Σπουδή στη Μετάφραση “Into My Arms” Nick Cave VS “Άδεια μου αγκαλιά” Διονύσης Σαββόπουλος

“Into My Arms”

Lyrics & Music: Nick Cave

I don’t believe in an ____________ God
But I know, _________, that you do
But if I did I would ______ down and ask Him
Not to __________ when it came to you
Not to touch a hair on your head
To leave you as you are
And if He felt He had to _______ you
Then direct you into my arms

Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms

And I don’t believe in the _______ of angels
But looking at you I ________ if that’s true
But if I did I would _________ them together
And _____ them to watch over you
To each burn a candle for you
To make ______ and clear your ______
And to walk, like Christ, in _____ and love
And guide you into my arms

Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms

But I _________ in Love
And I know that you ____ too
And I _______ in some kind of ______
That we can ______ down, me and you
So keep your _______ burning
And make her journey _______ and _____
That she will keep ________
Always and ________

Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms, O Lord
Into my arms

The song takes the form of a love ballad, with a piano and an electric bass as the sole instruments used.

Music journalist and critic Toby Creswell included “Into My Arms” in his book 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time and the Artists, Stories and Secrets Behind Them, in which he attributed the song’s melancholic lyrics to the break-up of Cave’s long-term relationship with Viviane Carneiro and his subsequent brief relationship and break-up with English musician PJ Harvey.

In Cave’s lecture “The Secret Life of the Love Song” to the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, he counts the song among those he is most proud of having written.Cave performed the song at the funeral of his friend, INXS singer Michael Hutchence, but requested the cameras recording the service be switched off as he performed. (wikipedia)

Resources:

Revisiting Nick Cave’s lecture on how to write a love song

The Guardian: Australian Anthems Nick Cave’s Into my Arms

1. In an interview Cave said that “any true love song is a song for God”. Do you agree? Find the religious references in the lyrics.
2. The song talks about lost love and the pain it induces; however, in his darkest hour the songwriter feels he is not alone. Can you pinpoint expressions of hope?
3. Does God really intervene in the affairs of man?
4. Is there free will or is everything pre-determined/pre-planned?
5. Do you think that God might actually “play matchmaker” and re-unite the songwriter with his loved one?

interventionist, darling, kneel, intervene, direct

existence, wonder, summon, ask, bright, path, grace

believe, do, believe, path, walk, candles, bright, pure, returning, evermore

• Detect the conditional sentences in the lyrics.
• Put the verb in brackets into the correct form.

If I (believe) in an antervenionist God, I (kneel) down and ask Him.
If God (feel) he (have) to direct you, then (direct) you into my arms.
I (wonder) if the existence of angels (be) true.
If I (believe) in the existence of angels, I (summon) them together.