Masarykova univerzita

Filozofická fakulta

Katedra anglistiky a amerikanistiky

A

lena K

adlčí

kov

á Magisterská diplomová práce

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2021 Bc. Alena Kadlčíková Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Department of English

and American Studies

English-language Translation

Bc. Alena Kadlčíková

Song-translation Tendencies:

Lyrics Written for Pavel Bobek During

the Normalization Period Master’s Diploma Thesis

Supervisor: Ing. Mgr. Jiří Rambousek, Ph.D. 2021

I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography.

……………………………………………..

Author’s signature

I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Rambousek for his support and valuable advice.

I would also like to thank all my friends, family and to my partner,

for they managed to support me when I needed it the most.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ...... 1 1.1. Objectives of the Thesis ...... 3 2. Song translation ...... 4 2.1. Translation Purpose ...... 4 2.1.1. “Readable Translation” ...... 5 2.1.2. “Singable Translation” ...... 6 3. Czechoslovak History and Music ...... 10 3.1. Post-war Czechoslovakia and the Rise of Communism ...... 11 3.1.1. Restrictions of the Late 1940s and the Early 1950s ...... 11 3.1.2. Decline in Political Tension in the 1950s and the 1960s ...... 12 3.2. The Year 1968 and Life after the Invasion ...... 14 3.2.1. The 1970s – the Period of Normalization ...... 15 3.2.2. Performing American Country Music in Czechoslovakia ...... 17 4. Analyses of the Lyrics ...... 18 4.1. Methodology and Research Material ...... 19 4.1.1. Songs examined and the Authors of the Lyrics ...... 21 4.2. Lyrics Analyses ...... 23 4.2.1. “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town” ...... 23 4.2.2. “Cupid” ...... 27 4.2.3. “I Am… I Said” ...... 28 4.2.4. “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” ...... 31 4.2.5. “Vincent” ...... 34 4.2.6. “I’ve Been a Long Time Leavin’” ...... 37 4.2.7. “Ann” ...... 39 4.2.8. “Don’t Bogart Me” ...... 42 4.2.9. “Smokey Put the Sweat on Me” ...... 44 4.2.10. “Take Me Home, Country Roads” ...... 47 4.2.11. “Who’s Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet” ...... 49 4.2.12. “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” ...... 50 4.2.13. “I May Smoke Too Much” ...... 53 4.2.14. “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” ...... 55 4.2.15. “Lucille” ...... 58 4.2.16. “Coward of the County” ...... 62 4.2.17. “Stranger” ...... 64 4.2.18. “My Rifle, My Pony and Me” ...... 67 4.2.19. “Birthday Song” ...... 69 4.2.20. “Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer” ...... 72 4.2.21. “Sail Away” ...... 76 4.2.22. “My Hometown” ...... 78 4.3. Findings ...... 81 4.3.1. Replacement Texts ...... 81 4.3.2. Adaptations ...... 84 4.3.3. Translations ...... 85 5. Conclusion ...... 87 6. References ...... 90 Primary Sources ...... 90 Secondary Sources ...... 98 7. English Resumé ...... 106 8. Czech Resumé ...... 107

1. Introduction

Song translation is a practice with a long tradition that has, unfortunately, not been examined very often until fairly recently. The only exception being the translation of opera that has its own standards and rules. Only a few years ago, Peter Low and some of his colleagues started to deal with song translation of other genres and its specifics. One of the reasons for the shortage of research in this field might be that when translating songs and consequently dealing with the target text, there are no strict rules. One must rely more on their feelings and personal preferences, rather than on factual data and the accuracy of the translation itself.

The changes made during the process of translation may, to some, seem more distinct than to the others.

There are, of course, differences in the approach dictated by the skopos of the target text. A song translation created for the single purpose of enabling understanding of the original will most probably differ from lyrics translated for a singer, or rather a performer, who needs to perform the work comfortably and sing the text. This thesis deals with the different changes that happen during the process of song translation. The author of this thesis distinguishes between translations, adaptations, and replacement texts, but at the same time, she investigates all of them using the same criteria. This thesis examines the lyrics written for

Czechoslovak/Czech pop and country singer Pavel Bobek by six different lyricists. All the texts examined were produced in the years between 1970 and 1988, during the normalization era – the period between 1968 and 1989 – which had a great impact on how the music production in our country developed.

A large portion of song translations created during this particular era was affected by censorship and the restrictions of some of the human rights and fundamental freedoms. Ever since these translations occurred, they were being passed off as cover versions of their

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American originals. However, there were very few people who could listen to the original versions or even speak English. Therefore very few listeners knew the original texts and even fewer could detect the small nuances in their meanings. This thesis deals with the changes manifested in the Czech versions of famous American songs. Changes that resulted from the rules of the era the Czech cover versions were created within. The research is affected by the fact that all of the lyrics examined were written for one performer who, moreover, was pro- western and who openly admitted his inclination to American music and culture. Furthermore,

Bobek demanded that his lyricists write lyrics that would resemble their originals as much as possible. Not only in terms of sense but also in terms of the sound of the spoken word (Česká televize 2004).

The thesis is divided into five sections some of which are further subdivided. The first part introduces the aims of this thesis and summarizes its hypotheses. The second part deals with the song translation itself, its theory, peculiarities, challenges, similarities with literary translation, and changes in approach when dealing with different genres. The options the translator has when asked to translate a song are discussed. A brief introduction to song translation is offered, and the criteria for further investigation are determined. The third part provides information about the normalization era and its impacts on – not only – the music in

Czechoslovakia in the second half of the 20th century. It consists of a brief overview of

Czechoslovakian history and the main political events that shaped it and the development of its music scene. The fourth part deals with the practical task of comparing and analyzing 22 pairs of lyrics written for Pavel Bobek to determine the general tendencies in translating songs for a pop and country singer. Artist who, despite being pro-western, “always got away with everything” (Janovská 2017), even during the normalization period. The last part of the thesis offers a conclusion and summarizes the confirmation and/or refutation of the initial hypotheses. 2

1.1. Objectives of the Thesis

The objective of this thesis is to determine any predominant tendency in song translations created for Pavel Bobek during the normalization era. The aim is to find out what the most common tendencies are and if – and consequently how – they change over time, for the lyrics examined were written over a period of almost 20 years. One of the author’s goals is to determine the prevailing tendency in each of the three categories of the translated songs. That is to provide the list of changes that appear in translations, adaptations and even replacement texts. The objective of this work is to demonstrate the hypothesis that there is at least a slight shift in meaning in most of the target texts, and that those changes can be considered as resulting from the period in which the lyrics examined were written. In other words, the lyrics are transformed not only language-wise but also content-wise, and often the only theme that stays untouched while transferring the song across the Czechoslovak borders is love – whether it is the romantic kind, friendship, or family love.

The primary aim of this work is to determine the most common manner of altering the examined lyrics. That is the tendency to smoothen the texts and erase the (according to the regime) hostile features. Pavel Bobek was active in the Czech music scene for over 40 years.

His repertoire includes dozens of songs, most of which are translations and adaptations of foreign works that helped him to express his desire for the free life unbound by the communist regime, not interfering with it at the same time. Songs that Bobek chose to perform should, to a certain extent, represent the music he felt was authentically expressing the Western mood. It is safe to say that he chose the songs for his repertoire very consciously, for he himself said that he was “an orthodox supporter of not translating songs […] because

[the feeling] would not be the same [as in the original version]” (author’s translation of Bigbít

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1956 – 1989 01 / 5). He was, nonetheless, necessitated by events to sing in Czech, which created a very challenging situation.

This thesis deals with only a fraction of the music created during the normalization period. In order to confirm the hypothesis that the normalization period affected the song translation in general, one would need to compare hundreds, if not thousands, of lyrics that were created from 1968 to 1989 for and by different artists. Therefore this thesis offers material suitable for further investigation. The lyrics analyzed are, nonetheless, a work of six different writers created in a span of about 20 years which provides enough diversity and can prove the initial hypotheses.

2. Song translation

Before the texts are analyzed, it is crucial to introduce the field of song translation and determine the criteria for further investigation to be later able to make a distinct conclusion.

This thesis is based on the work of Peter Low, for the purposes of it, the author decided to change and adjust some of his approaches and rules. The changes are specified below, in the subchapter “2.1.2. “Singable Translation”“. Low’s book Translating Song provided valuable information and relevant terminology with which the author works. The following part touches upon some of the approaches to translating song and describes the difference between translation, adaptation and replacement text, as established for the purposes of this work.

2.1. Translation Purpose

There is a substantial difference in the individual approaches to translation of song based on the different skopos of the target text. A translation created to enable understanding of the source text that is to be used in written form solely can (and will) differ significantly from the

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one written for the purpose of being performed in front of an audience. The work is, therefore, probably to be done by someone else than a translator of prose. The author uses the terms

“readable translation” and “singable translation” (Low 2017) to determine the different purposes of the target texts.

2.1.1. “Readable Translation”

When dealing with translation of lyrics for the purpose of mere understanding of the original, the translator can afford to work on the interlingual information shift while completely ignoring the melody and the initial facets of the song, such as rhythm, rhyme, tempo, etc.

In this case, the only aim of the translator is to convey the exact same semantic information in the target text that he gathered from the source text. Translations such as these can be used for subtitling a song in a movie, explaining the meaning of a foreign song to a listener who is not acquainted with the language of it, and so forth.

In recent years, the “readable translation” is more frequent, for there are countless new movies and series produced every year in different languages that need to be subtitled and surtitled for people to understand them. These translations lack the poetic element, and they serve just as a tool to help viewers and listeners to understand the source media better.

While evaluating the accuracy of a translation that is created only for the purpose of being read, one might apply somewhat stricter rules. Eventual changes, “omissions, rewritings or additions” (Low 2014: 46) are treated as a departure from fidelity and are not tolerated. The rules are, of course, different when it comes to a target text created for another purpose.

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2.1.2. “Singable Translation”

It is clear that “songs are translated in various ways, for various purposes, and by a variety of mediators” (Franzon 2008: 374). “Singable translations” are usually produced by singers, composers and songwriters who are familiar with the properties of music and of the performer’s voice. For a translation to be functional as far as performing is concerned, the translator – or rather the mediator – must take a wide variety of different properties of the song into consideration to create a satisfactory target text.

“As a term, singability can be understood in a restricted way, as referring mainly to phonetic suitability of the translated lyrics” (Franzon 2008: 374). The phonetic suitability, though, is not enough. To call the target text a translation, at least the most essential semantic features must be preserved and translated. But in contrast to the translation of prose – and like in the case of translation of poetry – even a not very faithful translation can be considered a good one. A singable song is simply a song that is easy for the performer to sing and, at the same time, easy for the listener to listen to and to understand. Both the performer and the listener can focus more on the song as a whole and less on its lyrics and its other features.

Different purposes of the target texts and different opinions of the people working with the lyrics influence the decisions made by the mediator, and they can often be a reason for changes made while creating the song in the target language.

As far as the “singable translation” goes, the opinions differ depending not only on the era in which they were expressed but accordingly from person to person. Calvocoressi, in his essay written in 1921 says, that as “long as the translator faithfully abides by the conditions of the original and leaves the music exactly as the composer wrote it, he is practically safe”

(Calvocoressi 1921: 319) and that the more literal the translation, the better. When in need of alteration, according to him, the translator should choose “the lesser of evils” (Calvocoressi

1921: 315) which, again, brings us to the point where personal preferences are the most 6

crucial factor. Newer studies show that the literal translation is not always the best option and

“that practical task of translating songs is impossible without taking some liberties” (Low

2003: 92). To what extent those liberties are acceptable is, again, a matter of personal opinion.

And the degree differs according to the purpose of the translation.

Song translation is rather rare worldwide, with the exception of translating opera.1

In the case of translating the opera, the translator “tends to put emphasis on inviolable adherence to the music, on the requirements of the singers, and on absolute respect for the composers” (Franzon 2008: 374), qualities that might be slightly less important when translating other genres, such as pop music or country music and bluegrass. In these genres, together with words, the overall emotion of the song is often the most important feature of it.

It is, therefore, one of the features that should be preserved and carried across to the different languages. When translating a country song, it is crucial to get acquainted with the original and its intentions in detail to be able to recreate those in the target language. The translator’s task is to preserve the meaning and the mood of the original while making it sound natural in the target language and understandable for the target audience. Such a task can be very demanding when one needs to work under a strict regime’s rules. The opinions on what is still a translation and what is already an adaptation differ. For the purpose of this thesis, it is vital to establish the rules in order to sort the lyrics for further examination.

1 In the second half of 20th century Czechoslovakia, song translation was a very common practice that was necessary in order to bring Anglo-American music to our country. The details of this matter are explained below, in the third section of this thesis. The whole third chapter deals with the normalization period and its impact on the lives of Czechoslovak people and the evolution of music production in Czechoslovakia.

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Some even argue that other types of target texts might be considered a translation.

According to Franzon, “a song might be recognized as a translation if it is a second version of a source song that allows some essential values of the source’s music and/or its lyrics and/or its sung performance to be reproduced in a target language” (Franzon 2008: 376). He also implies that should the translator decide not to translate at all, it is still a voluntary act of a translator and that the target text – preserved in the source language in this case – should be considered a translation (Franzon 2008: 376). This thesis deals only with the target texts transferred to the target language, even at the cost of changing the original meaning.

To determine which changes are the most common in translations, and consequently the other types of target texts, different categories need to be established. It is possible to examine all of the products of a translation process, but the alterations discovered need to be treated differently.

Since song translation is not dependent only on the semantic element of the text, the translators are tasked with a more difficult job. Not only do they need to find the closest possible semantic equivalent of the source text, but they need to take other aspects of the original into account. To fit the words to the pre-existing music and maintain the rhythm, one must necessarily come to the point when word-for-word translation is not enough. Depending on the degree of change and on the amount of “significant details of meaning [being] transferred” (Low 2014: 46), the target texts can be divided into further categories: translations and adaptations. By some, an adaptation could be called a “free translation” (Low

2013: 236). The line between translation and adaptation is very thin and it might be argued that “[if] such narrow definitions [as when dealing with prose translation] were applied, [...]

‘singable translations’ would be rare or non-existent” (Low 2013: 230) and that all of the target texts are at best adaptations. To distinguish between a free translation and an adaptation, specific rules must be set up beforehand analysis of the primary materials. 8

When translating a song, “compromises and trade-offs are not optional but essential” (Low

2013: 230), and it is only a matter of determining the boundary. It is often unclear when dealing with song lyrics for the individual texts might overlap. Personal preferences are very important and, to a great extent, it depends on the judgment of the translator – and consequently, the investigator – who decides which are the features of the song that are vital enough and that ought to be preserved in the target text. Nonetheless, the basic rules are applicable for the most part.

For the purposes of this thesis, the author decided to work with the following categorization of different types of target texts:

- Translation: a target text “where there is extensive transfer of material from the

ST, with a reasonably high degree of semantic fidelity, particularly with respect to

its main features” (Low 2013: 231) while perceiving even an extensive

domestication and/or an omission of some features as such reasonable actions

- Adaptation: a target text that bears some resemblance to the original, but is

“extensively modified […] for a new cultural context” (Munday 2009: 166) i.e.,

is made more familiar and perhaps more comprehensive for the target audience

(strategies such as extensive domestication, changing the text while preserving the

theme and the message of the song, changing the means of expression but keeping

the initial topic of the source text, …)

- Replacement text: a target text in which “completely new verbal components are

matched and underlaid to the existing melody” (Low 2013: 229), and the new text

has no semantic relation to the original what so ever

This division of the text types is crucial, for what might seem like a nonessential shift in adaptation might be of great importance in translation and vice versa. Apart from determining

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the overall tendency of meaning-shift in all of the texts, the author wants to evaluate each of the categories individually to see if they resemble and if there is a clear pattern in all of them.

The changes that occur in the examined texts were most probably caused by something other than just the preferences of the authors of the Czech texts. Considering the amount of state control of every aspect of the lives of people in Czechoslovakia, it is most likely that the songs that could be played on the radio back in the second half of the twentieth century had to be approved. And for that purpose, their lyrics had to be altered and polished.

The goal of this thesis is to find out what were the most often alterations.

3. Czechoslovak History and Music

Music is omnipresent. It affects a large number of social groups and can be heard everywhere and on any occasion. It marks important moments in the lives of individuals and the whole nation. Every person can remember the song that their mother sang to them when they went to bed, every newlywed couple has their first dance linked to their favorite melody, at every funeral, there is a song connected to the deceased. Every nation has an anthem, and every

Epoque is associated with a specific style of music. Whether people realize it or not, music can shape their opinions and attitudes and affect their minds. Music works as a mass media that can affect thousands of listeners at the same time. Some people perceive it only superficially, while others can find hidden messages and purposes. Şebnem Susam-Sarajeva even claims that “no other non-religious (multimodal) ‘text’ moves people as deeply as the combination of lyrics and music” (Susam-Sarajeva 2008: 188).

Like in any other period, in the second half of the 20th century, music was “an essential component of spending working and non-working hours” (Foret 1988: 416), which helped to influence the thinking of the majority of people. The state leadership was well

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aware of the music’s power, and it is no wonder that they wanted to take complete control over it and its production. The following chapter shows how the changes in the country’s leadership influenced music production in Czechoslovakia.

3.1. Post-war Czechoslovakia and the Rise of Communism

In post-war Europe, music and other forms of art were flourishing. People were full of hope, and the overall sentiment favored musical creation (or rather art creation in general).

Relations with foreign countries were restored, and there was enough space for new music styles to be introduced in our country. With the advent of communism and Klement

Gottwald’s appointment as president of Czechoslovakia, all creative freedom disappeared.

3.1.1. Restrictions of the Late 1940s and the Early 1950s

In February 1948, after the communist coup d’état, the Communist Party, led by its General

Secretary Klement Gottwald, took over the government and imposed rule over the country.

The takeover was made possible mainly because of “president Beneš’s acceptance of a new coalition government under firm communist domination” (Myant 2008: 1698). ‘The February events’ – as they are often referred to – and the subsequent abdication of Beneš, who refused to sign the communist Czechoslovak Constitution, led to the appointment of a new president,

Klement Gottwald (Hamouzová 2008). That meant more changes in the cultural life but this time for the worse.

The Communist Party took control over all the new musical creation via the

Association of Czechoslovak Composers, and everything coming from the West, including music, was declared undesirable. The Party and its representatives called for a return to the traditional values and to the original Czech musical creation (Havelková).

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The changes that came with the Communist Party being in power were far worse than mere control over the musical sphere. One of the testaments to this time is a selection of theses from the lecture of the composer and music scientist Milan Slavický by music publicist

Petr Kadlec in which he writes:

In our country, the totality shattered all voluntary associations and introduced arts

associations. In those artists were grouped by disciplines: a union of writers,

composers, artists… And these unions were an exact copy of the pyramidal structure

of the Communist Party. Solely the loyal people were assigned to specific positions –

that was the principle of the so-called nomenclature. It operated in all institutions until

the end of the regime. It ensured that all the essential seats in the Party were taken by

the committed and party-reliable people. (author's translation of Kadlec 2009)

The Party had control over every aspect of the lives of citizens of Czechoslovakia. Nothing, including artistic creation, seemed to be left unsupervised. Gottwald’s administration, amongst other things, meant fabricated political processes with the class enemies, processes that equaled “a carefully designed theatre” (Bartošová 2016: 191) in which many people were sentenced to death and others imprisoned. For many musicians, the darkest period ended in 1957 when Antonín Novotný, then–First Secretary of the Communist Party of

Czechoslovakia, was appointed president of the country (Bigbít 1956 – 1989 03 / 3). A brief period of hope and long-awaited changes came.

3.1.2. Decline in Political Tension in the 1950s and the 1960s

There was a slight decline in the political tension towards the end of the 1950s. In 1960,

Antonín Novotný declared a large-scale amnesty, freeing some convicts from the political trials of the 1950s (Antonín Novotný). After years of oppression, the Golden Sixties came.

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The reins were slackening, and the rules for the music production were no longer so strict

(Bigbít 1956 – 1989 03/3).

The censorship still existed; all artistic creation remained subject to the rules of the country leadership – consequently to the Soviet Union – but the overall mood changed. If a band or a singer wanted to perform, they needed to acquire a permit and pass the qualification tests of the art associations of the Communist party. Fortunately for the musicians, “the role was not performed at all by the music agencies, whose examination boards awarded much-needed qualifications without checking candidates’ values or, at most, after a purely formal examination” (author’s translation of Houda 2011/310). Getting the permit was a rather necessary formality, and as long as the art did not provoke too much, the authorities did not care about it (Bigbít 1956 – 1989 01 / 5).

Information and music from the West began to leak into the Czechoslovakia

(Havelková). There were very strict rules governing the musical production, but they could be bent. Even English lyrics were all right as long as they did not contain anything that could be considered defective from an ideological point of view (Bigbít 1956 – 1989 04 / 1). “In the second half of the 1960s, the society opened up, and many people moved on, including composers” (author’s translation of Kadlec 2009). The musical creation was flourishing, and people started to be curious about the art coming from abroad. Many young people listened to the Radio Luxembourg that broadcasted music unavailable to Czechoslovak radio stations – the Radio Free Europe joined soon after, along with several Czechoslovak stations (Stárek and Valenta 2018: 44). The situation was bettering. Still, everything was yet to change with the end of the presidency of Antonín Novotný in 1968, and the events that followed.

