CAPELÁN - SOBRE LA TRADUCCIÓN

Sobre la traducción de los títulos de algunas canciones de Los Beatles – I
Andrés Capelán

El primer éxito de Los Beatles fue “Please Please Me”, lo que en español vendría a ser “Por favor compláceme”, y como otras de sus primeras canciones, su inocente apariencia oculta un contenido erótico. Lo que Lennon le pide a su chica es que lo complazca como él la complace a ella, le dice que sabe que ella nunca lo intentó y que no necesita mostrarle el camino, esas cosas... Sin embargo, al ser traducido al español, ese título tan sugerente y ambiguo se transformó en un ególatra “Por favor yo”.

Es el mismo caso de “Twist and Shout”, donde la voz cantante le pide a su chica que “lo sacuda” y que se retuerza y grite (“shake it up baby, twist and shout”). La traducción correcta hubiera sido ésa (“Retuércete y Grita”), sin embargo, la canción fue conocida por nosotros como “Twist y gritos” (así, en plural). Cuando uno se entera de estas cosas, entiende mucho mejor el fervor que despertaban Los Beatles en las audiencias femeninas de aquella época (y las sonrisas cómplices de sus admiradores masculinos). ¡Mire que hablar de esas cosas en esos tiempos!

Distinto es el asunto con “Roll Over Beethoven”, que fue traducida como “Roll sobre Beethoven”, cuando en realidad su autor, Chuck Berry, le está diciendo a Beethoven “que se corra”, que ha llegado el Rock and Roll (y que le dé la noticia a Tchaikovsky).

Con “A hard day`s night” pasó algo terrible, dejando de lado que aquí la película se llamó “Ye, ye, ye... Los Beatles” (debido a ese convencimiento en nuestra estupidez innata que tienen los distribuidores cinematográficos), en el disco editado por los hermanos Gioscia la canción fue traducida como “Anochecer de un día triste”. Según cuenta el especialista Enrique Cabrera en su famosa “The Spanish Beatles’s Page”, la canción fue escrita de un tirón por John Lennon a pedido del director de la película, Richard Lester, cautivado al escucharle a Ringo esa peculiar expresión. Es asunto fue así: tras un duro día de grabaciones, Ringo dijo "It's been a hard day..." (ha sido un día duro) y cuando se dio cuenta de que ya era de noche añadió "..'s night) (Ha sido la noche de un duro día). La palabra inglesa “hard” tiene más de treinta significados, pero ninguno refiere ni cerca a la tristeza, y “night” es “noche”, no “anochecer”, que vendría a ser “nightfall”. ¿Cómo se llega entonces de “La noche de un día duro” a “Anochecer de un día triste”? Misterio insondable. Y una perla más, en España la película se llamó “¡Qué Noche la de Aquel Día!”...

PLEASE PLEASE ME
(Lennon)

Last night I said these words to my girl
I know you never even try girl
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on. come on
Please please me. oh yeah like I please you

You don't need me to show the way love
Why do I always have to say love?
Come on, come on. come on. come on
Come on, come on, come on. come on
Please please me, oh yeah like I please you

I don't want to sound complaining
But you know there's always rain in my heart
I do all the pleasin' with you
It's so hard to reason with you
Oh yeah why do you make me blue

Last night I said these words to my girl
I know you never even try girl
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Come on, come on, come on. come on
Please please me. oh yeah like I please you
Oh yeah like I please you
Oh yeah like I please you

TWIST AND SHOUT
(Medley-Russel)

Well, shake it up baby (shake it up baby)
Twist and shout (twist and shout_
Come on, come on, come on, baby now (come on, baby)
Come on and work it on out (work it on out)

Well work it on out now (work it on out)
You know you look so good (look so good)
You know you got me goin' now (got me goin)
Just like I knew you would (just like i knew you would)

Well, shake it shake it baby now (shake it up baby)
Twist and shout (twist and shout)
Come on, come on, come on baby now (come on, baby)
Come on and work it on out (work it on out)
You know twist little girl (twist little girl)
You know you twist so fine (twist so fine)
Come on and twist a little closer now (twist a little closer)
Let me know that you're mine (let em know you're mine)

Yeah, shake it up baby now (shake it up baby)
Twist and shout (twist and shout)
Come on, come on, come on baby now (come on baby)
Come on and work it on out (work it on out)
You know twist little girl (twist little girl)
You know you twist so fine (twist so fine)
Come on and twist a little closer now (twist a little closer)
Let me know that you're mine (let em know you're mine)

ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN
(Berry)

Im gonna write a little letter,
Gonna mail it to my local dj.
Its a rockin rhythm record
I want my jockey to play.
Roll over beethoven, I gotta hear it again today.

You know, my temperatures risin
And the jukebox blows a fuse.
My hearts beatin rhythm
And my soul keeps on singin the blues.
Roll over beethoven and tell tschaikowsky the news.

I got the rockin pneumonia,
I need a shot of rhythm and blues.
I think Im rollin arthiritis
Sittin down by the rhythm review.
Roll over beethoven rockin in two by two.

Well, if you feel you like it
Go get your lover, then reel and rock it.
Roll it over and move on up just
A trifle further and reel and rock it,
Roll it over,
Roll over beethoven rockin in two by two.

Well, early in the mornin Im a-givin you a warnin
Dont you step on my blue suede shoes.
Hey diddle diddle, I am playin my fiddle,
Aint got nothin to lose.
Roll over beethoven and tell tschaikowsky the news.

You know she wiggles like a glow worm,
Dance like a spinnin top.
She got a crazy partner,
Oughta see em reel and rock.
Long as she got a dime the music will never stop.

Roll over beethoven and dig these rhythm and blues.

A HARD DAY’S NIGTH
(Lennon)

It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright

You know I work all day to get you money to buy you things
And it's worth it just to hear you say you're gonna give me everything
So why on earth should I moan, 'cause when I get you alone
You know I feel okay

When I'm home everything seems to be right
When I'm home feeling you holding me tight, tight, yeah
It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright

So why on earth should I moan, 'cause when I get you alone
You know I feel okay
When I'm home everything seems to be right
When I'm home feeling your holding me tight, tight, yeah

It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night, I should be sleeping like a log
But when I get home to you I find the things that you do
Will make me feel alright
You know I feel alright
You know I feel alright...