Heissgeliebt (Dearly Beloved)

[lily_handmaiden]

by me!
 
Strictly speaking, the German translation of "Popular" is probably the worst of the bunch. I know this because of YouTube comments. Apparently no self-respecting German would actually use the term "Heissgeliebt," at least, if I am reading correctly, not for the past several decades. And that's just one issue out of many.

But to be fair, you've got to admit, this song must have been a bitch to translate. It's full of complex rhymes and wordplay and contemporary slang and colloquialism. I honestly believe that no one could have done better than this. It preserves, in a language which is not necessarily conducive to it, the fun, light tone of the song.

Tone is something as important to maintain through translation as the meanings of words, I'm discovering. Like, in the German version of "Out Tonight" from Rent, I have no idea what's going on half the time, but it still makes me want to dance. That's the most important thing to that song. And "Heissgeliebt" still makes me want to bounce around like a cutesy spazz. It rhymes words like "Ehrlichkeit," "Begehrlichkeit, and "Unentbehrlichkeit," words which, while not necessarily meaning what we're used to, sound fun and light and silly when put together. It sounds right. And "Popular" is a song that absolutely has to sound right.

That said, I get the impression that when compared to English/American Galinda, German Galinda is... kind of a slut. What's a less severe term than that? More promiscuous? Sexually enthusiastic? You'll see what I mean.

 

Heissgeliebt

(Dearly Beloved)

 

(Willemijn Verkaik as Elphaba, Lucy Scherer as Galinda. This is another presscall performance, which is why you can't really hear the audience laughing. Trust me: I've seen other clips of Lucy performing this song, and it is universally funny.)

GALINDA:

Hör mal, Elphie, jetzt wo wir Freundinnen sind, mache ich dich zu meinem neuen Projekt.

Listen, Elphie, now that we’re friends, I’m making you into my new project.

ELPHABA:

Das ist wirklich nicht nötig.

That is really not necessary.

GALINDA:

Ich weiß. Das ist ja gerade das Nette an mir!

I know. That is precisely the nice thing about me!
Ist mal irgendjemand nicht so

If once there is someone not as
Vom Glück verwöhnt wie ich

Spoiled by fortune as I
Und schließlich ist ja niemand

And after all, there is certainly no one
Vom Glück verwöhnt wie ich,

Spoiled by fortune as I,
Wird gleich mein Herz

Right away my heart
Weich vor Schmerz und weint.

Softens with grief and cries.

Und ist jemand in Verlegenheit,

And if someone is in embarrassment, (1)
Ergreif ich die Gelegenheit

I seize the opportunity
Zu helfen, selbst wenn es kaum möglich scheint.

To help, even if it hardly seems possible.
Nun ist zwar dein Problem,

Now your problem is indeed,
Ganz objektiv betrachtet, höchst extrem,

Looking at it entirely objectively, in the highest extreme,
Doch weiß ich schon, wie ich es lösen kann.

But I already know how I can solve it.
Schließ' dich mir an

Fall into line with me
Mach mit und dann

Take part and then
Wirst du bald ...

Soon you will be…

(1) "Verlegenheit" could just be an awkward situation, but I think that connotes something that results from something happening around you, whereas Elphaba is the awkward situation. "Embarrassment" seemed more conducive to that.

Heißgeliebt!

Dearly beloved!
Ja bald wirst du heißgeliebt!

Yes, soon you will be dearly beloved!
Ich zeig dir den Anmach-Trick

I’ll show you the Turn-on Trick
Und den Anlach-Blick.

And the Come-hither Look. (2)
Kleine Tipps für Flirt und Flair.

Little tips for flirtation and flair.
Ich zeig dir die schicksten Schuh

I’ll show you the most stylish shoe
Und das Kleid dazu.

And the dress that goes with it
Hast du das und manches mehr

You’ll have that and much more

(2) For "anmachen," I had to wade through definitions like "to arouse" and "to sex" to find the right term to indicate that Galinda wanted to teach Elphaba how to come on to guys. The "come-hither" look I finally understood to be such after sitting for a minute and wondering how to translate "look-smilingly-at look."

Wirst du heißgeliebt ...