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3.2. The Year 1968 and Life after the Invasion

Life behind the Iron Curtain – the boundary that separated the Soviet Union block from the

Western part of the world – had been going on practically intact from the end of the Second

World War. It stayed unchanged until 1968, when 20 years after the communist coup d’état, a

“Slovak politician Alexander Dubček […], the greatest rival of Novotný” (Stoneman 2015:

104) was appointed the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.

Externally, Dubček proposed opening relations with Western powers and other nations

of the Soviet bloc, opened trade routes, allowed private enterprise, and proposed a ten-

year transition democratized socialism that would allow multiparty elections.

Arguably the most significant reform of the Action Program, however, was the

reestablishment of personal liberties to the people of Czechoslovakia. Dubček

uprooted the totalitarian principles of the KSČ by granting greater freedoms of press,

travel, and assembly, and greatly limiting the power of the secret police. (Stoneman

2015: 104)

The appointment of Dubček started a period of political liberalization during which the restrictions of the regime loosened even further. The period from January 1968 meant a time of “an explosion of artistic expression, free discussion, and alignment with democratic ideology known as the Prague Spring” (Stoneman 2015: 103).

During the Prague Spring, the musical creation boomed, and artists created more and more songs inspired by the Anglo-American culture. Some of the Czech musicians copied the songs they heard on the radio. However, since only very few people knew any foreign language and even the artists only wrote phonetic notations of what they heard on the radio, the demand for Czech song lyrics increased. (Bigbít 1956 – 1989 01 / 5)

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The era of freedom did not last for long, “the liberalization of Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring was a threat to the unity of the Soviet bloc nations under strict Soviet hegemony, and therefore to the strength of the Soviet Union” (Stoneman 2015: 106), and so they stepped in. The actions to suppress the process of liberalization climaxed only a few months after the process of “revitalizing” the nation began (Stoneman 2015: 103).

The Prague Spring ended 21 August 1968, when the troops of Warsaw pact invaded

Czechoslovakia to suppress the liberalization process (Vlček). The situation had changed from day to day, and in the musical sphere, it meant more rules – and this time even harsher conditions. “The ‘68 came, we had to stop for a while because we could not do anything at the time. And then we knew it was over because we were playing American and Western music.

And we could not do that here.” (author’s translation of Pete Kaplan’s statement in Bigbít

1956 – 1989 09 / 3)

“Immediately after the invasion, all reforms of the Prague Spring were repealed.

Gustav Husák replaced Dubček as leader of Czechoslovakia, and anyone who had embraced or participated in the reform movement was purged from his or her job” (Stoneman 2015:

107), after a short time of freedom and hope, 20 years of oppression followed.

3.2.1. The 1970s – the Period of Normalization

The return to normal, as imagined by the communists, was a process that had been developed and modified for about 10 years. In 1975 it was clear that the liberal era of the sixties ended irretrievably and that the people were already living in conditions set by the stabilized dictatorship (Stárek and Valenta 2018: 54). The Normalization period can be defined as the period between the end of the year 1968 and the crisis in 1981 (Petr Horký 2021). The denomination “normalization” is, nonetheless, used for an even longer period, for the

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measures introduced at that time remained in force until the Velvet Revolution in 1989

(Daňková 2014).

Every aspect of the lives of the Czechoslovak people changed, and the music sphere was no exception. The newfound freedom disappeared, and the totalitarian regime was, once again, restored. The borders were closed, the opposition again ceased to exist, and the control over the country was carried out by the secret police appointed by the Party (Miroslav 2012).

“Control of the media, from which the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia refrained in March 1968 […] resumed after the August 21, in a rapid succession of political, organizational and legislative steps” (author’s translation of Andreas 2020: 439) that led to complete government control over all of the political and cultural events in the country. Many of the musicians stopped their work, and a large number of music bands broke up. During the

1970s, “everything fell apart”, the normalization period “had brought with it many absurdities” such as the necessity of renaming the bands with English names, being allowed to create only Czech-written songs, and even having to change the texts of pre-existing lyrics

(author’s translation of Michal Tučný 2014). The changes in political leadership, of course, did not only affect the music scene. The restrictions of personal freedoms, personnel changes in business management and the school system, and even excluding people from the

Communist Party. These were all reasons for many citizens to emigrate. The reasons for the emigration were not only ideological, they were mainly economic and pragmatic (Petr Horký

2021). Many people ended up without appropriate employment, children of the regime's opponents were not allowed to study, experts and professionals were forced to leave their jobs, and those loyal to the Party landed up appointed to the positions of authority.

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3.2.2. Performing American Country Music in Czechoslovakia

The leaders of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and, by extension, of the country were well aware of the fact that music has the ability to “serve or clash with certain political and ideological purposes” (Susam-Sarajeva 2008: 195). To minimize the dangerous influence the bad music might have had on the citizens, they renewed the censorship system, and the truly

“hard times had come” (author’s translation of Petr Janda’s statement in Bigbít 1956 - 1989

09 / 6).

The Western culture was undesirable in general, but there were more specific definitions of what and how could be performed. “The rule was that at least half of the repertoire must be of Czechoslovak origin, of the other half a quarter of friendly origin, and only the last quarter of imperialist origin, and preferably French, Italian rather than American”

(author’s translation of Janovská 2017). Despite the constraints, Pavel Bobek somehow managed to perform mainly imperialist Anglo-American songs and all of them without any trouble (Hartman 2013). The fact that he was able to do so is even more peculiar if the genre of the songs he performed is taken into consideration.

Bobek’s repertoire consisted mainly of country songs that “are viewed as an important means of Americanizing Americans themselves, [and] as a mass purveyor of America’s own ideals, attitudes, and views” (author’s translation of Foret 1988: 421) and therefore in the eyes of the Communist party, they were the worst possible form of art that could have been performed during the normalization era (except for rock music, perhaps). And yet, although he “considered all of his songs to be protest songs” (author’s translation of Hartman 2013),

Bobek was allowed to perform, record, and release albums full of country music. His first album had been released in 1975, at the peak of normalization (Janovská 2017). The lyrics were translated to Czech, but the originals represented the forbidden fruit of the Western

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world. The Western influence was evident, yet the songs passed the censorship and became known to the general public who came to love them.

4. Analyses of the Lyrics

Music itself has a great influence on people’s behavior and on shaping their opinions. It determines an individual’s personality, and it is a very effective means of getting the attention of large groups of listeners at once. It is a powerful tool, and therefore there are times and places where “certain forms of music may be totally suppressed or be allowed to exist in public only in a state-recognized language and/or form” (Susam-Sarajeva 2008: 194). In

Czechoslovakia, the situation was not different. Country music was approved by the regime.

The rules for its production, though, were the same as for the other genres. English was the language of the enemy (Bigbít 1956 - 1989 09 / 6), and it was, thus, forbidden. However, even the Czech lyrics were not safe. They had to be controlled thoroughly and approved by the competent authorities.

Unlike rock music, words play a much more important role in country songs – they are

there to be known; secondly, they are written in a very intelligible way, without double

senses or ambiguities, so that performers and listeners immediately understand clearly

what they talk about. And thirdly, they often offer the listener the possibility of self-

identification. The landscape, people, and situations are described attractively and

realistically. (author’s translation of Foret 1988: 421)

These properties of words in country music were all the more reasons for the careful control and security clearance. The era in which the Czech lyrics were produced ended up being demonstrated by many slight changes in the song lyrics. These are often invisible at the first

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sight, or rather inaudible at the first listen, that, nonetheless, rise to the surface after closer examination.

4.1. Methodology and Research Material

The following chapter of this diploma thesis deals with the examination of the different pairs of the original English-written lyrics and those written for Pavel Bobek by Jiří Grossmann,

Vít Hrubín, Michael Janík, Zdeněk Rytíř, Michael Žantovský and Vladimír Poštulka – who replaced Jiří Grossmann in the role of Bobek’s court lyricist in 1971 (Česká televize 2004).

The individual lyrics pairs are sorted chronologically according to the year of release of the

Czech target texts.

Some of the researchers deal with investigating other than just semantic features of the songs, such as preserving the rhymes, rhythm, syllabic setting, etc. According to Low (2003:

92), there are five criteria a translator has to satisfy, all of them are very different, and some of them can be, at least partially, sacrificed for the sake of the final product. Those criteria are:

“singability”, “sense”, “naturalness”, “rhythm” and “rhyme” (Low 2003: 92). As for the

“singability” and “naturalness” of the songs examined, those two are the features that can be attributed to the Czech versions without any trouble, for the thesis deals solely with

“singable” translations created by artists and musicians. Even though the authors of the Czech versions of the songs never concealed that the song lyrics were not originals, they did not emphasize it in any way either and the general public probably considered most of the songs to be original Czech songs. The “rhythm” of the songs is usually very similar, for the music stayed almost unchanged in most cases. The Czech versions were, after all, created to imitate the originals as much as possible. The author of this thesis decided to examine mainly the sense of the songs – the “meaning, content and intent” (Low 207: 26) of the lyrics – to

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determine what features are lost or gained during the process of translating (or adapting) the songs. Along with the sense, the language means the mediators decided to use are examined.

As was already mentioned, words play a very important role in country music.

Country and bluegrass are “word-centred” (Low 2017: 10) and therefore need to be approached differently from other genres. Low distinguishes several kinds of logocentric songs. This thesis is mainly concerned with the category of “narrative songs” where “the story is carried by the words” – and especially the “first-person character songs” – and

“dialogue songs” in which “one singer delivers words for two characters” (Low 2017: 12). In addition to the dialogue song sung by just one performer, there are cases when two singers

(usually of the opposite sex) tell the story of the song. It is clear from the title of the category that the story – the meaning – is the prime feature of a country song. Therefore, this thesis deals primarily with the meaning of the lyrics, with their mood, and with the language used.

For the purposes of this work, the other features shall not be considered equally important.

During the research, the author analyses the lyrics pairs and compares their meanings.

The places in the texts where the source texts and the target texts differ are examined and later sorted into categories of different translator strategies according to which the prevailing tendencies occurring in the texts under consideration are determined.

Prior to the investigation, based on the information acquired about the period in which the Czech versions originated, some assumptions can be made. It is probable that some of the most distinguishing features of the country song will almost disappear or will change drastically, for the lyrics needed to be suitable for the environment of a socialist country that was a part of the Eastern Block. The extent to which the texts are differentiated varies. The question is, to what extent some of the changes can be considered an act of domestication and

“altering cultural references” (Low 2017: 70) and what already should be recognized as a manipulation of the song lyrics by – or because of – the Communist regime. 20

4.1.1. Songs examined and the Authors of the Lyrics

The overview of the 22 lyrics pairs examined, their authors, and years of the release of the songs can be seen in Table 1 below. The originals were often recorded multiple times, and the author of this thesis works with the specific recordings of which the dates are listed. For example, the first song, “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town” was written by Melvin

Tillis, first it was recorded by Waylon Jennings in 1966, then by Johnny Darrell in 1967

(Whitburn 2008: 115), and in 1969 by Kenny Rogers (and many others after that). The author works with the versions of the songs that had been worked with when creating the Czech cover versions – in this case, the 1969 version recorded by Kenny Rogers. The dates in Table

1 mark the years of the releases of the specific versions of the songs, not the year the lyrics were written by their authors.

Czech Version The Original Version

Year of Year of Name Author Name Author(s) Release Release

Oh, Ruby, nechtěj mi Ruby, Don’t Take Your 1970 Jiří Grossmann 1969 Melvin Tillis lásku brát Love to Town

1970 Úsvit Jiří Grossmann 1961 Cupid Sam Cooke

1971 Krajem já šel Vladimír Poštulka 1971 I Am… I Said Neil Diamond

Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Kristoffer 1973 Nedělní ráno Vladimír Poštulka 1969 Down Kristofferson

1973 Vincent Zdeněk Rytíř 1972 Vincent Don McLean

I’ve Been a Long Time 1975 Já jsem byl bloud Vladimír Poštulka 1966 Roger Miller Leavin’

1975 Má dívka ‘N’ Jiří Grossmann 1964 Ann Billy Edd Wheeler

Elliot Ingber,

1975 Pojď stoupat jak dým Vladimír Poštulka 1968 Don’t Bogart Me Lawrence J.

Wagner

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Smokey Put the Sweat on Kristoffer 1975 Tak já se loučím Zdeněk Rytíř 1972 Me Kristofferson

Bill Danoff, John Take Me Home, Country 1975 Veď mě dál, cesto má Vladimír Poštulka 1971 Denver, Taffy Roads Nivert

Isaac Donald Víš, kdo ti smí z tvých Who’s Gonna Shoe Your 1975 Zdeněk Rytíř 1958 Everly, Phillip vlásků copy splést? Pretty Little Feet Everly

Dvě stě cest, jak sbohem 50 Ways to Leave Your 1977 Michael Žantovský 1975 Paul Simon dávat Lover

Kristoffer 1977 Proč mám v koutě stát Vít Hrubín 1974 I May Smoke Too Much Kristofferson

Thank God I’m a Country John Martin 1977 Sláma v botách Vladimír Poštulka 1975 Boy Sommers

Roger Dale

1979 Lásko, mně ubývá sil Michael Janík 1977 Lucille Bowling, Hal

Bynum

Roger Dale Drž se zpátky, chlapče 1981 Michael Janík 1979 Coward of the County Bowling, Billy Edd můj Wheeler

Kristoffer 1981 Známe se míň než chvíli Vít Hrubín 1977 Stranger Kristofferson

My Rifle, My Pony and Paul Francis 1984 Mé tělo, má duše a já Michael Žantovský 1959 Me Webster

1984 Právě tak Vladimír Poštulka 1972 Birthday Song Don McLean

S tím bláznem si nic Don’t Fall in Love with a Kim Carnes, David 1986 Vladimír Poštulka 1980 nezačínej Dreamer Ellingson

1987 A tak to půjde dál Vladimír Poštulka 1977 Sail Away Rafe Van Hoy

1988 Můj rodný dům Michael Žantovský 1985 My Hometown Bruce Springsteen

Table 1 Song overview

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The author decided to examine each of the lyrics pairs to determine the changes and summarize the type of meaning shift and language shift that is noticeable in most of them.

The pairs are listed accordingly by year of release of the Czech version, however, the subchapters are named with the original names, for the original versions are examined sooner, and only after that, the Czech versions are contrasted with them. Both – the original and the

Czech – lyrics are inserted for better convenience at the beginning of each subchapter. The lyrics are later divided into subgroups of translations, adaptations, and replacement texts. For each of these groups, the predominant tendency is determined and described in detail.

4.2. Lyrics Analyses

Although the lyrics sometimes differ in the count of verses or number of repetitions of the refrain, the music mostly stays almost unchanged. When most of the songs start playing on the radio, nearly none of the listeners can tell the original and the cover version apart. Pavel

Bobek often tries to imitate the sound of the original, and therefore in most cases, the only feature of the song that changes is the meaning – the story the lyrics tell. The research concentrates on the stories the songs tell – in particular on the specific parts of the individual texts where the meaning does not quite match the original.

4.2.1. “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town”

Melvin Tillis 1969: Jiří Grossmann 1970: Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town Oh, Ruby, nechtěj mi lásku brát

You’ve painted up your lips rolled and curled your tinted hair Mám naději, že uslyšíš mé tiché volání, Ruby, are you contemplating going out somewhere? stín už padá na zdi bílé, nic mu nebrání, The shadow on the wall tells me the sun is going down já tuším, že jsi hezká, jak bývalas’ tolikrát, Oh, Ruby, don’t take your love to town oh Ruby, nechtěj mi lásku brát.

It wasn’t me that started that old crazy Asian war Já nevymyslel válku, to jen prstem někdo kýv’, But I was proud to go and do my patriotic chore mě učili jen střílet, jenže druhý střelil dřív And yes, it’s true that I’m not the man I used to be a nevím sám, je mi přáno živořit či žít, Oh, Ruby, I still need some company oh Ruby, chci nablízku tě mít.

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It’s hard to love a man whose legs are bent and paralyzed Je zázračné to vědomí, že ještě vůbec bdím, And the wants and the needs of a woman your age že tím, co je muž ženě, nemohu ti být, Ruby, I realized Ruby, já pochopím, But it won’t be long I’ve heard them say until I’m not around a je to možná hloupost nesmírná, spíš odvážím si přát, Oh, Ruby, don’t take your love to town oh Ruby, nechtěj mi lásku brát.

She’s leaving now ‘cause I just heard the slamming of the door Proč utápíš se do mlhy, snad nechystáš se jít The way I know I’ve heard it slam 100 times before a nechápu, proč po létech se zase slyším klít, And if I could move I’d get my gun and put her in the ground jenom ruku vztáhnu za tebou, když nemůžu už vstát, Oh, Ruby, don’t take your love to town oh Ruby, nechtěj mi lásku brát, Oh, Ruby, for God’s sake, turn around oh Ruby, Ruby, jak žil bych rád.

Table 2 “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town”

The song was recorded in 1969 by American pop and country singer Kenny Rogers who made it famous all around the world. It is a song about an American soldier who comes back from the war. Wounded and unable to move he is forced to watch his partner, Ruby, getting dressed and heading into the city and not being able to stop her.

Melvin Tillis, when speaking about the song, described the soldier as a paralyzed veteran who would “get drunk and accuse Ruby of everything under the sun” (Moore 2020).

The original is about an angry disabled man who blames his wife for wanting to have a company (other than his). He is annoyed and although he expresses his understanding for

Ruby, he tries to command her and force her to stay with him.

The first line bitterly comments on Ruby’s actions and it seems that the protagonist tries to mock his wife by asking her if she really is planning to go to the city to be with someone else. The ironic remark aimed at Ruby changes into a “silent call” (Grossmann

1970: line 1) and the whole text continues in the same mood. The command in the last line of the first verse is clear, his only wish (and order) is for her not to go anywhere, stay there with him. Right from the beginning, Grossmann’s version is significantly less aggressive. The soldier is in the same situation, but rather than mocking his wife and ordering her to stay, he is speaking about hopes and wishes and he is almost nostalgic when thinking about her beauty.

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Tillis 1969: lines 1-4:

You’ve painted up your lips rolled and curled your tinted hair Ruby, are you contemplating going out somewhere? The shadow on the walls tells me the sun is going down Oh, Ruby, don’t take your love to town

Groossmann 1970: lines 1-4: Literal translation:

Mám naději, že uslyšíš mé tiché volání, I have hope you will hear my silent call, stín už padá na zdi bílé, the shadow is already falling on the white walls, nic mu nebrání, there’s nothing stopping it, já tuším, že jsi hezká, jak bývalas’ tolikrát, I guess you’re pretty like you used to be, oh Ruby, nechtěj mi lásku brát oh Ruby, don’t take my love away

The rawness of the expression of the original disappears and in the Czech version, it changes to a somewhat more poetic and nicer version of it. The message seems to be the same, but the voice telling the story is very different.

In the second verse, the element of patriotism, so symptomatic for American country music, appears. The veteran speaks about the war and his attitude towards it. In the Czech version, nonetheless, the soldier does not mention being proud of his actions. The patriotism disappears and the protagonist complains and blames his misfortune on someone else and considers the war something made up by the others.

Tillis 1969: lines 5-6:

It wasn’t me who started that old crazy Asian war But I was proud to go and do my patriotic chore

Grossmann 1970: lines 5-6: Literal translation:

Já nevymyslel válku, I did not invent the war, to jen prstem někdo kýv’ someone just moved a finger mě učili jen střílet, they taught me how to shoot, jenže druhý střelil dřív but the other one shot first

The third verse is very similar in both versions of the song. The protagonist expresses his understanding of Ruby and her needs. Gossmann’s version is finished with an almost archaic sounding line: “a je to možná hloupost nesmírná, spíš odvážím si přát / oh Ruby, nechtěj mi

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lásku brát” (Grossmann 1970: lines 11-12) which again expresses hope and wishes, in contrast with the honest, pessimistic, and angry original: “But it won’t be long I’ve heard them say until I’m not around / Oh, Ruby, don’t take your love to town” (Tillis 1969: lines

11-12).

Maybe the most obvious omission comes in the last verse. Line 15 that in the original version of the song says: “And if I could move I’d get my gun and put her in the ground”

(Tillis 1969) expressing the protagonist’s absolute helplessness and at the same time the determination to kill his wife so no one else could have her. In the translation, the violent part disappears and the line is replaced with one more desperate sigh: “jenom ruku vztáhnu za tebou, když nemůžu už vstát” (Grossmann 1970: line 15) that indicates the protagonist is feeling sorry for himself, for he did not do anything wrong but he is the one suffering.

Although both of the songs tell the same story with the same protagonists, a war veteran and his wife, Ruby, each of them tells it differently. The original is a love song, but its tone is honest, angry, and aggressive and at the same time it expresses patriotic mentality. The

Czech version is a very similar love song about the same two people. Nonetheless, the patriotism and violence disappear and the whole song tells a story of a wounded, sad man who begs his loved one to stay with him. From ironic and raw expressions become poetic and neat ones that erase the distinctive authorial expression and replace it with supposedly more appealing and less provocative version. This kind of meaning shift might be attributed to the regime’s restrictions. The authorities of course wanted to promote neither aggressiveness nor

American patriotism and so their aim could have been to get rid of it. Despite the discussed changes in the meaning and the language used, the overall theme of the song stays the same and the Czech version can be considered a translation.

