AM.