You’ll be dearly beloved…
Auch du wirst bald heißgeliebt

You too will soon be dearly beloved
Du gehst mit der Clique fort,

You’ll go out with the clique,
Bist ein Ass im Sport, (3)

Be an ace at sports,
Du bist cool und angesagt

You’ll be cool and hip (4)
Allerdings

Though
Ist bei dir dafür ein Wunder gefragt.

In your case a miracle is in demand for it.

(3) The fact that "Ass" means "ace" in German is endlessly amusing to me. Especially in this context. Before I looked it up, I was like, "Hey, I've been an ass at sports for years, and it has never yet made me popular."

(4) Despite the retro term, meaning "the thing that is so in right now." I'd have used "hot," but "You'll be cool and hot"? No.

Sei bitte nicht gekränkt durch meine Ehrlichkeit.

Please don’t be offended by my honesty.
Sieh mich einfach als Expertin der Begehrlichkeit.

See me simply as an expert in desire. (5)
Gesteh' dir einfach meine Unentbehrlichkeit.

Simply admit my indispensability.
Ohne Erfahrung

Without experience
In der Kunst der Paarung

In the art of mating (6)
Wird man nur selten heißgeliebt

One only rarely becomes dearly beloved
Und wer das nicht weiß vergibt

And whoever doesn’t know that misses
Die Chance ein Gewinn zu sein

The chance to be a prize
Richtig "in" zu sein

To be really “in”
Kann man nur lernen wenn man viel ... übt.

One can only learn when one often… practices (7)
Doch bist du eine Fleiß'ge

But if you are a hard worker
Dann wirst auch du mal

Then someday you will also be
Heißgeliebt ... lübt

Dearly beloved… lüved

(5) "Begerhlichkeit," it turns out, means all kinds of desire, depending on what dictionary you look at. It could just mean "greediness." But often it is "concupiscence." "Lust." Stuff like that. I went for the neutral "desire," and I'm not entirely sure whether Galinda means that she's an expert in what guys are looking for, or simply in being desirable. Maybe both. "Begehrheit" would be "desirability," which makes me lean toward the former definition, but "Begehrheit" also doesn't fit the rhyme or meter.

(6) You see? Add that to "Begehrlichkeit," and the "turn-on tricks," and the fact that "heissgeliebt" can also mean "passionately loved"... you see where I start to question Galinda's purity. In any case, her motives in making Elphaba over seem to put less emphasis on making her generally presentable and more on getting her... "mated." Which is especially ironic, considering who Elphaba ends up with. 

(7) Practices the art of mating?! Oh-- no I think she just means practices popularity in general.

La la la la

La la la la
Mach mit und du wirst heißgeliebt

Take part and you'll be dearly beloved

Den betrauernswerten Engeln

To the angels worthy of mourning
Mit bedauernswerten Mängeln

With regrettable defects
Ruf ich zu: Denkt mal ein wenig nach,

I shout: Think a little,
Und fragt euch –

And ask yourselves—
Die berühmten Staatenlenker,

The famous rulers of states,
All die Stars und Hüteschwenker –

All the stars and hat-wavers—
War'n das denn große Denker?

Were they great thinkers, then?
Das ich nicht lach!

Don’t make me laugh!

Sie war'n heißgeliebt. Schau,

They were dearly beloved. Look,
Voll fehlern, doch heißgeliebt.

Fully flawed, but dearly beloved.
Viel ist nicht erforderlich.

Not much is necessary
Nur: wie sieht man dich.

Only: how you’re seen.
Wer das weiß, wird sicherlich

Whoever knows that, will surely be
Populär und heißgeliebt

Popular and dearly beloved
Wie ich.

Like me.
Elphaba - du bist ja eine Schönheit. Da!

Elphaba—you are really a beauty. There!

ELPHABA:
Ich - ich muss los –

I—I have to go—

GALINDA:
Nichts zu danken!

Don’t mention it!
Sagst du jetzt auch nein,

Even though you say no now,
Lass dir prophezeih'n,

Let me predict for you,
Dass dein Herz vor Freude sirrt.

That your heart will hum with joy
Wenn dein Tief-Betrübt-Sein

When your being-deeply-sad
Zu einem Heißgeliebt-Sein wird.

Turns into being-dearly-beloved.

La la la la

La la la la
Du wirst heißgeliebt.

You’ll be dearly beloved
Nur nicht ganz so heißgeliebt

Just not quite so dearly beloved
Wie ich!

As me!