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4.2.2. “Cupid”

Sam Cooke 1961: Jiří Grossmann 1970: Cupid Úsvit

Cupid, draw back your bow Úsvit spásou je mou, And let your arrow go svítá a tím pádem jsou Straight to my lover’s heart for me, for me zlé sny tou září sváté, novou stránku psát si smím, he hej hej. Cupid, please hear my cry Úsvit ví, co chci znát, And let your arrow fly tím spíš mám prý mu dát Straight to my lover’s heart for me právo k mé dívce jít páté. Now, I don’t mean to bother you but I’m in distress Je totiž mojí pátou známostí, leč na tom trvám, There’s danger of me losing all of my happiness že v důsledku svých předností je u mě prvá. For I love a girl who doesn’t know I exist Trápím se a bádám, jak jí dát znamení, And this you can fix ó v tom je umění.

So, Cupid, draw back the bow Úsvit spásou je mou, And let your arrow go svítá a tím pádem jsou Straight to my lover’s heart for me, nobody but me zlé sny tou září sváté, novou stránku psát si smím, he hej hej. Cupid, please hear my cry Úsvit ví, co chci znát, And let your arrow fly tím spíš mám prý mu dát Straight to my lover’s heart for me právo k mé dívce jít páté. Now, Cupid, if your arrow make her love strong for me Když stane se, že úsvit bude tím údobím, I promise I will love her until eternity co mi sílu dá, že pak na dámu zapůsobím, I know between the two of us her heart we can steal já přísahám, že dlouho zas ho rád budu ctít, So help me if you will jenom jestli bude chtít.

So, Cupid, draw back the bow Úú úsvit spásou je mou, And let your arrow go svítá a tím pádem jsou Straight to my lover’s heart for me, nobody but me zlé sny tou září sváté, novou stránku psát si smím, he hej hej. Cupid, please hear my cry Úsvit ví, co chci znát, And let your arrow fly tím spíš mám prý mu dát Straight to my lover’s heart for me právo k mé dívce jít páté.

Now, Cupid don’t you hear me He hej úsvit, úsvit je přítel můj, Calling you I need you už je tu úsvit, úsvit je přítel můj, Cupid, why don’t you hear me? he hej úsvit, už je tu úsvit, You know I need you, I need you Cupid he hej úsvit, už je tu úsvit, Help me, help me, help me, he hej úsvit, ... help me Cupid and take me Straight to my lover’s heart for me Table 3 “Cupid”

The American “Cupid” and Czech “Úsvit” have nothing in common except for the fact that they are both love songs. The Czech version tries to imitate the original only from the phonetic point of view. It is demonstrated the best on the name of the song, for the word

“cupid” [ˈkjuːpɪd] sounds like the Czech “úsvit” [ˈuːsvɪt]. The phonetic matches occur throughout the whole song, but the meaning is different. In the original version of the song,

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the protagonist speaks to the Cupid, urging the god of love to make a girl fall in love with him. The Czech version celebrates the time of the daybreak and its powers.

A similar phenomenon can be observed in another Czech text examined in this thesis, written by the same author – Jiří Grossmann – thanks to whom Pavel Bobek started to sing in the Czech language (Kuchyňová 2016). A song called “Ann” [æn] becomes “Má dívka ‘N’”, where the “N” sound is pronounced the same way as in English – [ɛn] – which imitates the name perfectly (especially because for Czech-speaking people, it is hard to distinguish between the [æ] and [ɛ] sounds). This strategy of mimicking the original can be observed in most of Grossmann’s lyrics for he “wanted the Czech language to sound like English”

(Kuchyňová 2016) which allowed imitating the western culture on more levels. When listening to Bobek singing “Úsvit”, the listener is under the impression that the lyrics are in

English.

4.2.3. “I Am… I Said”

Neil Diamond 1971: Vladimír Poštulka 1971: I am… I Said Krajem já šel

L.A.’s fine, the sun shines most the time Vzpomínám na činžák, kde jsem žil, And the feeling is “lay back” na tu hrůzu modrých stěn. Palm trees grow and rents are low Dětský pláč a samý rváč. But you know I keep thinkin’ about Bez sklepní bitvy, přísahám Vám, Making my way back nebyl nikdy den.

Well I’m New York City born and raised Pak jen útěk byl mou záchranou But nowadays I’m lost between two shores a teď slunce svítí oknem mým. L.A.’s fine, but it ain’t home Co mě táhne stále zpět New York’s home but it ain’t mine no more do míst, o nichž spoustu let jen sním?

“I am”... I said Krajem já šel, To no one there šel dál jak v snách. And no one heard at all A s láskou chtěl zas Not even the chair stoupat na rodný práh. “I am”... I cried Já ctím ten kraj “I am”... said I tam líp mě znaj. And I am lost and I can’t A pořád jen tam hledám Even say why ztracený ráj. Leavin’ me lonely still Teď už tam nepatřím.

Did you ever read about a frog Už se dobře mám, 28

Who dreamed of bein’ a king přece však pospíchám And then became one zase zpátky tam, Well except for the names kde žil jsem jako kluk. And a few other changes Jen o návratu sním, přestože i já vím, If you talk about me že si nezvyknu víc The story is the same one na mokré zdi a hluk.

But I got an emptiness deep inside Tam já někde jsem cítil v duši své And I’ve tried but it won’t let me go poprvé, že mě má někdo rád. And I’m not a man who likes to swear A jak blázen zas v létě půjdu tam But I never cared for the sound of being alone a znát chci to místo, kde může totéž se stát.

“I am”... I said Krajem já šel, To no one there šel dál jak v snách And no one heard at all a s láskou chtěl zas Not even the chair stoupat na rodný práh. “I am”... I cried Já ctím ten kraj. “I am”... said I Tam líp mě znaj. And I am lost and I can’t A pořád jen tam hledám Even say why ztracený ráj.

“I am”... I said “I am”... I cried… “I am” Table 4 “I Am… I Said”

Neil Diamond’s song is a scream to the world about an existential crisis of the protagonist.

A man lost between two big American cities, not belonging to either one of them, tries to find his place. Poštulka’s version can be considered its very distant – and to a great extent domesticated – parallel. The protagonist, too, is lost between two places, but they are not cities or towns in the United States. The original surroundings are replaced by an old apartment building and some indeterminate sunny place. The exact location is not mentioned, but a difference is indicated. For many people, living in Czechoslovakia during the period of normalization meant living in housing estates where families were often crammed in small apartments (Hromková 2017). Sometimes it meant difficult living conditions, however, the feeling of living in tiny dark places could be easily overshadowed by good memories. The

Czechoslovak listeners could probably better identify with the living in and moving out of an apartment building than traveling between two big American cities.

The first two verses express the same feeling of not belonging anywhere, although the destinations and the feelings are categorically different.

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Diamond 1971: lines 1-8:

L.A.’s fine, the sun shines most the time And the feeling is “lay back” Palm trees grow and rents are low But you know I keep thinkin’ about Making my way back

Well I’m New York City born and raised But nowadays I’m lost between two shores L.A.’s fine, but it ain’t home New York’s home but it ain’t mine no more

Poštulka 1971: lines 1-8: Literal translation:

Vzpomínám na činžák, I remember the apartment building, kde jsem žil, where I used to live, na tu hrůzu modrých stěn. the dread of the blue walls. Dětský pláč a samý rváč. Baby’s cry and brawlers all around. Bez sklepní bitvy, přísahám vám, Without a fight in the basement, I swear, nebyl nikdy den. A day wouldn’t go by.

Pak jen útěk byl mou záchranou Then only an escape was my salvation a teď slunce svítí oknem mým. and now the sun is shining through my window. Co mě táhne stále zpět What is it that still pulls me back do míst, o nichž spoustu let jen sním? to the places I’ve been just dreaming about for so many years?

The original depicts both places as good. The protagonist is, though, unable to experience the real belonging or happiness in connection to them. On the other hand, the Czech version seems to describe a dark and violent place where the only hope is an escape to a better one.

As was mentioned above, many people emigrated after WWII, there were several big waves of emigration, but people were leaving the country continuously (Petr Horký 2021). After careful reading, the lyrics of the Czech version of the song might – to some – evoke the feelings the emigrants might have had after they left Czechoslovakia. Feeling of regret and wondering what it might have been like if they stayed.

Both the songs are about unfulfilled expectations. The original is rather about not finding happiness in riches and fame, whereas the Czech one tells a story about the country one should worship and appreciate. For even though it might seem that somewhere else life 30

might be better, the reality is different. The song carefully manipulates the listeners into relishing life in their country without them even noticing it. The original theme of celebration of American cities and the life there disappears, and listeners of Poštulka’s version are left

“looking for the lost paradise” (literal translation of Poštulka 1971: lines 37-38) that is probably at home.

The language of both versions is similarly simple. There are no long phrases in either one of them, and the actions are described without any metaphorical or overly poetic expressions. The lyricist did a good job preserving the narrative style of the original.

4.2.4. “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”

Kristoffer Kristofferson 1969: Vladimír Poštulka 1973: Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down Nedělní ráno

Well, I woke up Sunday morning Zvonil budík, bylo ráno, With no way to hold my head that didn’t hurt V hlavě mé byl kámen snad a pod ním tma. And the beer I had for breakfast wasn’t bad Když jsem snídal džbánek piva, So I had one more for dessert Ještě zdálo se, že divnou příchuť má. Then I fumbled through my closet for my clothes Když jsem spláchl chladnou vodou z očí sny And found my cleanest dirty shirt A z tváře závoj šedivý, And I washed my face and combed my hair řek mi pohled pouhý z okna ven, And stumbled down the stairs to meet the day že nedělní je den a lenivý.

I’d smoked my brain the night before Já cítil dál, že v ústech mám chuť cigaret On cigarettes and songs that I’d been pickin’ A písní prošlé noci. But I lit my first and watched a small kid Tak jsem vyšel ven a díval se, Cussin’ at a can that he was kicking Jak slunce nový den má ve své moci. Then I crossed the empty street A pak mi vánek poslal vstříc tu vůni nedělní, And caught the Sunday smell of someone fryin’ chicken Co z horkých ploten voní And it took me back to somethin’ A náhle chtěl jsem být zas s tebou That I’d lost somehow, somewhere along the way Někde za městem ve stínu jabloní.

On the Sunday morning sidewalk Chtěl bych být v nedělní ráno Wishing, Lord, that I was stoned V chodníku kvádrem žulovým ‘Cause there’s something in a Sunday A proč divný smutek mívám, Makes a body feel alone To snad se nikdy nedovím. There ain’t nothin’ short of dyin’ A snad i smrt je méně vážná, Half as lonesome as the sound Než tyhle chvíle nedělní, On the sleepin’ city sidewalks Kéž mi zvony ranní písní Sunday mornin’ comin’ down Na prášek srdce rozmělní.

In the park I saw a daddy Šel jsem dál tou vůní ranní With a laughin’ little girl who he was swingin’ Kolem bílých kočárků a dětských mašlí. And I stopped beside a Sunday school Pak jsem dlouho stál a díval se Listened to the song they were singin’ Na věci, které svět občas krášlí.

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Then I headed back for home Snad vrátil se mi zrak a já se najednou And somewhere far away a lonesome bell was ringin’ Zas díval na svět zpříma, And it echoed through the canyons Teď už možná tvému štěstí lépe rozumím, Like the disappearing dreams of yesterday Ač vím, že nejsi má.

On the Sunday morning sidewalk Já chtěl bych být v nedělní ráno Wishing, Lord, that I was stoned V chodníku kvádrem žulovým ‘Cause there’s something in a Sunday A proč divný smutek mívám, Makes a body feel alone To snad se nikdy nedovím. There ain’t nothin’ short of dyin’ A snad i smrt je méně vážná, Half as lonesome as the sound Než tyhle chvíle nedělní, On the sleepin’ city sidewalks Kéž mi zvony ranní písní Sunday mornin’ comin’ down Na prášek srdce rozmělní

On the Sunday morning sidewalk Wishing, Lord, that I was stoned ‘Cause there’s something in a Sunday Makes your body feel alone There ain’t nothin’ short of dyin’ Half as lonesome as the sound On the sleepin’ city sidewalks Sunday mornin’ comin’ down Table 5 “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”

Another of the lyrics from Czech songwriter Vladimír Poštulka at first seems to copy the original version almost completely. Both the original and the Czech version tell a story of a man waking up on Sunday morning with a hangover from Saturday evening. While the original confesses its content already in the title, the Czech version is a bit more mysterious.

“Nedělní ráno” is only a part of the name the original song has. Perhaps the title would be too much, for originally it essentially says: “Sunday morning hangover”.

The beginning of the song is almost identical, and even the Czech version confesses being a song about Saturday drinking, there are, nonetheless, significant shifts in the use of figures of speech:

Kristofferson 1969: lines 1-4:

Well, I woke up Sunday morning With no way to hold my head that didn’t hurt And the beer I had for breakfast wasn’t bad So I had one more for dessert

Poštulka 1973: lines 1-4: Literal translation:

Zvonil budík, bylo ráno, The alarm went off, it was morning, V hlavě mé byl kámen snad a pod ním tma. A stone was in my head and darkness below it 32

Když jsem snídal džbánek piva, As I was having a mug of beer for breakfast Ještě zdálo se, že divnou příchuť má. It still seemed to have a strange taste

The ironic casual remark – so characteristic of Kristofferson’s style – about the “head that didn’t hurt” (Kristofferson 1969: line 2) is replaced with a metaphor about a “stone […] and a darkness below it” (Poštulka 1973: line 2). The honesty of the original is, again, replaced with a more pleasing and more poetic language. Although the protagonist admits to drinking beer, the Czech text does not fully imitate the initial mood of the original version. Kristofferson’s version is somewhat rawer and more straightforward. Two beers become one, the line “I’d smoked my brain the night before” (Kristofferson 1969: line 9) changes into sleeker and poetic “Já cítil dál, že v ústech mám chuť cigaret” (Poštulka 1973: line 9). And the “smell of someone fryin’ chicken” (Kristofferson 1969: line 14) becomes a poetic “Sunday smell”

(literal translation of Poštulka 1973: line 14).

Even the first few lines of the Czech refrain eliminate the impression of the protagonist of the original version. Not only the rawness of wishing for being stoned disappears, and is replaced with much more poetic ambition, but also the “Lord” vanishes in the Czech version of the song:

Kristofferson 1969: lines 17-18:

On the Sunday morning sidewalk Wishing, Lord, that I was stoned

Poštulka 1973: lines 17-18: Literal translation:

Chtěl bych být nedělní ráno I would like to be the Sunday morning V chodníku kvádrem žulovým The granite block in the sidewalk

The alcohol and other drugs were, amongst other things, objectionable, and the less of them in public media – whose role music performed – the better. Moreover, the state of being stoned was probably unknown to a majority of Czechoslovak citizens. Therefore the aim was

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probably to get rid of them in songs that were often played on the national radio and other media.

The disappearance of the religious elements can be attributed to the regime’s approach to religion, and the attempted “liberation of the working masses from religious prejudices”

(Smith 2019) for the religious beliefs were considered false by the communist regime, and

Marx himself called it “the opium of the people” (Zacharia 2020). In other words, religion stayed in the way of communism, and it most likely needed to be removed from the stage.

The text of the song “Nedělní ráno” is one of the more faithful copies of the originals.

After a more thorough examination of the lyrics, one finds many substantial differences that somehow change their mood and make them a whole lot less provocative. The text loses

Kristofferson’s distinctive raw and ironic style and becomes a more common and pleasing work of art.

4.2.5. “Vincent”

Don McLean 1972: Zdeněk Rytíř 1973: Vincent Vincent

Starry, starry night Stále stejnou tmou Paint your palette blue and gray Svítí plátno bloudících, Look out on a summer’s day Malíř půlnoc kreslí smích, With eyes that know the darkness in my soul Ten obraz píseň zpívá pojednou. Shadows on the hills Stíny na kopcích, Sketch the trees and the daffodils Ticho hnízd a moudrý sníh Catch the breeze and the winter chills Svál sem hřích všech dětských cích In colors on the snowy, linen land V těch barvách, které prosí tě pojď k nám.

Now, I understand Já už vím a znám, what you tried to say to me Co jsi tenkrát toužil říct And how you suffered for your sanity A jak jsi trpěl pro své nadání And how you tried to set them free Učit lidi vidět víc, They would not listen, they did not know how Však nebyl nikdo, kdo by naslouchal, Perhaps they’ll listen now Snad dnes tu s tebou stál.

Starry, starry night Stále stejnou tmou, Flaming flowers that brightly blaze Stejné louky tu hoří dnes, Swirling clouds in violet haze Mrak je láká do nebes, Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of china blue Kde Vincentovy modré oči sní. Colors changing hue Jak jen pozmění Morning fields of amber grain Barvy žhnoucích slunečnic, 34

Weathered faces lined in pain Vítr v tváři má pár skic, Are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand To smýknul štětcem touhy van Gogh sám.

Now, I understand, Já už vím a znám, what you tried to say to me Co jsi tenkrát toužil říct How you suffered for your sanity A jak jsi trpěl pro své nadání How you tried to set them free Učit lidi vidět víc, They would not listen, they did not know how Však nebyl nikdo, kdo by naslouchal, Perhaps they’ll listen now Snad dnes tu s tebou stál.

For they could not love you A svět tě tak trýznil, But still your love was true Tvou lásku splácel zlým. And when no hope was left inside Jen černé vrány nad hlavou On that starry, starry night Ctí tvou mysl bolavou, You took your life as lovers often do Svět nazval velkou vášeň šílenstvím But I could have told you, Vincent A já chci ti říct Vincente, This world was never meant for one že není nikde svět pro lásku As beautiful as you Tvou, se kterou bdím.

Starry, starry night Stále stejnou tmou, Portraits hung in empty halls Portrét v tichu muzejním, Frameless heads on nameless walls Něžná dlaň, hold váženým With eyes that watch the world and can’t forget Všem očím, které nesmí rozumět. Like the strangers that you’ve met Prohlíží si prázdnou zeď The ragged men in ragged clothes A chlápka v cárech nejchudších, The silver thorn of bloody rose V tvých růžích trn snad ostřejší, Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow Než kord, co slouží srdci divným hrám.

Now, I think I know what you tried to say to me Já už dávno znám, co jsi tenkrát toužil říct How you suffered for your sanity A jak jsi trpěl pro své nadání How you tried to set them free Učit lidi vidět víc, They would not listen, they’re not listening still Však není nikdo, kdo by naslouchal Perhaps they never will Tak hledat musíš dál. Table 6 “Vincent”

Don McLean wrote the song after reading a book about Vincent Van Gogh and realizing that the artist’s life was not only the cliche he thought it was, and so he wrote the lyrics of

“Vincent” to shed light on Van Gogh’s story and to express his own pain (Paulson 2020). The

Czech version imitates the overall mood of the original as well as the individual language elements. Except for a few discrepancies, the lyrics are very similar.

Although the mood described is the same in both of the lyrics, the original is a bit more specific, for immediately the first line says that the painting Starry Night is the inspiration for the whole song. The “Starry, starry night” (McLean 1972: line 1) changes into less informative: “Stále stejnou tmou” (Rytíř 1973: line 1), which does not refer to Van

Gogh’s work directly, nonetheless it induces a very similar effect on the listener.

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McLean 1972: lines 9-14:

Now, I understand What you tried to say to me And how you suffered for your sanity And how you tried to set them free They would not listen, they did not know how Perhaps they’ll listen now

Rytíř 1973: lines 9-14: Literal translation:

Já už vím a znám, I already know and I understand Co jsi tenkrát toužil říct What you longed to say back then A jak jsi trpěl pro své nadání And how you suffered for your talent Učit lidi vidět víc, Teaching people to see more Však nebyl nikdo, kdo by naslouchal, But there was no one who would listen Snad dnes tu s tebou stál. Perhaps he was standing here with you today

There is a slight change that somehow sleekens the Czech text, for it deletes the reference to

Van Gogh’s mental health when the word “sanity” is changed for “talent”. In Rytíř’s version, his sanity is addressed only later in the song, where there is the reference to Van Gogh’s

“aching mind” but only at the cost of deleting the mention of suicide that creates the climax of the original McLean’s version of the song.

McLean 1972: lines 29-36:

For they could not love you But still your love was true And when no hope was left inside On that starry, starry night You took your life as lovers often do But I could have told you, Vincent This world was never meant for one As beautiful as you

Rytíř 1973: lines 29-36: Literal translation:

A svět tě tak trýznil, And the world tortured you so, Tvou lásku splácel zlým. It repaid your love with evil Jen černé vrány nad hlavou Only the black crows overhead Ctí tvou mysl bolavou Honour your aching mind Svět nazval velkou vášeň šílenstvím The world has called a great passion a madness A já chci ti říct, Vincente, And I want to tell you, Vincent, Že není nikde svět pro lásku That there is no world for the love of yours Tvou, se kterou bdím With which I stay awake 36

“Vincent” written for the Czechoslovak audience is only another proof that the texts were

(often unnoticeably) changed and somewhat sleekened. The changes, though, are minor, and they probably cannot even be attributed to the period in which the lyrics were created. The language means are very similar, and the figurativeness of both texts is on a very similar level.

4.2.6. “I’ve Been a Long Time Leavin’”

Roger Miller 1966: Vladimír Poštulka 1975: I’ve Been a Long Time Leavin’ Já jsem byl bloud

I’ve been a fool, I’ve been a fool Já jsem byl bloud, já jsem byl bloud, Forgivin’ you each time that you’ve done me wrong já hříchy tvé odpouštím pořád jen, I’ve been a long time leavin’ teď vím, že nesmím váhat, but it’ll be a long time gone já zmizím dřív, než skončí den, dddd dddd dddd dede den.

Loved you so much, I loved you so much Měl jsem tě rád, měl jsem tě rád, I stayed around when I should’ve moved along teď toulaví ptáci lákají mě ven, I’ve been a long time leaving já vím, že nesmím váhat, but it’ll be a long time gone já zmizím dřív, než skončí den.

Hello high line, hello highway Tak mi šálu, kabát, klobouk můj dej, Here come a big old semi my way pak jen ze dveří za mnou mávej. Stick up my thumb, hear the truck come Já čekám svůj vlak, půjdu rád pak, Trees goin’ by, lookin’ like a fly kde snad najdu klid, budu mít se jak v ráji. On the big legs are my Levi’s Slyším vlak, zvuky kol už z dálky zněj, klapou hup hup hup hup hu hu hu hu.

I’ve been a fool, I’ve been a fool Já jsem byl bloud, já jsem byl bloud, Forgivin’ you each time that you’ve done me wrong já hříchy tvé odpouštím pořád jen, I’ve been a long time leavin’ teď vím, že nesmím váhat, but it’ll be a long time gone já zmizím dřív, než skončí den.

Hello high line, hello highway Tak mi šálu, kabát, klobouk můj dej, Here come a big old semi my way pak jen ze dveří za mnou mávej. I stick up my thumb, hear the truck come Já čekám svůj vlak, půjdu rád pak, Trees goin’ by, lookin’ like a fly kde snad najdu klid, budu mít se jak v ráji. On the big legs are my Levi’s Slyším vlak, zvuky kol už z dálky zněj, klapou hup hup hup hup hu hu hu hu.

I’ve been a fool, I’ve been a fool Já jsem byl bloud, cha cha, já jsem byl bloud, Forgivin’ you each time that you’ve done me wrong já hříchy tvé odpouštím pořád jen, I’ve been a long time leavin’ teď vím, že nesmím váhat, But it’ll be a long time gone já zmizím dřív, než skončí den, den den den, den den den. Table 7 “I’ve Been a Long Time Leavin’”

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Another song from Poštulka’s workshop is, despite completely different names of the two songs, a very faithful translation. The authors of the texts each chose a different line to name the song with. The Czech cover version, nonetheless, kept the majority of crucial features of the original. The meaning of Roger Miller’s lyrics that tell a story of a man singing about being done wrong by his women is almost exactly transferred to the target language. There are just seemingly negligible changes in the text. At first glance, they look like they were made for the purpose of domestication of the text – to make it more relatable to the Czech- speaking audience.

The individual verses of the songs are to a great extent identical and could be considered an almost word-for-word translation. There are a few instances where the simple description of action changes into a more metaphorical expression. “I stayed around when I should’ve moved along” (Miller 1966: line 5) is replaced with “teď toulaví ptáci lákají mě ven” (Poštulka 1975: line 5) and in the refrain, the line describing the movement of the truck, comparing trees to flies, changes into the elegiac wish of a better place: “kde snad najdu klid, budu mít se jak v ráji” (Poštulka 1975: line 10). The refrain is the most changed part of the song. It has the same meaning and the rhymes, too, sound very similar. Nonetheless, Poštulka somewhat domesticates its content. The lines about hitchhiking and stopping a semitrailer:

“Here come a big old semi my way / Stick up my thumb, hear the truck come” (Miller 1966: lines 8-9) change into – for the Czech audience more familiar and relatable – : “Slyším vlak, zvuky kol už z dálky zněj” (Poštulka 1975: line 11). This change can be attributed to the fact that trains were associated with the idea of carefree traveling, and the road freight traffic was not that usual.

Another – almost unnoticeable change – is that the mention of Levi’s in the last line of the original refrain seems to somehow disappear from the text. This deletion, however, cannot be considered a mere act of domestication of the text. Rather, it might be the consequence of 38

the fact that for a long time, jeans (and especially Levi’s or “levisky” – the true American jeans) were a symbol of western culture, and therefore of the opposition to the regime

(Vránková 2009). People perceived them as a symbol of resistance. Even Pavel Bobek himself said that wearing the American jeans meant defiance of the regime (Vránková 2009).

And although Bobek was not allowed to sing about the American jeans, surprisingly enough, he never had a problem with wearing them.

Despite the similarity of the sound and the meaning of the lyrics, they passed the censorship, Bobek recorded the song, and he successfully managed to mimic the original style.

4.2.7. “Ann”

Billy Edd Wheeler 1964: Jiří Grossmann 1975: Ann Má dívka “N”

I know, I’ll never meet another Sázím se o co chcete, hunk or woman like my Ann že na světě není více žen, She makes me feel like a great big man co se rovnají mé dívce “N”. I’m gonna go tell her mama Dá mi voňavou pusu what I think about her, say, thank you ma’am a já v okamžiku tom jsem přesvědčen, for giving me your daughter Ann nemůže být nad krásnou “N”.

She sure is stacked from her toes Má bílou pleť jako sníh, to the birdie little nape za to hlavu položím of her neck she’s packed like a seed in a grape, a na ústech med, proto snad vydržím she’s smooth as marble skin spíš půst, nežli být bez ní. When I see her I believe, I’m a real young guy Tak získávám vědomí, že i milión mám, And every time I go to work, I think I might die if I can’t a ačkoliv jsem bez peněz, tak přechovávám ten hurry home again malý klenot líbezný.

If the good Lord worked all night at makin’ me a female Kdyby samotnou krásnou vílu z hor mi sem přivál fén, plan já řeknu díky vám, já patřím “N”. I’d say, no thanks Lord, I’ll just keep Ann Mám přání, How could I abych uměl opakovat stokrát sto něžných jmen ever look at any other woman when I’ve got Ann a příběhů, jež mi říká “N”. I feel so good when she takes my hand, yeah Dá mi bolavou duši I’m gonna go tell her daddy zase dohromady a pro tu chvíli jen, what I think about her, say, thank you man znám poslání své vlídné “N”. for giving me your daughter Ann Když smůla zlá poručí, When I come home and I feel like že i přijde nouze, I’ve been run over pak anděl “N” pošeptá mi pouze, by a ten-ton truck she can rub my shoulder že stůl a přístřeší 39

and ease my aches and pains znamená snad víc, nežli zámek a spousta krásy If I lose my job and I’m down to a silver dollar a že “N” dokud mám jsou v úžasu časy and I feel like a dried up gourd in a holler, a tak trápení mi vyřeší. she soothes my brow like summer rain Kdyby samotnou krásnou vílu z hor mi sem If the good Lord worked a hundred years at makin’ me a přivál fén, female plan já řeknu díky vám, já patřím “N”, I’d say, no, thanks, Lord, I’ll just keep Ann vzkážu dík vám, já patřím “N”.

I know, I’ll never meet another hunk or woman like my Ann She makes me feel like a great big man If the good Lord worked a hundred years at makin’ me a female plan I’d say, no, thanks, Lord, I’ll just keep Ann I’d say, no, thanks, Lord, I’ll just keep Ann Table 8 “Ann”

As was mentioned earlier in the text, the song “Má dívka ‘N’” by Jiří Grossmann resembles its original for the Czech version sounds like it was being sung in English. Although the name

Ann exists in Czech, its Czech version is Anna – pronounced [ʌnʌ] – which does not sound like the original name. Unlike in the songs “Cupid” and “Úsvit”, the sound form is not the only thing that connects the two versions of this song. Like its original, “Ann” by Billy Edd

Wheeler, Grossmann’s version tells a story of a man singing about his beautiful woman.

To be able to imitate the sound to the extent Grossmann does, the sacrifices in the semantic field need to be more extensive than a translation would allow. Although the texts communicate the same message, the means of telling the story are a bit different. The target text is “extensively modified” (Munday 2009: 166), and still, it resembles the source text to a great extent. It is, therefore, a perfect example of an adaptation. This can be demonstrated right in the first verse:

Wheeler 1964: lines 1-4:

I know, I’ll never meet another hunk or woman like my Ann She makes me feel like a great big man I’m gonna go tell her mama what I think about her, say, thank you ma’am For giving me your daughter Ann

Grossmann 1975: lines 1-4: Literal translation:

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Sázím se o co chcete, I bet you what you want, že na světě není více žen, there are no more women in the world, Co se rovnají mé dívce ‘N’. That match my girl ‘N’. Dá mi voňavou pusu She gives me a scented kiss a já v okamžiku tom jsem přesvědčen, and at that moment I am convinced Nemůže být nad krásnou ‘N’. That there is nothing above my beautiful ‘N’.

The original is somewhat more straightforward and even a bit cheeky. The protagonist talks about a “hunk” (Wheeler 1964: line 1) that “sure is stacked” (Wheeler 1964: line 5), as opposed to the Czech version, in which the author uses commonplace and considerably less provocative expressions, such as “beautiful” (author’s translation of Grossmann 1975: line 4) and a “sweet little jewel” (author’s translation of Grossmann 1975: line 10). The expressions used make the target text more likable and not as rude as the source text. In addition to the flattening of the Czech lyrics, the Czech version leaves out the protagonist’s thanking to all that helped to create Ann, including the “Lord”. The girl’s parents and the God are replaced with a general “you” which somehow makes the song lose the element so characteristic of many of the American songs.

Wheeler 1964: lines 11-12:

If the good Lord worked all night at makin’ me a female plan I’d say, no thanks Lord, I’ll just keep Ann

Grossmann 1975: lines 11-12: Literal translation:

Kdyby samotnou krásnou vílu z hor mi sem If a foehn brought me a beautiful fairy from přivál fén, the mountains Já řeknu díky vám, já patřím ‘N’. I’d say thanks to you, I belong to ‘N’.

Like in many other cases, the language of the song changes, and the raw and expressive information style of the original changes into an overly poetic version of itself. It can be demonstrated on the second verse of the song:

Wheeler 1964: lines 17-22:

When I come home and I feel like I’ve been run over By a ten-ton truck she can rub my shoulder An ease my aches and pain 41

If I lose my job and I’m down to a silver dollar And I feel like a dried up gourd in a holler, she soothes my brow Like a summer rain

The explicit feeling of being “run over by a ten-ton truck” (Wheeler 1964: lines 17-18) is expressed by a poetic “smůla zlá poručí, že i přijde nouze” (Grossmann 1975: line 17) and being “down to a silver dollar” (Wheeler 1964: line 20) is made into: “stůl a přístřeší znamená snad víc, nežli zámek a spousta krásy” (Grossmann 1975: lines 19-20). The shift in imagery is noticeable throughout the whole text. Nonetheless, despite the number of changes, the result of the mediation resembles the original to a great extent, and it conveys the same message even if using more poetic language.

4.2.8. “Don’t Bogart Me”

Elliot Ingber and Lawrence J. Wagner 1968: Vladimír Poštulka 1975: Don’t Bogart Me Pojď stoupat jak dým

Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pojď stoupat jak dým, až tam, Pass it over to me kam jen ptáci mohou. Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pojď stoupat jak dým, Pass it over to me až tam, kam jen ptáci mohou.

Roll another one Plout po nebi jen, Just like the other one výškou být opojen You’ve been hanging on to it jen své sny si můžeš vzít And I sure would like a hit tam kde vládne mír a klid.

Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pojď stoupat jak dým, až tam, Pass it over to me kam jen ptáci mohou. Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pojď stoupat jak dým, až tam, Pass it over to me kam jen ptáci mohou.

Roll another one Plout po nebi jen, Just like the other one výškou být opojen That one’s just about burnt to the end jako dým z mé dýmky nebem pluj So come on and be a real friend za sebou nech zem a smutek svůj.

Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pojď stoupat jak dým, až tam, Pass it over to me kam jen ptáci mohou. Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pojď stoupat jak dým, až tam, Pass it over to me kam jen ptáci mohou. Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pojď stoupat jak dým, až tam, Pass it over to me kam jen ptáci mohou. Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pass it over to me Table 9 “Don’t Bogart Me” 42

After hearing the original, “Pavel Bobek was delighted with the idea of a song about cannabis and the lyricist had a task that had been bothering him for several days. How do you write a song about weed without using that word?” (author’s translation of Dědek 2012). Vladimír

Poštulka, the author of the Czech version of the song, claims that he managed to preserve the original meaning of the song and that the censor did not notice the true meaning of its lyrics

(Dědek 2012).

With a bit of effort and prior knowledge of the original song, one might be able to tell what it is that the two versions have in common. However, as the censor Dědek talks about in his article, the majority of the listeners probably failed to recognize the Czech song’s true meaning. The crude language of the original which, with its limited vocabulary, perfectly evokes the act of smoking a marihuana joint becomes an almost spiritual song about heaven.

The most repeated lines – in the original very trivial and straightforward – turn into a metaphoric expression suggestive of heaven in an almost religious sense.

Ingber and Wagner 1968: lines 1-2:

Don’t bogart that joint, my friend Pass it over to me

Poštulka 1975: lines 1-2: Literal translation:

Pojď stoupat jak dým, až tam, Come up like smoke as high kam jen ptáci mohou. As only the birds can go

The impression of a spiritual song is reinforced by the lines: “jen své sny si můžeš vzít / tam kde vládne mír a klid” (Poštulka 1975: lines 7-8) that replace the English: “You’ve been hanging on to it / And I sure would like a hit” (Ingber and Wagner 1968: lines 7-8).

The culmination comes towards the end of the song, where a remark about an ending of a joint: “That one’s just about burnt to the end / So come on and be a friend” (Ingber and

Wagner 1968: lines 15-16) is transformed to: “jako dým z mé dýmky nebem pluj / za sebou

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nech zem a smutek svůj” (Poštulka 1975: lines 15-16) that seem to invite the listener to the afterlife.

Although the author attempted to recreate the original meaning of the song, it got practically lost during the process of translation. But had it been more like the source text, it probably would not pass the censorship.

4.2.9. “Smokey Put the Sweat on Me”

Kristoffer Kristofferson 1972: Zdeněk Rytíř 1975: Smokey Put the Sweat on Me Tak já se loučím

I’ve known some women in every state Jak monzun prošel jsem celý svět New York City to the Golden Gate A velkoměsta znám už nazpaměť, I’ve lived with some, and buddy, I loved ‘em all. Ve všech žil jsem sám chladný, jak jižní pól. (Yes, I did) Možná víc. But no one woman had a claim on me Mě žádná žena dlouho nezdrží, ‘Cause I still had a lotta world to see Mám svůj cíl, dokud dýchám, mám proč žít, And I sometimes stagger, but sugar, I seldom fall. Neznám smůlu, smutek a kašlu na světobol.

Then like a hungry man, I went to Louisiana Jediným zákonem mi bylo chladné ráno, Where the lovin’ and the livin’ was good V kterém začínala má nová pouť Without a care to hide and just as satisfied as I could be. Na hrázi přístavní, kde jsem postával jak prázdný šíf. A lotta women and wine and not a tie to bind me Dálka nekonečná, to se jen krásně říká, And behaving just as cool as I could Dokud nezkusíš jak já po ní plout ‘Til that long legged, sweet walkin’ ravenhaired cajun lookin’ Skončí tam, kde tvé kroky zastaví dívčí boky, Devil put the sweat on me Probudí tvé svědomí.

They call her Smokey, she’s a little bit-a evil Tak já se loučím, už mě nebudete vídat, Smokey, right as wrong can be. Loučím se svým soužením, Smokey, she could shake the very devil Loučím se, že nechci města střídat, Smokey put the sweat on me. Pozítří se ožením, óó, pozítří se ožením.

Oh, my pulse is a beatin’ to the clickety clack Já měl jsem to ráno v krvi od dětských let, Of this one-way ride that’s gonna take me back Znal jsem pouze cestu tam a žádnou zpět And my body’s just a-breathin’ in that Mississippi River smell A mé rodiče to trápilo, že dělal jsem si, jen co jsem chtěl. Well, my feet wasn’t ready yet for settling down Pro mě klid byl vždycky velkou neznámou, But my soul kept tellin’ me to turn around Někdy chtěl jsem se vrátit domů za mámou And the longer I tried to fight it, the harder I fell A říct jí, co tenkrát v mládí jsem říct neuměl.

And like a hungry man, I went to Louisiana Jediným zákonem mi bylo chladné ráno, Where the lovin’ and the livin’ is good V kterém začínala má nová pouť I’ll get a brand new bride and be as satisfied as I can be Na hrázi přístavní, kde jsem postával jak prázdný šíf. And I won’t even mind the world I’m leavin’ behind Dálka nekonečná, to se jen krásně říká, Because I never really thought that I could Dokud nezkusíš jak já po ní plout ‘Til that long legged, sweet walkin’ ravenhaired cajun looking Skončí tam, kde tvé kroky zastaví dívčí boky, Devil put the sweat on me. Probudí tvé svědomí.

They call her Smokey, she’s a little bit-a evil Tak já se loučím, už mě nebudete vídat, Smokey, right as wrong can be Loučím se svým soužením, Smokey, she could shake the very devil Loučím se, že nechci města střídat, 44

Smokey put the sweat on me Pozítří se ožením, óó, pozítří se ožením, Smokey put the sweat on me Pozítří se ožením, jé, pozítří se ožením, Awww, Smokey put the sweat on me. Pozítří se ožením, óó, pozítří se ožením. Table 10 “Smokey Put the Sweat on Me”

The Czech version of another of Kristofferson’s songs, this time transferred to the target language by Zdeněk Rytíř, shares many features with the one already discussed. Like in the case of Poštulka’s version of “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”, Rytíř’s lyrics are similarly less forthright. Although the original and the Czech version both have the same theme, the language used, and the places and events described differ.

One of the most obvious changes is the exchange of the American toponymy for a more general naming of places or a completely different expression. In the first instance, the line: “New York City to the Golden Gate” (Kristofferson 1972: line 2), used to describe one of the easternmost and of the westernmost places of the United States, is replaced with “the whole world” (author’s translation of Rytíř 1975: line 1). This change makes the text more suitable for the mid-European audience, for even if the toponymy had been preserved somehow, the average Czechoslovak listener probably would not be aware of the locations of different American places. Further in the text, other places that can be found in the US disappear and are substituted by different expressions or omitted completely. “Louisiana”

(Kristofferson 1972: lines 8, 25) becomes a “great beyond” (author’s translation of Rytíř

1975: lines 11, 28) and the “Mississippi River smell” somehow vanishes. This strategy probably cannot be considered a domestication, rather a kind of generalization of the specific information which can be found in the original text.

The original revolves around one specific woman that was able to tame the protagonist, who initially admits to “love ‘em all” (Kristofferson 1972: line 3). The woman,

“Smokey” is described in the refrain as a “long legged, sweet walkin’ ravenhaired cajun looking devil” (Kristofferson 1972: line 13). This rather apt description of the woman gives the listener the chance to imagine the situation of the protagonist who, after being everywhere 45

and trying everything – and enjoying it – is finally tied up by this “a little bit-a evil […], right as wrong can be” (Kristofferson 1975: line 15) one.

Although the Czech version describes the same (or similar) sequence of events that lead to the protagonist settling down, the text leaves a different impression. There is no specific mention of the one woman that tames the protagonist who is enjoying his life. The end of the effervescent era is indicated only by the lyrics of the refrain:

Rytíř 1975: lines 15-18: Literal translation:

Tak já se loučím, už mě nebudete vídat, So I say goodbye, you will no longer be seeing me Loučím se svým soužením, I say goodbye to my misery Loučím se, že nechci města střídat I say goodbye, I don’t want to change cities anymore Pozítří se ožením, óó, pozítří se ožením. The day after tomorrow I’m getting married, oh, The day after tomorrow I’m getting married

And by the line where the protagonist’s “steps are stopped by a girl’s hips” (author’s translation of Rytíř 1975: line 13). The Czech text indicates, that rather than being quelled by a mean woman, the protagonist decided to end the supposedly great – but irresponsible, way of living that brought him misery – and he wants to continue his life as a married man:

Rytíř 1975: lines 11-14: Literal translation:

Dálka nekonečná, to se jen krásně říká, The great beyond, it’s just a beautiful thing to say Dokud nezkusíš jak po ní plout Until you try to sail it Skončí tam, It ends kde tvé kroky zastaví dívčí boky, where your steps are stopped by a girl’s hips Probudí tvé svědomí. It awakens your conscience.

The language of the original is very straightforward. Although “Tak já se loučím” is somewhat bolder than the texts discussed so far, the meaning is still often conveyed more poetically. The simple descriptions of events are substituted for less specific but more poetic lines. “I went to Louisiana” (Kristofferson 1972: line 8) changes into a poetic: “začínala má nová pout” (Rytíř 1975: line 9) and “my feet wasn’t ready for settling down” is replaced with vague: “Pro mě klid byl vždycky velkou neznámou” (Rytíř 1975: line 22). Through these

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changes, the impression of the song is somewhat reversed. Nonetheless, Rytíř managed to, at least partially, re-tell the story of Kristofferson’s protagonist.

4.2.10. “Take Me Home, Country Roads”

Bill Danoff, John Denver, Taffy Nivert 1971: Vladimír Poštulka 1975: Take Me Home, Country Roads Veď mě dál, cesto má

Almost heaven, West Virginia Někde v dálce cesty končí, Blue Ridge Mountain, Shenandoah River každá prý však cíl svůj skrývá. Life is old there, older than the trees Někde v dálce, každá má svůj cíl, Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze ať je pár mil dlouhá anebo tisíc mil.

Country roads, take me home Veď mě dál cesto má, To the place I belong veď mě dál, vždyť i já West Virginia tam kde končíš, Mountain mamma, chtěl bych dojít, take me home Country roads veď mě dál cesto má.

All my memories, gather around her Chodím dlouho po všech cestách, Miner’s lady, stranger to blue water všechny znám je, jen ta má mi zbývá. Dark and dusty, painted on the sky Je jak dívky, co jsem měl tak rád, Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye plná žáru bývá, hned zas samý chlad.

Country roads, take me home Veď mě dál cesto má, To the place I belong veď mě dál, vždyť i já West Virginia tam kde končíš, Mountain Mamma, chtěl bych dojít, take me home Country roads veď mě dál cesto má.

I hear her voice in the morning hour as she calls me Pak na patník poslední napíšu křídou, The radio reminds me of my home far away jméno své a pod něj, že jsem žil hrozně rád. Driving down the road I get a feeling Písně své, co mi v kapsách zbydou, That I should have been home dám si bandou cvrčků hrát yesterday, yesterday a půjdu spát, půjdu spát.

Country roads, take me home Veď mě dál cesto má, To the place I belong veď mě dál, vždyť i já West Virginia tam kde končíš, Mountain Mamma, take me home chtěl bych dojít, Country roads veď mě dál cesto má.

Country roads, take me home Veď mě dál cesto má, To the place I belong veď mě dál, vždyť i já West Virginia, West Virginia tam kde končíš, Mountain Mamma, oh Mamma, take me home chtěl bych dojít, Country roads veď mě dál cesto má. Take me home, that country road veď mě dál cesto má. Take me home, that country road veď mě dál cesto má.

Table 11 “Take Me Home, Country Roads”

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A song recorded and co-written by John Denver was composed as a tribute and a celebration of American nature, its mountains, rivers, and endless roads (West Virginia University

Athletics). The protagonist is speaking about the beauties of his home and all that beckons him to come back there. Although the road is the central theme of the Czech version, the original idea of the text is not preserved at all.

The American nature and the home the protagonist is admiring are erased and replaced with a description of an indefinite distance:

Danoff, Denver, Nivert 1971: lines 1-4:

Almost heaven, West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountain, Shenandoah River Life is old there, older than the trees Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze

Poštulka 1975: lines 1-4: Literal translation:

Někde v dálce cesty končí, Somewhere in the distance, all the roads end Každá prý však cíl svůj skrývá. But each is said to hide its end Někde v dálce, každá má svůj cíl, Somewhere in the distance, each of them has its end Ať je pár mil dlouhá, nebo tisíc mil. Whether it is a few miles long or a thousand miles

The message of Poštulka’s lyrics is that inevitably, all roads lead to an end. What might seem to be a song about traveling and exploring different roads turns out to be quite a pessimistic song about the inevitable end of everything. In the second half of the lyrics, instead of describing the way home – as in the original text – the author of the Czech text even indirectly indicates that the protagonist himself is thinking about his own death:

Danoff, Denver, Nivert 1971: lines 19-20:

I hear her voice in the morning hour as she calls me The radio reminds me of my home far away

Poštulka 1975: lines 19-20: Literal translation:

Pak na patník poslední napíšu křídou Then on the last bollard, I will write in chalk Jméno své a pod něj, že jsem žil hrozně rád. My name and under it that I lived living.

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The “last bollard” refers to a gravestone on which the protagonist writes an epitaph. The verse is then concluded with the words: “I will go to sleep” (author’s translation of Poštulka 1975: line 23) that cannot mean anything else than the end of one of the roads.

A song about American nature is transformed into one about the end of life. Although the road is present in the name of the original and the Czech version and throughout the songs, the Czech version is so distant from the original version that it cannot be considered an adaptation anymore.

4.2.11. “Who’s Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet”

The original lyrics of the song were composed by G. Foster in 1929. They were inspired by old ballads and adapted many times before Zdeněk Rytíř created the version written in the

Czech language in 1975 (Rypens 2020). Foster’s version had been re-created and alternated several times. The version with which Zdeněk Rytíř worked was probably the one recorded by The Everly Brothers in 1958 (Songs Our Daddy Taught Us - The Everly Brothers):

Isaac Donald Everly and Philip Everly 1958: Zdeněk Rytíř 1975: Who’s Gonna shoe your pretty little feet? Víš, kdo ti smí z tvých vlásků copy splést

Who’s gonna shoe your pretty little feet? Víš, kdo ti smí z tvých vlásků copy splést, Who’s gonna glove your little hand? víš, kdo ti smí pohladit dlaň, Who’s gonna kiss your ruby-red lips? a víš, kdo tě smí na ústa políbit, hm, hm, hm.

Papa’s gonna shoe your pretty little feet Táta, ten ti smí z tvých vlásků copy splést, Mama’s gonna glove your little hand máma hladívá tvou malou dlaň And I’m gonna kiss your ruby-red lips a já tě teď smím na ústa políbit, hm, hm, hm.

Who’s gonna shoe your pretty little feet? Víš, kdo ti smí z tvých vlásků copy splést, Who’s gonna glove your little hand? víš, kdo ti smí pohladit dlaň, Who’s gonna kiss your ruby-red lips? víš, kdo tě smí na ústa políbit, hm, hm, hm.

Papa’s gonna shoe your pretty little feet Táta, ten ti smí z tvých vlásků copy splést, Mama’s gonna glove your little hand máma hladívá tvou malou dlaň And I’m gonna kiss your ruby-red lips a já tě teď smím na ústa políbit, hm, hm, hm. Table 12 “Who’s Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet”

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Unlike the other adaptations of the original song, the one by The Everly Brothers has the same rhythm and identical count of verses followed by the “hm” sound at the end of each of them (Let’s Rock! 2016). The changes made during the process of translation are, therefore, minimal.

The only thing the translator needed to alter more significantly was the song's name - and consequently the wording in the first line of the song. The part of the phrase “shoe your pretty little feet” (Everly and Everly 1958: line 1) changes into “z tvých vlásků copy splést”

(Rytíř 1975: line 1) and instead of the verb “glove” (Everly and Everly 1958: line 2), the verb

“pohladit” occurs in the Czech text.

Both the versions of the song are otherwise identical. The reason might be the length and composition of the song because it is composed of only two verses that repeat.

4.2.12. “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”

Paul Simon 1975: Michael Žantovský 1977: 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover Dvě stě cest, jak sbohem dávat

The problem is all inside your head, she said to me Řekla já nevím, proč se tváříš tragicky The answer is easy if you take it logically všechno je prosté, když budeš myslet logicky I’d like to help you in your struggle to be free můžu ti pomoct chceš-li být volný na vždycky There must be fifty ways to leave your lover je přece 200 cest, jak sbohem dávat.

She said, it’s really not my habit to intrude Řekla vždyť víš, že se nechci do tvých věcí plést Furthermore, I hope my meaning won’t be lost or misconstrued a prosím nemysli, že tě chci jenom svést But I’ll repeat myself at the risk of being crude jestli se omílám, pak zkus to ještě snést There must be fifty ways to leave your lover je přece 200 cest, jak sbohem dávat. Fifty ways to leave your lover 200 cest, jak sbohem dávat.

You just slip out the back, Jack, make a new plan, Stan Jen vymysli sám plán, nedumej proč, skoč You don’t need to be coy, Roy, just get yourself free nebo zahoď svůj klíč pryč, běž po svém si žít. Hop on the bus, Gus, you don’t need to discuss much Chyť příští vlak pak, už se nemusíš hádat Just drop off the key, Lee and get yourself free tak zadem se ztrať ať, smíš volný být.

Ooh, slip out the back, Jack, make a new plan, Stan Jen vymysli sám plán, nedumej proč skoč You don’t need to be coy, Roy, you just listen to me nebo zahoď svůj klíč pryč, běž po svém si žít. Hop on the bus, Gus, you don’t need to discuss much Chyť příští vlak pak, už se nemusíš hádat Just drop off the key, Lee and get yourself free tak zadem se ztrať ať, smíš volný být.

She said it grieves me so to see you in such pain Řekla ty hloupý přestaň si to tak brát I wish there was something I could do to make you smile again přestaň se mračit, já teď chci se s tebou smát I said I appreciate that and would you please explain povídám to je pěkné, tak zkus ještě popsat 50

About the fifty ways těch 200 cest.

She said, why don’t we both just sleep on it tonight? Řekla pojď spát noc přece na všechno lék zná And I believe in the morning you’ll begin to see the light a možná, že snad zítřek lepší odpověď ti dá And then she kissed me and I realized she probably was right dala mi pusu a já připustil, že asi pravdu má There must be fifty ways to leave your lover je přece 200 cest, jak sbohem dávat Fifty ways to leave your lover 200 cest, jak sbohem dávat.

You just slip out the back, Jack, make a new plan, Stan Jen vymysli sám plán, nedumej proč skoč You don’t need to be coy, Roy, just get yourself free nebo zahoď svůj klíč pryč, běž po svém si žít. Hop on the bus, Gus, you don’t need to discuss much Chyť příští vlak pak, už se nemusíš hádat Just drop off the key, Lee and get yourself free tak zadem se strať ať, smíš volný být.

You just slip out the back, Jack, make a new plan, Stan Jen vymysli sám plán, nedumej proč skoč You don’t need to be coy, Roy, just get yourself free nebo zahoď svůj klíč pryč, běž po svém si žít. Hop on the bus, Gus, you don’t need to discuss much Chyť příští vlak pak, už se nemusíš hádat Just drop off the key, Lee and get yourself free tak zadem se strať ať, smíš volný zas být.

Table 13 “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”

Although Paul Simon said that the song is just nonsense that popped into his head (50 Ways to

Leave Your Lover by Paul Simon), it has a catchy melody and quite relatable content which

Michael Žantovský managed to transmit to the Czech language very well. The tone, the message, and the language of the Czech version are pretty much identical to the features of the original:

Simon 1975: lines 1-4:

The problem is all inside your head, she said to me The answer is easy if you take it logically I’d like to help you in your struggle to be free There must be fifty ways to leave your lover

Žantovský 1977: lines 1-4: Literal translation:

Řekla já nevím, proč se tváříš tragicky She said I don’t know why you look tragic Všechno je prosté, když budeš myslet logicky Everything I simple if you think logically Můžu ti pomoct chceš-li být volný navždycky I can help you if you want to be free forever Je přece 200 cest jak sbohem dávat. There are 200 ways to say goodbye

In every verse, there are slight changes made to the text, none of them, though, change the meaning of the original. The expressions are equally straightforward, and the message of the song stays the same. The number 50 is changed for 200 simply because the word “padesát” does not have the number of syllables that would fit. And since there are only five ways listed

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in both the songs, it does not matter at all. The majority of alterations are made just because of the need to fit the lyrics to the pre-existing music.

The “she said” form that the original employs is maintained, and the language means are very similar except for a few cases of mild poetizing of the Czech version. The more overly poetic language of the Czech text, though, might be caused simply by the need to fit the words to the lines.

Simon 1974: lines 22-23:

She said, why don’t we both just sleep on it tonight? And I believe in the morning you’ll begin to see the light

Žantovský 1977: lines 22-23: Literal translation:

Řekla, pojď spát noc přece She said go to sleep the night knows na všechno lék zná the cure for everything A možná, že zítřek snad lepší odpověď ti dá And perhaps tomorrow will give you better answer

The tendency to use poetic expressions is not – in comparison with other lyrics – as strong.

There are no significant changes, except for the ones made to the refrain:

Simon 1975: lines 10-13:

You slip out the back, Jack, make a new plan, Stan You don’t need to be coy, Roy, just get yourself free Hop on the bus, Gus, you don’t need to discuss much Just drop off the key, Lee and get yourself free

Žantovský 1977: Literal translation:

Jen vymysli plán, Just think up a plan, nedumej proč, skoč don’t speculate why, jump Nebo zahoď svůj klíč pryč, běž po svém si žít. Or throw away your key and go live your way Chyť příští vlak pak, Catch the next train, už se nemusíš hádat you don’t have to argue anymore Tak zadem se ztrať ať, smíš volný být. Go out the back door so you can be free

The most obvious change made in the Czech text is the omission of the English names. The reason for this might be the non-existent Czech equivalents of the man's names or the fact that

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none of the Czech ones are monosyllabic in the genitive. The individual names are, therefore, replaced with nonspecific addressing of one man – probably the protagonist.

Imitating not only the content but also the form of the original text, Žantovský’s lyrics of the song “Dvě stě cest jak sbohem dávat” are one of the best translations examined in this thesis.

4.2.13. “I May Smoke Too Much”

Kristoffer Kristofferson 1974: Vít Hrubín 1977: I May Smoke Too Much Proč mám v koutě stát

Once my future was shiny as the Slýchal jsem jako kluk, seat of my pants are today že mě čeká jen zářivý cíl, Then old mother luck and all her chtěl jsem všechno umět, všechno znát daughters started duckin’ me a všechno hezké mít. When I finally got tired of just sittin’ there Však stárnul jsem dál a teď ze všech svých watching my life slip away nadějí mám směšný díl, I said I better start takin’ all the living tak chci jen každý okamžik si vychutnat that’s a-comin’ to me jak budu sám chtít.

Now I love too much, fight too much Proč mám v koutě stát dál se bát, Stay out late at night too much že čas mi mé sny chce brát, But you bet your butt I’m going to tím zmeškal bych co právě live before I die bych dopřál rád And I may smoke too much, drink too much a tak chci víno pít, lásky mít, every blessed thing too much ze všech nocí své si vzít. It’s a low-down life, but it ain’t gonna pass me by Čas okrádám a zpátky mu nic nechci dát.

I don’t care if the world don’t ever hear Dávno vím, že už těžko poznám the sound of my name ten svůj zářivý cíl, And old mother luck and all her daughters blýská se jako moje keep a-duckin’ me obnošené kalhoty, As long as that cat that I gotta look at when tak proč bych měl litovat nadějí I shave ain’t ashamed ze kterých dál zbývá díl. There ain’t no Jody in the world Sázím na chvilku co mi I’d ever rather be. sama padne do noty.

Now I love too much, fight too much Proč mám v koutě stát dál se bát, Stay out late at night too much že čas mi mé sny chce brát, But you bet your butt I’m going to tím zmeškal bych co právě live before I die bych dopřál rád And I may smoke too much, drink too much a tak chci víno pít, lásky mít, every blessed thing too much ze všech nocí své si vzít. It’s a low-down life, but it ain’t gonna pass me by Čas okrádám a zpátky mu nic nechci dát.

Table 14 “I May Smoke Too Much”

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Hrubín’s version of Kristofferson’s song can be considered a very distant adaptation of it – as far as the language of the text itself is concerned. The theme of the song is the same one should enjoy life to the fullest not waiting for it to just happen. The author of the Czech text, however, uses different strategies to convey the original meaning. While in the original, the protagonist speaks in colloquial English which helps to paint the picture of the reckless, irresponsible, and a bit rude individual, the Czech language is standardized and therefore it does not express the original mood completely.

“Proč mám koutě stat” is different from the other adaptations examined so far, for the placement of the different information in the text is different. In other words, the message of the texts are very similar, but the individual sub-parts are different – in the original, the “seat of my pants” (Kristofferson 1974: line 1) occurs right in the first line and in the Czech version, the “worn-out trousers” (author’s translation of Hrubín 1977: line 11) are not mentioned until the second half of the song.

Kristofferson 1974: lines 1-4:

Once my future was shiny as the seat of my pants are today Then old mother luck and all her daughters started duckin’ me When I finally got tired of just sittin’ there watching my life slip away I said I better start takin’ all the living that’s a-comin’ to me

Hrubín 1977: lines 1-4: Literal translation:

Slýchal jsem jako kluk, As a boy, I used to hear že mě čeká jen zářivý cíl, that only the shining goal awaits me chtěl jsem všechno umět, I wanted to be able to do everything, všechno znát know everything a všechno hezké mít. and have everything nice Však stárnul jsem dál a teď ze všech svých But I kept getting older and now all my nadějí mám směšný díl, hopes turned into a ridiculous part tak chci jen každý okamžik si vychutnat So I just want to enjoy every moment jak budu sám chtít. as I please

The message of the first verse is very similar, the means of conveying it differ. The first line expresses the same information, the original is, nonetheless, more authentic than the more

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complicated and somewhat unnatural form of the Czech text. The biggest difference between the two texts is that the language of the original makes it authentic and more relatable than the language of the Czech version. The figures of speech, the archaic word order, and vocabulary used in Hrubín’s text is inconsistent with the message of the lyrics: “Však stárnul jsem dál a teď ze všech svých nadějí mám směšný díl” (Hrubín 1977: line 3) – amongst others – is definitely not a sentence that a person who is living a “low-down life” (Kristofferson 1974: line 9) would use.

Throughout the whole text, there is only one line that can be considered a translation.

It is probably the most important one, for it sums up the text in just a few words. The third sentence of the refrain of the original: “And I may smoke too much, drink too much every blessed thing too much” (Kristofferson 1974: line 8) which is quite similarly phrased in the

Czech version: “a tak chci víno pít, lásky mít, ze všech nocí své si vzít” (Hrubín 1977: line 9).

Although the message is basically the same, Hrubín euphemizes and poeticizes the lyrics. The strategy that the translator – adaptor – applies throughout the whole text can be proven on this one line. There is a substantial difference between “drinking too much” (Kristofferson 1974: line 8) and simple “drinking wine” (author’s translation of Hrubín 1977: line 8) and if a person says that they “do every blessed thing too much” (Kristofferson 1974: line 8), the

Czech version of “having loves and taking what is theirs from all the nights” (author’s translation of Hrubín 1977: line 8) does not really do it justice.

4.2.14. “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”

John Martin Sommers 1975: Vladimír Poštulka 1977: Thank God I’m a Country Boy Sláma v botách

Well life on the farm is kinda laid back To já vždycky žil jen v rámusu měst Ain’t much an old country boy like me can’t hack a milióny prošel jsem jich na mou čest It’s early to rise, early in the sack nebudu lhát smíte se smát Thank God I’m a country boy Já dál slámu v botách mám Well a simple kinda life never did me no harm I můj krejčí povídá vy jste podivný typ A raisin’ me a family and workin’ on a farm a ukažte mi někoho, kdo umí šít líp 55

My days are all filled with an easy country charm ať mám třeba frak, ať se do parády dám Thank God I’m a country boy Já dál slámu v botách mám

Well I got me a fine wife I got me old fiddle Tohle dávno už vím, z toho úniku není When the sun’s comin’ up I got cakes on the griddle kdyby stal se i div, tak málo se změní Life ain’t nothin’ but a funny riddle vždyť vím, kdybych měl mít kdoví jaké jmění Thank God I’m a country boy Já dál slámu v botách mám

When the work’s all done and the sun’s settin’ low Ten kdo potká mě, ten pozná hned I pull out my fiddle and I rosin up the bow jak málo se hodím pro ten nablýskaný svět The kids are asleep so I keep it kinda low čím to je, že ať dělám, co dělám, přísahám And thank God I’m a country boy Já dál slámu v botách mám. I’d play “Sally Goodin” all day if I could Já vím, že se ryba nesmí nožem jíst But the Lord and my wife wouldn’t take it very good umím báječně psát, taky báječně číst So I fiddle when I can, work when I should a čím víc se snažím, tím prozrazuju sám And thank God I’m a country boy Já dál slámu v botách mám

Well I got me a fine wife I got me old fiddle Tohle dávno už vím, z toho úniku není When the sun’s comin’ up I got cakes on the griddle kdyby stal se i div, tak málo se změní Life ain’t nothin’ but a funny riddle vždyť vím, kdybych měl mít kdoví jaké jmění Thank God I’m a country boy, whoo hoo! Já dál slámu v botách mám

Well I wouldn’t trade my life for diamonds or jewels Já se v městě narodil, tady žiju moc let I never was one of them money hungry fools ale s venkovanem odjakživa si mě každý plet Rather have my fiddle and my farmin’ tools proto jsem se dneska s tímhle svěřil právě vám Thank God I’m a country boy Já dál slámu v botách mám Yeah, city folk drivin’ in a black limousine Chtěl bych se s někým vzít, ale pořád nemám s kým A lotta sad people thinkin’ that’s a-mighty keen ono někdy nestačí mít sako jako manekýn Son, let me tell ya now exactly what I mean čím to je, že ať dělám co dělám přísahám Thank God I’m a country boy Já dál slámu v botách mám

Well I got me a fine wife I got me old fiddle Tohle dávno už vím, z toho úniku není When the sun’s comin’ up I got cakes on the griddle kdyby stal se i div, tak málo se změní Life ain’t nothin’ but a funny riddle vždyť vím, kdybych měl mít kdoví jaké jmění Thank God I’m a country boy, yes sir! Já dál slámu v botách mám

Well, my fiddle was my daddy’s till the day he died Teď už dávno je mi fuk, co si kdo povídá And he took me by the hand, held me close to his side když jsem takový, tak prostě i s tím se dožít dá Said, “Live a good life, play the fiddle with pride nebudu lhát smíte se smát and thank God you’re a country boy” Já dál slámu v botách mám Well my daddy taught me young how to hunt and how to whittle Žiju jako venkovan v bytě nad hlavní třídou Taught me how to work and play a tune on the fiddle to jsem Já co si ho děti na zeď malujou křídou Taught me how to love and how to give just a little-- a tak říkám všem i těm co ještě příjdou And thank God I’m a country boy Já dál slámu v botách mám

Well I got me a fine wife I got me old fiddle Tohle dávno už vím, z toho úniku není When the sun’s comin’ up I got cakes on the griddle kdyby stal se i div, tak málo se změní Life ain’t nothin’ but a funny riddle vždyť vím, kdybych měl mít kdoví jaké jmění Whoo! Thank God I’m a country boy, yeah! Já dál slámu v botách mám

Table 15 “Thank God I’m a Countryboy”

The song “Sláma v botách” could be considered a unique case of an adaptation, although – or maybe because – the meanings of the two songs are contradictory.

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Sommers’s song “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” is a prototype of an American country song. The lyrics are a perfect example of a song that praises American values and views, and as such a flawless example of the authentic country song generally. Although the genre of country and folk music has a long tradition in our country, the songs are closely associated with the basic historical conventions of the United States. Therefore, it can never have the same meaning for a Czech or Czechoslovak listener. And even less so if the lyrics are translated.

When working with the text of Sommer’s song, Vladimír Poštulka has gone further with the adapting process, and whether it was intentional or not, he created lyrics that, in a way, ridicule the original:

Sommers 1975: lines 1-4:

Well life on the farm is kinda laid back Ain’t much an old country boy like me can’t hack It’s early to rise, early in the sack Thank God I’m a country boy

Poštulka 1977: lines 1-4: Literal translation:

To já vždycky žil jen v rámusu měst I’ve always lived in the noise of the cities a milióny prošel jsem jich na mou čest And I walked through millions of them, honestly nebudu lhát smíte se smát I won’t lie, you can laugh Já dál slámu v botách mám I still have the straw in my shoes

The last line of the example shows the connection between the two texts. Whereas in the original, the protagonist talks about his life on the farm, his wife and children, the manual labor and playing the fiddle, the Czech song’s protagonist’s life is exactly the opposite, even though he is not quite suited for it. The first verse aptly summarizes the whole text – a boy/man that “still has the straw in his shoes” has no place in the city. Sommers’s lyrics point out the importance of God and religion in the lives of the American countrymen: “But the

Lord and my wife wouldn’t take it very good” (Sommers 1977: line 18), which does not show at all in the Czech text. Even though the texts themselves cannot really be compared, the 57

Czech version possesses the characteristics of some of the adapted texts examined. Like in many other lyrics this thesis deals with, even in this case, the American patriotism and celebration of American life disappear and are replaced with features more relatable for the

Czechoslovak audience.

What does not make sense entirely is the fact that the protagonist of the Czech text has

“always lived in the noise of the cities” (author’s translation of Poštulka 1977: line 1), and still, he says that he is the countryman that everyone mistook him for (Poštulka 1977: line 26).

Unlike the other songs examined so far, Poštulka’s “Sláma v botách” is written in a less formal language, which gives the song a more realistic and authentic impression. Expressions like “já vždycky žil” (line 1), “já se v městě narodil” (line 25) and “už dávno je mi fuk” (line

37) are those of common Czech that indicate the protagonist is a common man and no scholar. Nonetheless, to imitate the style of the original – Sommers uses the English slang expressions to indirectly characterize the protagonist: “kinda” (line 1), “ain’t” (line 2), g- dropping, etc. – Poštulka would need to include more nonstandard Czech language to write even less poetic and more authentic text.

4.2.15. “Lucille”

Roger Dale Bowling and Hal Bynum 1977: Michael Janík 1979: Lucille Lásko, mně ubývá sil

In a bar in Toledo across from the depot Já sám pozdě večer jsem do sálu vešel, On a barstool, she took off her ring sedl za stůl a uslyšel smích, I thought I’d get closer so I walked on over krásná se zdála a na mě se smála, I sat down and asked her name já se zeptal, jak říkat jí smím.

When the drinks finally hit her she said “I’m no quitter Jestli chceš, tak mi tykej, jak chceš mi říkej But I finally quit livin’ on dreams a máš-li touhu, tak líbat mne smíš I’m hungry for laughter and here ever after a bílá jak svíce už neřekla více I’m after whatever the other life brings” a já se jen díval, jak sedá si blíž.

In the mirror, I saw him and I closely watched him A pak jsem ho spatřil, on k silákům patřil, I thought how he looked out of place vzápětí namířil k nám, He came to the woman who sat there beside me já cítil, jak blednu a dech můj se krátí, He had a strange look on his face já malý byl a byl jsem sám. The big hands were calloused, he looked like a mountain To, co potom se stalo, mě úplně vzalo For a minute I thought I was dead měl začít a právem mě zbít, 58

But he started shaking, his big heart was breaking však zničil mé plány, řek namísto rány slov pár, He turned to the woman and said dodnes slyším je znít.

“You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille Řekl jí lásko, mně ubývá sil, With four hungry children and a crop in the field já říkal si dávno, že bídným jsem byl, I’ve had some bad times, lived through some sad times já cítil se králem, teď chudák jsem málem But this time your hurting won’t heal a v mlhách se ztrácí můj cíl, You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille” řekl jí lásko, mně ubývá sil.

After he left us, I ordered more whiskey Dál vím, že zmizel jak spadané listí, I thought how she’d made him look small ale jeho stín nezmizel s ním, From the lights of the barroom to a rented hotel room my jsme dál tu hru hráli, ve dveřích stáli, We walked without talking at all i tam s námi stál ten stín. She was a beauty but when she came to me Byla krásná, jak nebe, já slyšel sám sebe, She must have thought I’d lost my mind jak říkám, že nepůjdu dál, I couldn’t hold her ‘cause the words that he told her už nevím nic o ní, jen hlavou se honí Kept coming back time after time těch slov pár a stín co tam stál.

“You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille Řekl jí lásko, mně ubývá sil, With four hungry children and a crop in the field já říkal si dávno, že bídným jsem byl, I’ve had some bad times, lived through some sad times já cítil se králem, teď chudák jsem málem But this time your hurting won’t heal a v mlhách se ztrácí můj cíl, You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille řekl jí lásko, mně ubývá sil.

You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille Řekl jí lásko, mně ubývá sil, With four hungry children and a crop in the field já říkal si dávno, že bídným jsem byl, I’ve had some bad times, lived through some sad times já cítil se králem, teď chudák jsem málem But this time your hurting won’t heal a v mlhách se ztrácí můj cíl, You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille” řekl jí lásko, mně ubývá sil.

Table 16 “Lucille”

Although Janík did a good job preserving the overall message of the original song, the Czech version is, once again, narrated a bit differently. Both the songs tell a story of a man that – in a bar or a similar facility – encounters a woman that is above his level, and her ex-husband, who comes to them and talks to her.

The main difference – as far as the meaning of the song is concerned – is the indirect description of the female character. In the original, she is the pro-active one who gives the signals to the protagonist by taking “off her ring” (Bowling and Bynum 1977: line 2) and saying she is “after whatever the other life brings” (Bowling and Bynum 1977: line 8). In the

Czech version, the same nature is not attributed to her much, and she is portrayed as a somewhat more reserved one.

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Bowling and Bynum 1977: lines 1-8:

In a bar in Toledo across from the depot On a barstool, she took off her ring I thought I’d get closer so I walked on over I sat down and asked her name

When the drinks finally hit her she said “I’m no quitter But I finally quit livin’ on dreams I’m hungry for laughter and here ever after I’m after whatever the other life brings”

Janík 1979: lines 1-8: Literal translation:

Já sám pozdě večer jsem do sálu vešel, Late at night, I walked alone into the hall sedl za stůl a uslyšel smích, I sat at the table and I heard a laughter krásná se zdála a na mě se smála, she seemed beautiful and she smiled at me já se zeptal, jak říkat jí smím. I asked her how I can call her

Jestli chceš, tak mi tykej, jak chceš mi říkej If you want, we can be on first-name terms, you can call me whatever you like a máš-li touhu, tak líbat mne smíš and if you desire it, you can kiss me a bílá jak svíce už neřekla více and white as a candle she said nothing more a já se jen díval, jak sedá si blíž and I just watched as she was sitting closer

“Bar” changes into a “hall”, instead of taking her ring off, the woman just laughs at the protagonist and the fact that when she starts to talk it is only because “the drinks finally hit her” (Bowling and Bynum 1977: line 5) completely disappears. The alcohol vanishes from another part of the text too. Although the Czech text is quite straightforward – in comparison to others – the language in it is, too, more poetic than in the original. The line: “a máš-li touhu, tak líbat mne smíš” (Janík 1979: lines 6) sounds a lot more archaically than it should in a type of a song such as this.

Like in the case of “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”, the American working-class values disappear from the song and are ignored completely:

Bowling and Bynum 1977: lines 17-21:

“You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille With four hungry children and a crop in the field I’ve had some bad times, lived through some sad times

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But this time your hurting won’t heal You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille”

Janík 1979: lines 17-21: Literal translation:

Řekl jí lásko, mně ubývá sil, He said to her, love, I’m losing my strength já říkal si dávno, že bídným jsem byl, I told myself a long time ago that I was miserable já cítil se králem, teď chudák jsem málem I felt like a king and now I’m almost a loser a v mlhách se ztrácí můj cíl, And my purpose is getting lost in the fog řekl jí lásko, mně ubývá sil. He said to her, love, I’m losing my strength

What happens in the refrain completely changes the story that is being told. Whereas in the original, the man is hurting because the woman left “with four hungry children and a crop in the field” (Bowling and Bynum 1977: line 18), and there is indicated that she did something similar before, because he says: “this time your hurting won’t heal” (Bowling and Bynum

1977: line 18), the Czech version is less definite. And what is more, the listener might be under the impression that the man is the one to be blamed for the disagreements.

If the semantic discrepancies were ignored, stylistically, the Czech text is on a very similar level. The grammar used corresponds with the original and had the sense stayed the same, it would be a very successful translation. Nonetheless, the changes made to the lyrics are too big to consider the target text a translation. Like in many other songs, the alcohol disappears and the language is a bit more refined. And maybe because it would not be exemplary to sing about a mother leaving a family of six, this fact vanishes from the text too.

Perhaps the most faithfully translated part of the lyrics is the second half of the last verse. Unlike the first one wherein the Czech text, the protagonists are staying in the doorway as opposed to the original, where the text explicitly says that they are heading “to a rented hotel room” (Bowling and Bynum 1977: line 24). Changes like these are far from an isolated case. It cannot be said for sure if the lyricist made them to fit the classic image of a nice song, if the regime intervened or if the original message of the text simply did not appeal to the artist.

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4.2.16. “Coward of the County”

Roger Dale Bowling and Billy Edd Wheeler 1979: Michael Janík 1981: Coward of the County Drž se zpátky, chlapče můj

Everyone considered him the coward of the county Říkávali: To je on, ten, co se stále bojí. He’d never stood one single time to prove the county wrong To snad ani není chlap, když neumí se prát. His mama named him Tommy, but folks just called him Yellow Jeho jméno zapomněli a kdo chtěl hodit blátem, But something always told me, they were reading Tommy wrong Ten klidně blátem házel, ostatní se mohli smát.

He was only ten years old when his daddy died in prison Nejspíš nikdo nevěděl, co mu jeho táta řekl, I looked after Tommy, ‘cause he was my brother’s son Od té doby uběhla už hezká řádka dní. I still recall the final words my brother said to Tommy Můj soused o tom povídal, že slyšel, dřív než smekl, “Son, my life is over, but yours has just begun” Co na srdce mu kladl ve své chvíli poslední.

“Promise me, son, not to do the things I’ve done Stůj, klidně stůj a drž se zpátky, chlapče můj, Walk away from trouble if you can Od malérů drž se raděj dál. Now it won’t mean you’re weak if you turn the other cheek Ruku na to dej, špatný příklad ve mně měj. I hope you’re old enough to understand Já na siláka rád si často hrál, Son, you don’t have to fight to be a man” Teď vidíš sám, za co můj život stál.

There’s someone for everyone and Tommy’s love was Becky Pak přešla léta a pravá láska do cesty mu vešla. In her arms, he didn’t have to prove he was a man Byla krásná jako sen, a kdekdo záviděl. One day while he was working, the Gatlin boys came calling Když jednou byla sama, na návštěvu přišlo They took turns at Becky an’ there was three of them Pár nezvaných hostí, každý dělal to, co chtěl.

Tommy opened up the door and saw Becky crying Když pak vstoupil do dveří a uslyšel, jak pláče, The torn dress, the shattered look was more than he could stand Pochopil, že stane se jen to, co udělá. He reached above the fireplace and took down his daddy’s picture Kouk’ na obrázek táty a chvíli se mu zdálo, As his tears fell on his daddy’s face, he heard these words again že znovu slyší, jako kdysi, ta slova vzdálená.

“Promise me, Son, not to do the things I’ve done Stůj, klidně stůj a drž se zpátky, chlapče můj, Walk away from trouble if you can Od malérů drž se raděj dál. Now it won’t mean you’re weak if you turn the other cheek Ruku na to dej, špatný příklad ve mně měj. I hope you’re old enough to understand Já na siláka rád si často hrál, Son, you don’t have to fight to be a man” Teď vidíš sám, za co můj život stál.

The Gatlin boys just laughed at him when he walked into the bar room Když po stopách těch výtečníků šel rozvážným krokem, One of them got up and met him half way cross the floor Prázdno v duši měl a v očích divný chlad. When Tommy turned around they said, “Hey look! Old Yellow’s leaving” Jen malou chvíli volali: To je ten, co se bojí. But you could’ve heard a pin drop when Tommy stopped and locked the door Pak v tichu náhlém byl by slyšet špendlík, kdyby spad’.

Twenty years of crawling was bottled up inside him Jen malá muška na zdi snad podívat se směla He wasn’t holding nothing back, he let ‘em have it all Na spousty boulí, podlitin a různých jiných ran. When Tommy left the bar room, not a Gatlin boy was standing Když odcházel, tak oslovil ta sténajíci těla: He said, “This one’s for Becky”, as he watched the last one fall Jó, každý totiž uléhá, jak ustele si sám.

And I heard him say A pro sebe si řekl: “I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you’ve done Já celý život svůj se držel zpátky, táto můj, I walk away from trouble when I can Vždyť vím, že to sis vždycky nejvíc přál. Now please don’t think I’m weak, I didn’t turn the other cheek Však nemá smyslu víc ráně nastavovat líc, And Papa, I should hope you understand Když chlapem zkrátka člověk už se stal, Sometimes you gotta fight when you’re a man” Tak přijde někdy čas, aby se pral. Everyone considered him the coward of the county Říkávali: To je on, ten, co se stále bojí.

Table 17 “Coward of the County”

Janík’s text is, once again, a good demonstration of the changes that were happening during the process of translation – or adaptation – of the American songs during the Normalization

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period in Czechoslovakia. In terms of meaning, the Czech lyrics might seem identical to their original. Yet closer examination ensures the differences start popping up.

Bowling and Wheeler 1979: lines 1-4:

Everyone considered him the coward of the county He’d never stood one single time to prove the county wrong His mama named him Tommy, but folks just called him Yellow But something always told me, they were reading Tommy wrong

Janík 1979: lines 1-4: Literal translation:

Říkávali: To je on, They used to say: That’s him, ten, co se stále bojí. the one that is scared all the time To snad ani není chlap, když neumí se prát. He’s not even a man, when he cannot fight Jeho jméno zapomněli They forgot his name a kdo chtěl hodit blátem, and who wanted to throw the mud Ten klidně blátem házel, ostatní se mohli smát. Threw the mud and the others just laughed

As with other songs this thesis deals with, the changes identified are the most common on the level of imagery of the text. The English text is direct, and the descriptions of events, things, and actions are specific. Whereas in the original, the protagonist is called the “coward of the county” (Bowling and Wheeler 197: line 1), in the Czech version, he is depicted as “the one that is scared all the time” (author’s translation of Janík 1981: line 1) which is an expression far less expressive than the original one.

The protagonist’s and his love’s names, the timings, and some of the facts – like the one that “his daddy died in prison” (Bowling and Wheeler 1979: line 5) either disappear or get replaced with more general information:

Bowling and Wheeler 1979: lines 14-17:

There’s someone for everyone and Tommy’s love was Becky In her arms, he didn’t have to prove he was a man One day while he was working, the Gatlin boys came calling They took turns at Becky an’ there was three of them

Janík 1979: lines 14-17: Literal translation:

Pak přešla léta Then years had passed 63

a pravá láska do cesty mu vešla. and a true love had crossed his way Byla krásná jako sen, She was beautiful as a dream a kdekdo záviděl. and everyone envied him Když jednou byla sama, Once when she was alone, na návštěvu přišlo pár nezvaných hostí, a few uninvited guests came to visit, každý dělal to, co chtěl. every one of them did what they wanted

Aside from the fact that a lot of information is omitted, the ones that are preserved are communicated differently. The phrase: “One day while he was working” (Bowling and

Wheeler 1979: line 16) explicitly says when the event occurred, the Czech “když jednou byla sama” (Janík 1981: line 16) is somewhat remote and much less specific. There is probably no need to say that the fact that the “Gatlin boys […] took turns at Becky” (Bowling and

Wheeler 1979: lines 16-17) is euphemized – the Czech text says that “the uninvited guests

[…] did what they wanted” (author’s translation of Janík 1981: lines 16-17) which describes the same situation, but not quite accurately – or specifically enough.

The original can be considered a natural and authentic piece of work, the Czech text, although the theme of it is the same, reads somewhat differently. The lyricists probably aimed to create more likable lyrics that would not provoke as much as the originals.

4.2.17. “Stranger”

Kristoffer Kristofferson 1977: Vít Hrubín 1981: Stranger Známě se míň, než chvíli

Maybe she was smilin’ in the mirror Její úsměv v zrcadle jsem zahlíd Maybe I was too, ‘cause I was stoned Možná že i já se usmíval Singin’ every sad song on the juke-box one more time Poslouchal jsem staré písně, co hrál automat Honey, they were hittin’ close to home Zpíval jsem s ním, každou z nich jsem znal.

And I said - Maybe this’ll make you think I’m crazy A já řek: vidíme se prvně, jsem tu cizí, Honey, don’t feel lonesome if you do Ale cítím, že tě dlouho znám, But if you wanna make a young man happy one more time A pokud tě snad trápí, že jsi sama jako já, I’d sure like to spend the night with you Dám ti radu, chci být s tebou sám.

And she said – Stranger shut out the light and lead me Ona řekla: Vím, že známe se míň než chvíli, Somewhere - shut out the shadows, too Jen chvíli budem se možná mít, And while we lay there, makin’ believe you love me Věř mi chvíli, že máme se léta rádi, Stranger, could I believe in you Tu chvíli, s tebou chci kde chceš být.

Maybe you got all you got together Možná máš jen to, co nosíš s sebou, 64

Maybe you keep rollin’ like a stone Možná máš jen to, co já ti dám, Maybe some old lonesome song’ll take you by surprise Snad až se mnou tuhle starou píseň dozpíváš, And leave you just a little more alone Budeš ještě víc než před tím sám.

Singing – Stranger shut out the light and lead me Já vím, že známe se míň než chvíli, Somewhere - shut out the shadows, too Jen chvíli budem se možná mít, And while we lay there, makin’ believe you love me Věř mi chvíli, že máme se léta rádi, Stranger, could I believe in you Tu chvíli, s tebou chci kde chceš být.

Keep Singing – Stranger shut out the light and lead me Řekla: vím, že známe se míň než chvíli, Somewhere - shut out the shadows, too Jen chvíli budem se možná mít, And while we lay there, makin’ believe you love me Věř mi chvíli, že máme se léta rádi… Stranger, could I believe in you

Table 18 “Stranger”

Although Hrubín did a good job transferring the original meaning of the text, the lyrics of

“Známe se míň, než chvíli” are no exception to the rule that the Czech songs miss something in comparison with their English-written originals. The changes, though, are not nearly as extensive as in the other texts.

Kristofferson 1977: lines 1-4:

Maybe she was smilin’ in the mirror Maybe I was too, ‘cause I was stoned Singin’ every sad song on the juke-box one more time Honey, they were hittin’ close to home

Hrubín 1981: lines 1-4: Literal translation:

Její úsměv v zrcadle jsem zahlíd I saw her smile in the mirror Možná že i já se usmíval Maybe I was smiling too Poslouchal jsem staré písně, co hrál automat I listened to the old songs from the jukebox Zpíval jsem s ním, každou z nich jsem znal. I sang with it, I knew all of them

The source text is translated quite literally, nonetheless, the strategy of omitting the controversial topics, such as smoking, drinking, violent behavior, etc., as well as avoiding the translation of English idiomatic expressions and replacing them with more neutral Czech ones is applied. These strategies make the target text somewhat flattened and not as authentic as the original.

Whereas in the original, right in the second line, the protagonist says that he was smiling “‘cause [he] was stoned” (Kristofferson 1977: line 2), in the Czech lyrics, the element

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of smoking (a joint, presumably) completely disappears. The lyricist does not even make the effort of substituting it with something more acceptable – or something the listener could relate to – that would preserve the original mood of the lyrics better. With an omission like this, the text acquires a whole other subtext, although it is very similar to Kristofferson’s version.

Another feature that occurs in this case (as in many others) is replacing the idioms and elements of spoken English that help to create the impression of the realness of the lyrics – with non-idiomatic, standard Czech language expressions. This results in a noticeable reduction of the target texts’ authenticity and spontaneity. In the original, the songs the protagonist sings about are “hittin’ close to home” (Kristofferson 1977: line 4), which could likely be translated more suitably than the prosy: “každou z nich jsem znal” (Hrubín 1981: line 4).

Although the texts are very similar and it looks like a translation, the slight alterations and deletions make it a case of adaptation. The line between the two types of target texts is, though, very thin. And with narrative songs, such are the ones by Kris Kristofferson, the translation process is bound to be more difficult than in cases of others. The changes made can probably be attributed to the rules implied in the period in which the Czech versions – not only this particular one – were created. The notion of a song appropriate for being performed during the normalization era was definitely different from what was acceptable in the US at that time.

The refrain, too, is noticeably different, although its message is the same:

Kristofferson 1977: lines 9-12:

And she said – Stranger shut out the light and lead me Somewhere - shut out the shadows, too And while we lay there, makin’ believe you love me Stranger, could I believe in you

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Hrubín 1981: lines 9-12: Literal translation:

Ona řekla: Vím, She said: I know že známe se míň než chvíli, we’ve known each for other less than a moment Jen chvíli budem se možná mít, Only for a moment, we will maybe have each other Věř mi chvíli, Trust me for a moment že máme se léta rádi, that we’ve liked each other for years Tu chvíli, For a moment, s tebou chci kde chceš být. I want to be with you where you want to be

The lyrics have the same form, and they tell the same story, the Czech version is, though, euphemized a great deal. “And while we lay there, makin’ believe you love me”

(Kristofferson 1977: line 11) indicates a different turn of events than the innocent Czech:

“Věř mi chvíli, že máme se léta rádi” (Hrubín 1981: line 11). The Czech version of the lyrics seems to be short of the information that makes it rich and spicy. Once again, the author’s distinctive style is superseded by the neutral and common one. Hrubín tries to approximate the style of the original. He does so by using the colloquial Czech expressions – mainly skipping endings in past tenses of verbs – which is not enough, unfortunately.

4.2.18. “My Rifle, My Pony and Me”

Paul Francis Webster 1959: Michael Žantovský 1984: My Rifle My Pony and Me Mé tělo má duše a já

The sun is sinking in the west Já bloudil ulicemi měst The cattle go down to the stream a nenašel nic oč bych stál The redwing settles in the nest mé dlaně zšedly prachem cest It’s time for a cowboy to dream jen má touha mě nutí jít dál

Purple light in the canyons Cesta má se v dálce ztrácí That’s where I long to be a bezcílnou se mi zdá With my three good companions jen šlápot pár tou cestou kráčí Just my rifle, pony and me jen mé tělo duše a já

Gonna hang (gonna hang) my sombrero (my sombrero) Každý z nás jinam míří On the limb (on the limb) of a tree (of a tree) každý svou cestu má Coming home (coming home) sweetheart darling (sweetheart darling) jen šlápot pár mou cestou zvíří Just my rifle, pony and me jen mé tělo duše a já Just my rifle, my pony and me

(Whippoorwill in the willow možná však, že někde v dáli Sings a sweet melody za obzorem se protíná Riding to Amarillo) cestá má (cesta má) s něčí jinou (s něčí jinou)

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Just my rifle, pony and me pak mé tělo má duše a já

No more cows (no more cows) to be roping (to be roping) pochopí (pochopí), že došli k cíli (došli k cíli) No more strays will I see ani smrt (ani smrt) pak není zlá Round the bend (round the bend) she’ll be waiting (she’ll be waiting) pak prach všech cest smyjem z dlaní For my rifle, pony and me mé tělo, duše a já For my rifle, my pony and me moje tělo má duše a já

Table 19 “My Rifle, My Pony and Me”

The replacement text written by Michael Žantovský is a peculiar case of what might seem like an adaptation at a first sight/listen. The main reason for this is the trinity in its name and the whole text. However, the original tells a story of a cowboy, traveling with his horse and a firearm, that changes into an almost spiritual song. Žantovský’s text tells about the inevitability of reaching the end of the proverbial road of life. The triad of “rifle”, “pony” and

“me” (Webster 1959) changes into very poetic and almost spiritual “body”, “soul” and “me”

(author’s translation of Žantovský 1984) that completely changes the whole theme of the song.

Webster’s version of the song is a classic example of an old western – or cowboy – song; it is promoting the values of the American life of the 19th century as well as praising the beauty of American nature. The song “My Rifle, My Pony and Me” was featured in a 1959

Western movie about a town in Texas and the events that took place there (AFI|Catalog).

Although the genre of Western movies and books was familiar in Czechoslovakia and a large portion of folk and country songs were about cowboys and the Wild West, Žantovský decided to change the meaning of the song completely. One can only guess what caused his decision to do so since the source text is not a violent or otherwise inappropriate one.

Webster 1959: lines 1-4:

The sun is sinking in the west The cattle go down to the stream The redwing settles in the nest It’s time for a cowboy to dream

Žantovský 1984: lines 1-4: Literal translation:

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Já bloudil ulicemi měst I wandered the streets of the cities a nenašel nic oč bych stál And I found nothing that would interest me mé dlaně zšedly prachem cest My palms turned grey with the dust of the roads jen má touha mě nutí jít dál Only my desire makes me move on

Instead of describing the nature of the Wild West and rhapsodizing its beauties, the Czech text’s protagonist tells a story about rambling the streets and about how his “road is getting lost in the distance” (author’s translation of Žantovský 1984: line 5). The lyrics, again, end up implying – like Poštulka’s “Veď mě dál, cesto má” – that all roads lead to an inevitable end.

Although the original text suggests that there is, in fact, an end of a road – of a lonesome cowboy who is “coming home [to his] sweetheart darling” (Webster 1959: line 11)

– the Czech text speaks about a completely different road and about the unavoidable reaching of the destination (Žantovský 1984: line 18) and claims that “ani smrt pak není zlá /pak prach všech cest smyjem z dlaní / mé tělo, má duše a já” (Žantovský 1984: lines 19-21).

The changes made to the text are very similar to those that can be observed in the case of the lyrics of “Veď mě dál, cesto má”, written almost ten years earlier by Vladimír Poštulka, already mentioned in the subchapter 4.2.10.

4.2.19. “Birthday Song”

Don McLean 1972: Vladimír Poštulka 1984: Birthday Song Právě tak

If I could say the things I feel, Měl bych možná něco říct it wouldn’t be the same Ale nevím, jak Some things are not spoken of, O tom, co je za námi some things have no name A co bude pak

And though the words come hard to me Slovy se to nedá snad I’ll say them just for you Jsou věci, které vím For this is something rare for me A náhle zmizí, bůh ví kam this feeling is so new Dřív, než je vyslovím

You see I love the way you love me Vím jen že právě tak se díváš Love the way you smile at me A právě tak se usmíváš I love the way we live this life we’re in A právě tak i já tě mám nejraději

Long ago I heard the song Jednu starou písničku 69

that lovers sing to me Jsem slyšel někde hrát And through the days with each new phrase Dobře nevím, čím to je I hummed that melody Ale mám ji dodnes rád

And all along I loved the song Vím, že možná správně má but I never learned it through Jinak znít, než ji hraju já But since the day you came along, Kéž ji přijmeš místo prázdných slov I’ve saved it just for you Je tobě podobná

You see I love the way you love me Ty totiž právě tak se díváš Love the way you smile at me, A právě tak se usmíváš I love the way we live this life we’re in A právě tak i já tě mám nejraději

I don’t believe in magic Nejsou to žádná kouzla but I do believe in you Věřím spíše náhodám And when you say you believe in me Nemám nic, než jen spoustu plánů There’s so much magic I can do Ale rád ti všechny dám

Now you see me, now you don’t Naučím se hrát ten song watch me dive below Nač mi slova jsou Deep down in your love lake Skočím do té tůně where the sweet fish come and go Kde se zlaté rybky třou

And I might sink, and I might drown A možná víc mě nespatříš but death don’t mean a thing To vůbec nevadí ‘Cause life continues right or wrong Vždyť vím, že život půjde dál when I play this Birthday song Před chvílí tu někdo hrál I learned from you Ten starý song And you can’t even sing... Co znám už tolik dní Table 20 “Birthday Song”

Although the lyrics of the Czech version of Don McLean’s song are not transferred to Czech quite literally, there is no substantial shift in the meaning of Poštulka’s version. The language of both versions is similarly simple and relevant. There are no overly poetic expressions that would change the initial mood of the English-written version. In spite of the fact that the word

“love” that occurs throughout the original text is changed for a perhaps semantically weaker

“like”, the theme and the overall impression of the songs are the same.

McLean 1972: lines 12-19:

Long ago I heard the song That lovers sing to me And through the days with each new phrase I hummed that melody

And all along I loved that song but I never learned it through But since the day you came along I’ve saved it just for you

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Poštulka 1984: lines 12-19: Literal translation:

Jednu starou písničku An old song Jsem slyšel někde hrát I heard playing somewhere Dobře nevím, čím to je I don’t know why Ale mám ji dodnes rád But I still like it

Vím, že možná správně má I know it should probably sound Jinak znít, než ji hraju já Different from how I play it Kéž ji přijmeš místo prázdných slov May you accept it instead of empty words Je tobě podobná It is like you

Though the lyrics are not identical, they tell the same story. Some of the passages are more alike, some are altered to a greater extent, but the main message of both the texts stays the same.

McLean 1972: lines 27-36:

Now you see me, now you don’t watch me dive below Deep down in your love lake where the sweet fish come and go

And I might sink, and I might drown but death don’t mean a thing ‘Cause life continues right or wrong when I play this Birthday song I learned from you And you can’t even sing...

Poštulka 1984: lines 27-36: Literal translation:

Naučím se hrát ten song I will learn to play that song Nač mi slova jsou What do I need the words for Skočím do té tůně I will jump into the pool Kde se zlaté rybky třou Where the golden fish spawn

A možná víc mě nespatříš And maybe you won’t see me ever again To vůbec nevadí That doesn’t matter at all Vždyť vím, že život půjde dál Because I know that life will go on Před chvílí tu někdo hrál Just a while ago someone played here Ten starý song That old song Co znám už tolik dní I have known for so many days

The strategy that occurs throughout the Czech text and can be demonstrated on the example above is the implicitation. Whereas in the original, the text says: “And I might sink, and I 71

might drown / But death don’t mean a thing” (McLean 1972: lines 31-32), the Czech text euphemizes the statement by only implying the same information by the lines: “A možná víc mě nespatříš, to vůbec nevadí” (Poštulka 1984: lines 31-32). This change in explicitness results in the target text being somewhat more poetic, for it tries to avoid the specific descriptions of events and replaces them with less informative ones.

There are, nonetheless, instances where the source text is more poetic (even more explicit) than the target text. The “love lake” (McLean 1972: line 29) is substituted by a

“pool” (Poštulka 1984: line 29), and the “song that lovers sing to [the protagonist]” (McLean

1972: lines 12-13) becomes “an old song that was playing somewhere” (author’s translation of Poštulka 1984: lines 12-13). These instances are somehow equalizing the level of the two lyrics and make them more balanced as far as the explicitness and imagery go

4.2.20. “Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer”

Kim Carnes, David Ellingson 1980: Vladimír Poštulka 1986: Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer S tím bláznem si nic nezačínej

Just look at you sitting there Když odcházím, předem vím, You never looked better than tonight Co řečí zas zítra uslyšíš. And it’d be so easy to tell ya I’d stay Nemůžeš být víc krásná, než si právě teď, Like I’ve done so many times Když Tě cítím blíž a blíž.

I was so sure this would be the night Já naštěstí jsem už dospělá You’d close the door and want to stay with me A lásku člověk stěží utají. And it’d be so easy to tell ya I’ll stay A tak si málo všímám, když zkušení a moudří Like I’ve done so many times Tisíckrát nám říkají.

Don’t fall in love with a dreamer S tím bláznem si nic nezačínej, ‘Cause he’ll always take you in Má jen spoustu krásných gest, Just when you think you’ve really changed him Bude Tě chtít do svých snů vlákat, He’ll leave you again Do svých síti vplést. Don’t fall in love with a dreamer S tím bláznem si nic nezačínej, ‘Cause he’ll break you every time Nenechá si svůj klid vzít. Oh, put out the light Prý slova jen lžou, Just hold on Marná jsou, Before we say goodbye Když vím, že mám už jít.

Now it’s mornin’ and the phone rings Teď je ráno, čajník píská, And you say you’ve gotta get your things together Zas se spálím, jako mockrát předtím, You just gotta leave before ya change your mind Jenže neumím si na lásku jen hrát. And if ya knew what I was thinkin’, girl A tak i já každý den poslouchám, I’d turn around if you’d just ask me one more time Jak někdo říká, abych Tě míň, než mám, měl rád.

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Don’t fall in love with a dreamer S tím bláznem si nic nezačínej, ‘Cause he’ll always take you in Má jen spoustu krásných gest, Just when you think you’ve really changed him Bude Tě chtít do svých snů vlákat, He’ll leave you again Do svých sítí vplést. Don’t fall in love with a dreamer S tím bláznem si nic nezačínej, ‘Cause he’ll break you every time Nenechá si svůj klid vzít.

Ooooooh, put out the light Prý slova jen lžou, Just hold ooon Marná jsou, Before we say goodbye Když vím, že mám už jít Before we say goodbye Když vím, že mám už jít Goodbye Mám jít

Table 21 “Don’t Fall in Love with a Dreamer”

“He’s letting her know that he’ll be out of there. They’re saying it to each other, but it’s really a confessional to her on the last night they’ll be together.” (Carnes, Roger’s Duet: “Don’t

Fall in Love With a Dreamer”?) Kim Carnes and David Ellingson wrote a song about two people who love each other and find it hard to leave one another, although they know it is the best thing they can do. There is no third party having an opinion on their relationship. It is a dialogue in which they share their feelings and thoughts.

The Czech version is seemingly very similar even though the protagonists are not the ones who want to end their relationship instead they are advised to do so from the outside. It is indicated right in the first verse when the protagonist says: “Když odcházím, předem vím, / co řečí zas zítra uslyšíš.” (Poštulka 1986: lines 1-2). From these first two lines, it is clear that the important thing is not how the two lovers feel but what the others will think about their relationship. There are several references to what the outside world thinks about their life throughout the song.

Carnes and Ellingson 1980: lines 5-8:

I was so sure this would be the night You’d close the door and want to stay with me And it’d be so easy to tell ya I’ll stay Like I’ve done so many times

Poštulka 1986: lines 5-8: Literal translation:

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Já naštěstí jsem už dospělá Fortunately, I’m an adult now A lásku člověk stěží utají. And love is hard to hide. A tak si málo všímám, And so I pay little attention když zkušení a moudří When the experienced and the wise Tisíckrát nám říkají. Tell us a thousand times.

The refrain of the original is supposedly something the others would say had they had the chance to do so. Or perhaps it is something the protagonists heard several times from people around them. It is, nonetheless, right, they cannot be together, and they know it. The words of the refrains are very similar, it is the rest of the song points out what the others are often saying to the two lovers.

Carnes and Ellingson 1980: lines 9-17:

Don’t fall in love with a dreamer ‘Cause he’ll always take you in Just when you think you’ve really changed him He’ll leave you again Don’t fall in love with a dreamer ‘Cause he’ll break you every time Oh, put out the light Just hold on Before we say goodbye

Poštulka 1986: lines 9-17: Literal translation:

S tím bláznem si nic nezačínej, Don’t start anything with that fool Má jen spoustu krásných gest, He just has a lot of beautiful gestures Bude Tě chtít do svých snů vlákat, He’ll want to lure you into his dreams Do svých síti vplést. Weave you into his nets S tím bláznem si nic nezačínej, Don’t start anything with that fool Nenechá si svůj klid vzít. He won’t let you take his peace away Prý slova jen lžou, They say words only lie Marná jsou, They are useless Když vím, že mám už jít. When I know, I have to go

The message of the refrain of both versions is identical, the rest of the song not that much.

Although the refrain probably sums up the advice the lovers were given by others, there is no direct indication of it anywhere else in the text. By contrast, the Czech text is crawling with them. Maybe it was more relatable for people – in the mind of the translator or the controller

– that the protagonists would want to leave each other because of the outside influence: 74

Carnes and Ellingson 1980: lines 18-22:

Now it’s mornin’ and the phone rings And you say you’ve gotta get your things together You just gotta leave before ya change your mind And if ya knew what I was thinkin’, girl I’d turn around if you’d just ask me one more time

Poštulka 1986: lines 18-22: Literal translation:

Teď je ráno, čajník píská, Now it’s morning, and the teapot whistles Zas se spálím, jako mockrát předtím, I’ll burn myself again, like so many times before Jenže neumím si na lásku jen hrát. But I cannot just act being in love A tak i já každý den poslouchám, And so every day even I listen to Jak někdo říká, Someone saying Abych Tě míň, než mám, měl rád. To like you less than I do

The difference between the two texts is perhaps best shown towards the end of the lyrics in the last verse. Whereas in the original, the feelings and actions discussed are only limited to what the protagonists say and do, the Czech version implicitly says that someone is telling them what to do.

As far as the language of the songs is concerned, the texts are very alike. The language is similarly simple and straightforward, there are some idioms used in both of the versions that keep the lyrics appealing but not overly poetic. The similarity might be a result of preserving the original form of a dialogue which probably allowed less room for change than if the translator decided to change the structure of the song completely.

Poštulka even wanted to preserve the original ending of the song to make the Czech version resemble the English one even more – he kept the English word “goodbye” in the last line of the refrain. The controllers, though, returned the text and said it needed to be altered for the English word is too Americanizing (Česká televize 2004). Such comments made by the inspectors controlling the Czech cover versions of Western songs might have been the reason for the numerous alterations in most of them.

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4.2.21. “Sail Away”

Rafe Van Hoy 1977: Vladimír Poštulka 1987: Sail Away A tak to půjde dál

Across the bay a lady waits to hold me tight Když píseň narodí se, vždycky zdá se mi, And my boat and I are ready to set sail že ty předešlé svou slávou přeskočí. If the weather keeps on holdin’ and the wind is right Ale pak je všechno jinak, nic se nezmění. I’ll be wrapped up in my sweet one’s arms tonight Musím podívat se pravdě do očí.

And we will sail away on the wings of love into the night A tak to půjde dál, stane se jen to, co má se stát Cast out our fortunes on the sea Vždycky se úspěch neslaví. Then we will go to sleep together with the rocking of the water Vím, že čas je soudce přísný, vybírá z té spousty písní And dream of how our life will someday be a jen pár jich to přečká ve zdraví. When she sails away with me Těch už se jen tak nezbavím

As I skip across the waves my sails are high and full Zase sítě budu házet, a co vylovím, My mind is on the one I wait to see to si snadno můžu se zlatou rybkou splést. And I dream about an island somewhere in my mind Možná ze všech pístní tíhnu právě k takovým, Where someday I will take her off with me které nechtějí si říkat o potlesk

And we will sail away on the wings of love into the night A tak to půjde dál, stane se jen to, co má se stát Cast out our fortunes on the sea Vždycky se úspěch neslaví. Then we will go to sleep together with the rocking of the water Vím, že čas je soudce přísný, vybírá z té spousty písní And dream of how our life will someday be a jen pár jich to přečká ve zdraví. When she sails away with me Těch už se jen tak nezbavím

Then a smile comes upon me as I look across the bow Ale pak se náhle stane, že se píseň objeví I see a lady on the side a ta se líbí mě i vám. But she will wait no more as I head for the shore Je tu a nezmizí, jde se mnou a já jdu s ní. ‘Cause tonight I’m gonna take her for a ride Je tu i když ji zrovna nezpívám.

And we will sail away on the wings of love into the night A tak to půjde dál, stane se jen to, co má se stát Cast out our fortunes on the sea Vždycky se úspěch neslaví. Then we will go to sleep together with the rocking of the water Vím, že čas je soudce přísný, vybírá z té spousty písní And dream of how our life will someday be a jen pár jich to přečká ve zdraví. When she sails away with me Těch už se jen tak nezbavím

Sail away on the wings of love into the night Cast out our fortunes on the sea Then we will go to sleep together with the rocking of the water And dream of how our life will someday be When she sails away with me

Sail away on the wings of love into the night

Table 22 “Sail Away”

Like in the cases of the majority of the replacement texts this thesis deals with, the text of the original is completely substituted by one that has nothing in common with it. This might seem like an unnecessary comment, nonetheless in the case of the lyrics of the song “Sláma v botách”, the situation is different.

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Although there is no obvious political or ideological reason for the lyrics to be changed completely, the author of the Czech text decided to do so. A love song about sailing to the protagonist’s beloved one changes into a song about songwriting with a sort of a nihilistic undertone.

Van Hoy 1977: lines 5-9:

And we will sail away on the wings of love into the night Cast out our fortunes on the sea Then we will go to sleep together with the rocking of the water And dream of how our life will someday be When she sails away with me

Poštulka 1987: lines 5-9: Literal translation:

A tak to půjde dál, And so it will go on, stane se jen to, co má se stát whatever is supposed to happen, happens Vždycky se úspěch neslaví. You can’t always celebrate success Vím, že čas je soudce přísný, I know that time is a strict judge, vybírá z té spousty písní it chooses from the plenty of songs a jen pár jich to přečká ve zdraví. And only a few survive in good health Těch už se jen tak nezbavím I can’t get rid of them easily

Like in the cases of “Veď mě dál, cesto má”, “Pojď stoupat jak dým” and “Mé tělo, má duše a já”, the original text of the song is substituted with one that resignedly comments on the inevitable events of human life. What distinguishes this one from the others mentioned above is the fact that the source lyrics are completely harmless as far as the concerns of the communist regime go. Whereas with the songs investigated earlier in the thesis, the original lyrics were rhapsodizing the American nature, American way of life or they had an objectionable theme – like the one of smoking of a joint – “Sail Away” is a love song with no elements that might have been an issue in the time of the normalization. Still, the lyricist altered the text considerably and made it into another song about the inevitable turn of events.

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4.2.22. “My Hometown”

Bruce Springsteen 1985: Michael Žantovský 1988: My hometown Můj rodný dům

I was eight years old Bylo mi šestnáct let And running with a dime in my hand já znát chtěl svět, náš dům byl jen mříž, To the bus stop to pick Táta jen kýv, Up a paper for my old man řek’ máš svůj věk, tak pojď chlapče blíž. I’d sit on his lap in that big old Buick Do kapsy sáh a dal mi klíč, And steer as we drove through town řek cestu dál už znáš He’d tousle my hair and say, son, take a good look around Až poznáš svět a budeš chtít kam se vrátit máš. This is your hometown Je to tvůj rodný dům This is your hometown Tvůj rodný dům This is your hometown Tvůj rodný dům This is your hometown Tvůj rodný dům

In ‘65 tension was running high Pak přešel čas a přišel mi list At my high school Můj strýc mi psal There was a lot of fights A já věděl dřív Between the black and white Než jsem začal číst, There was nothing you could do že si bůh tátu k sobě vzal Two cars at a light on a Saturday night Na vlak jsem sed, pak městem šel In the back seat there was a gun A dlouho bloudil tmou, Words were passed in a shotgun blast Ale když jsem vzhléd’, náhle jako stín Troubled times had come Tam stál přede mnou To my hometown Můj rodný dům, To my hometown Můj rodný dům To my hometown Můj rodný dům To my hometown Můj rodný dům

Now Main Street’s whitewashed windows Náš plot, rozbitá okna And vacant stores a pár holých zdí, Seems like there ain’t nobody Stará houpací židle, Wants to come down here no more Nikdo však neseděl v ní, They’re closing down the textile mill Byl tam cizí muž, Across the railroad tracks Na šatech prach, bílou přilbu měl, Foreman says, these jobs are going, Klíč mi na zem spad a můj vlastní boys and they ain’t coming back hlas náhle se chvěl, To your hometown To je můj rodný dům, To your hometown Můj rodný dům To your hometown Můj rodný dům To your hometown Můj rodný dům

Last night me and Kate we laid in bed Řek’ měl jste přijít dřív, už není čas, Talking about getting out Raději běžte kousek dál. Packing up our bags, maybe heading south Za pár dní tu bude nová trať a ten dům nám v cestě stál. I’m thirty-five, we got a boy of our own now Pak vyšlehl blesk a děsný třesk z úst mu slova vzal, Last night I sat him up behind the wheel Já dál tam stál a do očí And said, son, take a good look around černý prach mi slzy hnal,

This is your hometown Můj rodný dům Můj rodný dům Table 23 “My Hometown”

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The original lyrics are a testimony of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s in the American East. They were inspired by the events that took place in the United States and that influenced the lives of a great number of American working-class people, such as a car accident Springsteen witnessed in 1965, etc. (My Hometown by Bruce Springsteen). The Czech cover version starts similarly with describing the idyllic memories of childhood but the overall message ends up being different and in the next verses, the lyrics differ more and more.

Springsteen 1985: lines 1-8:

I was eight years old And running with a dime in my hand To the bus stop to pick Up a paper for my old man I’d sit on his lap in that big old Buick And steer as we drove through town He’d tousle my hair and say, son, take a good look around This is your hometown

Žantovský 1988: lines 1-8: Literal translation:

Bylo mi šestnáct let I was sixteen years old já znát chtěl svět, I wanted to know the world, náš dům byl jen mříž, our house only meant bars Táta jen kýv, Dad just nodded řek' máš svůj věk, tak pojď chlapče blíž. He said you’re old enough, so come closer boy Do kapsy sáh a dal mi klíč, He reached into his pocket and gave me a key řek cestu dál už znáš He said you know the way Až poznáš svět When you get to know the world a budeš chtít kam se vrátit máš. and you want to, you have a place to come back to. Je to tvůj rodný dům It is your family home

Whereas the original describes the nostalgic memories of the protagonist’s childhood, the

Czech version talks about the teenage boy’s desire to go and discover the world outside his house. The original continues with the protagonist witnessing the racial violence, economic problems connected with “closing down the textile mill” (Springsteen 1985: line 29) resulting in empty streets and “vacant stores” (Springsteen 1985: line 26) and finally leaving the hometown with his partner and their child. The song closes as it began with a father and a son driving through their hometown. 79

In the Czech version, the boy’s father dies several years after he leaves home. The protagonist comes back only to spectate the demolition of the house. Whereas the original ending implies that the memories of the family will be preserved and that maybe one day, the protagonist’s son may return to his hometown and continue the tradition, the Czech version ends with irreversible destruction of the house and the place to come back to:

Springsteen 1985: lines 36-42:

Last night me and Kate we laid in bed Talking about getting out Packing up our bags, maybe heading south I'm thirty-five, we got a boy of our own now Last night I sat him up behind the wheel And said, son, take a good look around

This is your hometown

Žantovský 1988: lines 1-8: Literal translation:

Řek' měl jste přijít dřív, He said You should have come sooner, už není čas, there is no more time Raději běžte kousek dál. You better step aside Za pár dní tu bude nová trať In a few days, there will be a new track a ten dům nám v cestě stál. and the house stood in the way Pak vyšlehl blesk a děsný třesk Then lightning flashed and a terrible bang z úst mu slova vzal, took the words right of his mouth Já dál tam stál a do očí I was standing there and into my eyes černý prach mi slzy hnal, The black dust brought tears

Můj rodný dům My family home

As far as the language and imagery of the texts go, they are well balanced. There are almost no instances of overly poetic expressions in the target text where there are none in the original and the language is adjusted accordingly to fit the mood of the song. The Czech version is clearly inspired by Springsteen’s version and to a certain extent, it tries to imitate it. The mood of Žantovský’s lyrics is, nonetheless, again somewhat more pessimistic and hopeless in contrast with the promising atmosphere of the original that, most of all is promoting the value of the family.

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4.3. Findings

Based on the thorough examination of all the lyrics listed in Table 1, at the beginning of this chapter, it is possible to divide the texts into three categories discussed in the theoretical part of the thesis. The boundaries between translation and adaptation are truly thin, but for most cases, the type of the target text is clear, based on the amount of similarity to the source text.

Of the 22 Czech lyrics examined, there are nine translations, seven adaptations, and six replacement texts. The texts in the category of “translations” are usually very free translations – as is the case of majority translations of poetry and song – and some might argue that a few of them should be considered adaptations (and vice versa). The reason for this is the personal bias that must necessarily show when working with material such as this.

The author, nonetheless, tries to list enough reasons for justifying her decisions.

In the three subchapters below, the songs belonging to each of the three different categories are listed. The features and the most common changes made in process of translation/adaptation/writing the Czech lyrics of each of those categories are summarized.

The categories are sorted accordingly to the number of changes made in each of them; from the most changed to the closest resembling their originals.

4.3.1. Replacement Texts

Year of Name Author Release 1970 Úsvit Jiří Grossmann 1975 Pojď stoupat jak dým Vladimír Poštulka 1975 Veď mě dál, cesto má Vladimír Poštulka 1977 Sláma v botách Vladimír Poštulka 1984 Mé tělo, má duše a já Michael Žantovský 1987 A tak to půjde dál Vladimír Poštulka Table 24 Replacement texts

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As was mentioned earlier, Bobek chose the songs he wanted to sing as well as the artists he wanted to write the lyrics very consciously. He required the meaning of the original to be preserved as well as its sound (Česká Televize 2004). He demanded the lyrics written for him resembled the original as much as possible as far as the meaning and the sound were concerned – which sometimes made it very difficult for the lyricists to create the Czech text.

In some cases, the lyricists did not succeed in preserving both, and the Czech lyrics are so far from the original form that the result of the mediation can no longer be qualified as a translation – or an adaptation – although the lyricists might have intended to do so. The task of creating the Czech lyrics accordingly to Bobek’s wishes was definitely even harder, considering the period in which they were written, and the regime that ruled the country back then.

There is not much direct evidence that the lyricists were somehow – even obliguely – forced by the regime to alter the lyrics. The changes made to them can, nonetheless, very often be regarded as a result of the regime’s preferences and rules. When examining

Poštulka’s “Pojď stoupat jak dým”, the author of the thesis relies on the information obtained from an article “NEJ HITY: Pavel Bobek – Raději víno, o trávě jen zpívám” (Dědek 2012) and a television show Kam zmizel ten starý song (Česká televize 2004). In these sources,

Vladimír Poštulka – the man who created hundreds of lyrics for Pavel Bobek and other

Czechoslovak artists – admits that some of the changes made to the lyrics were forced by the

Communist censorship.

Out of the six replacement texts, two are rather entertaining. The lyrics of “Úsvit” are mainly supposed to imitate the sound of the English language and the original rhymes and rhythms which helped Jiří Grossmann with writing a mellow love song. In the case of the song “Sláma v botách”, the Czech text in a way ridicules the original, yet not overly or

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unmannerly. The sound simulates the original, and it could, perhaps, be even considered a special type of adaptation – for the themes of the songs are related.

The strategy of replacing the original text with one that has no overt relationship to the original and instead the target lyrics have somewhat hopeless and fatalistic undercurrent can be observed in the remaining four of the song lyrics investigated in this thesis. Three of these four lyrics are works of Vladimír Poštulka, and therefore the changes made might be attributed to his style rather than to anything else.

The song “Pojď stoupat jak dým” is a unique case about which the author of the lyrics himself says that he managed to preserve the original meaning in it. It is only well hidden so the lyrics passed the censorship test. He, nonetheless, did so good a job hiding it that not many – if any – listeners managed to interpret it correctly. Lyrics describing the act of smoking a joint were replaced with text about letting go and traveling up to the skies.

As for the meaning of the remaining three songs, the shifts are significant, although often somewhat illogical – for the original meaning is not really objectionable for the regime or otherwise potentially harmful for the Czechoslovak listeners. The lyrics concerned are:

“Take Me Home, Country Roads”, “My Rifle, My Pony and Me” and “Sail Away” and consequently “Veď mě dál, cesto má”, “Mé tělo, má duše a já” and “A tak to půjde dál”.

The first two lyrics’ originals are celebrating the beauties of American nature and the home in it. The last one is a love song about sailing and traveling to the loved one. They are all replaced with texts about reaching the proverbial destination and about the inevitable end of life.

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4.3.2. Adaptations

Year of Name Author Release 1971 Krajem já šel Jiří Grossmann 1975 Má dívka ‘N’ Vladimír Poštulka 1975 Tak já se loučím Zdeněk Rytíř 1977 Proč mám v koutě stát Vladimír Poštulka 1979 Lásko, mně ubývá sil Zdeněk Rytíř 1986 S tím bláznem si nic nezačínej Michael Janík 1988 Můj rodný dům Vít Hrubín Table 25 Adaptations

The shifts and changes that are perhaps the most difficult to determine are present in the category of adaptations. After hearing/reading the two versions of the songs, the listener/reader might often be under the impression that the lyrics are identical – or at least very similar. Once the research begins, the discrepancies start to show.

Interestingly, the meaning of the target songs changes - in contrast to replacement texts and translations - whereas language-wise and stylistically, the texts are on a very similar level. This might be caused by the fact that the deflection from the original meaning allows the author of the target text to use more similar language. There are, of course, cases when the

Czech versions are confirming the hypothesis of flattening and poeticizing of the original raw lyrics (“Má dívka ‘N’”, “Tak já se loučím” and “Proč mám v koutě stát”), the rest of them, though, shows no such tendency. In the remaining four lyrics, the language used and the narrative style corresponds with the original to a great extent.

The changes are mostly made to the sense of the lyrics due to a kind of domestication.

The American cities and places change to smaller-scale and probably Czechoslovak places

(“Krajem já šel”, “Lásko, mně ubývá sil”, “Můj rodný dům”) or, on the contrary, to the indefinite notion of a whole world (“Tak já se loučím”). Like in the case of translations, the mentions of alcohol and other drugs either disappear (whiskey in “Lucille”) or their significance changes (“Proč mám v koutě stát”).

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The Czech versions of the songs are usually very distant parallels to their English originals. The meanings are, nonetheless, changed to such a great extent that the cover versions can no longer be considered translations. The inspiration for the Czech lyrics is clear each time but as a result of altering the lyrics too much – whether because of the regime’s rules or the mediators’ preferences – the songs acquire different meanings.

4.3.3. Translations

Year of Name Author Release 1970 Oh, Ruby, nechtěj mi lásku brát Jiří Grossmann 1973 Nedělní ráno Vladimír Poštulka 1973 Vincent Zdeněk Rytíř 1975 Já jsem byl bloud Vladimír Poštulka 1975 Víš, kdo ti smí z tvých vlásků copy splést? Zdeněk Rytíř 1977 Dvě stě cest, jak sbohem dávat Michael Žantovský 1981 Drž se zpátky, chlapče můj Michael Janík 1981 Známe se míň než chvíli Vít Hrubín 1984 Právě tak Vladimír Poštulka Table 26 Translations

The nine songs listed above are evaluated as translations for the resemblance between the originals and the Czech versions are the closest. Although some shifts in a sense appear, they are – for the most cases – nearly negligible.

One of the hypotheses assumes that most likely the only theme that stays untouched during the process of translating the lyrics is love. By examining the different lyrics-pairs this hypothesis is confirmed. Where there is love in the original, it appears in the cover version too. The protagonists have the same feelings and their nature is depicted similarly. The original messages of the songs are preserved and the cover versions allow the listener to gather the same meaning they would obtain from the original.

The changes made are minimal, nonetheless, the assumed flattening of the lyrics and deletion on the controversial topics occurs even in this category of texts. Although the degree

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of change is not as high as in the other two categories, the changes are apparent. The manifestations of patriotism (“Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town”) and cases of violence or death (“Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town” and “Vincent) disappear or are only implicated (“Birthday Song”). The mentions of drugs and alcohol are either completely omitted (“Stranger”) or replaced with a somewhat more euphemistic version of the initial action (“Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”) and a considerable degree of domestication can be observed (“I’ve Been a long Time Leavin’”, “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and “Coward of the County”).

As for the connection of different lyricists with the type of changes made in the individual lyrics, none are found. Every one of the six lyricists whose works are included in the category of “translations” seems to apply at least some of the strategies listed above. The lyrics of “Víš, kdo ti smí z tvých vlásků copy splést?” by Zdeněk Rytíř might be considered an exception to this rule, the reason for this, though, might simply be the brevity and the simplicity of the original. The tendencies do not seem to change over time either, although the lyrics were created within fourteen years.

Like in the categories mentioned earlier, the changes on the language level appear.

There is a slight shift in imagery in some cases. It is most apparent when it comes to

Kristofferson’s works in which his authentic personal style, which is characterized by irony and rawness, is somewhat polished and made less provocative and more likable. In a majority of works in this category, the figurativeness and language used are very similar, and the

Czech-language texts are very faithful copies of their originals.

None of the changes made to the cover versions included in this category are extensive enough to alter the sense of the original songs completely. The shifts made are only minor as compared to the lyrics listed in the two previous subchapters.

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5. Conclusion

The aim of this thesis was to substantiate the claim that most of the lyrics’ meanings of songs translated for Pavel Bobek in the second half of the 20th century are somewhat changed during the process of translation. The assumption was that because of the Communist regime, the lyrics were flattened and deprived of the – for the regime – disputable content.

After finishing the examination of the research material, the author managed to partially confirm the initial hypotheses. In addition, she identified other frequent tendencies.

Her initial assumption that most of the changes are made due to the regime that ruled the country at the time of the creation of the Czech texts, unfortunately, cannot be confirmed fully, for there is not enough material that would offer the testimony of all of the lyricists.

Although it is not explicitly written or said anywhere, there is a strong likelihood that the heavy-handed censorship is behind most of the changes made to the lyrics. The interview with

Vladimír Poštulka (Česká televize 2004) and several other sources at least partially confirm the author’s theory. The fact that Pavel Bobek himself insisted on the target lyrics resembling the source ones as much as possible is another reason for assuming that the majority of the changes made to the meanings of the songs were involuntary.

The explanation for most of the changes made can be somehow connected to the regime’s rules. The reasons for assuming that the alterations of the lyrics were made because of the censorship are described in the individual lyrics’ assessments, mostly they are only assumptions of the author founded by the information acquired in secondary sources.

One of the hypotheses was that the theme of love stays untouched. This claim is confirmed for the most part. There are often shifts in meaning, and the protagonists’ characterization changes somehow, the love, nonetheless, stays. If there is a mention of love

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in the original - whether it is the romantic kind or the love of the family/friends - it is preserved in the cover version.

The main objective of the thesis was to confirm that there is a strong tendency to smoothen the texts and erase the somewhat undesirable features. The initial assumption was that the changes that occur in the texts are mostly on the meaning level. The research showed that apart from deleting and altering the information contained in the source texts, there is a strong tendency to smoothen the lyrics and make them more likable as far as the language is concerned. Instead of the raw expressions and the non-standard language used in the originals to emphasize the writing styles of their authors, and to approximate the environment about which the original songs tell stories, the Czech versions are plain. They tend to use metaphors, overly poetic expressions, and archaic phrases to sustain the impression of a nice song.

None of the tendencies seems to change over time, for the strategies are the same – or very similar – in songs written in the early 1970s as in the late 1980s. There is, though, a certain pattern in the works of the different lyricists. Some of them have a kind of unique personal style that allows distinguishing their works from the works of the others. Jiří

Grossmann’s works can be said to resemble the most originals in sound. Zdeněk Rytíř’s texts are amongst the most faithful translations – as far as both the meaning and the language used are concerned. The court lyricist of Pavel Bobek Vladimír Poštulka is behind the most changed lyrics in Bobek’s repertoire examined in this thesis. Although the changes made on the language level of the texts can be attributed to the lyricist’s personal preferences, the alterations and deletions made can be considered involuntary – forced by the regime – ones.

One of the aims of this thesis was to determine a prevailing tendency in each of the three categories of the examined texts. The results of the research are summed up in the subchapter above. The changes do not differ in type, it is their extent that varies. In other 88

words, the tendencies are the same with translations, adaptations, and replacement texts, only the range of the changes made is greater in each of the categories as listed. The style of the changes made to the texts in the category of “replacement texts” can be probably attributed to the fact that the majority of these lyrics are written by Vladimír Poštulka. His lyrics can be distinguished from others by being written in even more poetic and metaphoric language than the works of the other authors.

This thesis examined only a fraction of Bobek’s repertoire – the greater part of which is composed by Vladimír Poštulka. This is caused by the fact that he was the one working with Bobek the most often. Had Jiří Grossmann live longer, the composition of Bobek’s repertoire would probably be different. To truly determine all the types of changes in the lyrics written for Pavel Bobek, the research should constitute a much larger number of lyrics by different authors, and it should contain the same amount of work by each of them, ideally written at the same times and under similar circumstances.

Apart from the interviews and the articles about Poštulka’s work, the author of the thesis did not manage to find any testimony of the other lyricists, which would help to determine the reason for the changes discovered.

Despite the limited sources of information about the intentions of the Czechoslovak lyricists, and the scarcity of the lyrics examined the author of this thesis can confirm her initial hypothesis. The target texts are flattened and euphemized to a certain extent through changing the language and altering or deleting some of the information occurring in the source texts.

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105

7. English Resumé

This diploma thesis deals with song translation during the normalization period in

Czechoslovakia. On a sample of works written for Pavel Bobek by six different lyricists in a span of almost 20 years, it examines the changes made to the individual texts. The main goal of the thesis is to determine the overall propensity of the majority of the target texts. And also to explain the possible connection of the alterations with the period that the lyrics were composed within. The aim is to demonstrate the tendency to smoothen and flatten the texts and delete undesirable elements that appear in the originals. To do so, the author examined each 22 lyrics pairs in detail and summarized the changes made in each of the Czech translations/adaptations/replacement texts. The alterations made to the texts are summed up in the last subchapter, in the fourth part of the thesis.

Although the initial hypotheses were confirmed, and the author managed to substantiate the claim that the meaning of the majority of the songs changed in process of translation, some assumptions remain unconfirmed. To generalize the claim that the normalization period affected the song translation and the meaning and form of all the songs translated between 1968 and 1989, much broader research would have to be conducted and hundreds, even thousands, of lyrics examined. The results of the author’s research, nonetheless, show that in the 22 songs investigated, the tendencies to alter the text in a certain way are strong and persisting even though some of the lyricists’ works show a stronger tendency to change the meaning of the original than the creations of the others.

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8. Czech Resumé

Tato diplomová práce se zabývá překladem písňových textů v období československé normalizace. Na vzorku prací, které pro Pavla Bobka napsalo šest různých textařů v rozmezí téměř 20 let, zkoumá změny, které se objevují v jednotlivých textech. Hlavním cílem práce je určit typ změny převládající u většiny cílových textů a pokusit se vysvětlit možnou souvislost s obdobím, ve kterém české texty vznikaly. Cílem práce je poukázat na tendenci vyhlazovat a zplošťovat texty a odstraňovat z nich nežádoucí prvky, které se objevují v originálech. Za tímto účelem autorka podrobně prozkoumala každý z 22 textových párů a shrnula změny provedené v každém z českých překladů/adaptací/náhradních textů. Změny, které se v textech objevují, jsou podrobně popsány v poslední podkapitole ve čtvrté části diplomové práce.

Ačkoliv se podařilo potvrdit výchozí hypotézy a autorka doložila tvrzení, že význam většiny písní se v procesu překladu změnil, není možné říct, že se tento fenomén projevuje také u tvorby jiných autorů. K tomu, aby se dalo zobecnit tvrzení, že normalizační období ovlivnilo význam a jazykovou podobu všech písní přeložených v letech 1968 až 1989, bylo by třeba provést mnohem širší výzkum a v jeho rámci prozkoumat stovky, ba tisíce textů.

Výsledky autorčina výzkumu nicméně ukazují, že ve 22 zkoumaných písních jsou tendence měnit text určitým způsobem silné a přetrvávající, i když práce některých textařů vykazují silnější sklon k měnění význam originálu než díla ostatních.

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