99 Luftballons

[tell-me-more]

Apologies for hijacking this section - can't think where else to put the question...

What's the best translation for the following lyrics, 1st and 4th lines.

Denkst Du vielleicht grad' an mich
Dann singe ich ein Lied fuer Dich
Von 99 Luftballons
Und dass sowas von sowas kommt

Thank you!

[Clanad]

Here you go;;; 99 Red Balloons
http://www.eightyeightynine.com/music/nena-99l uftballoons.html ...

[kempie]

Are you perhaps thinking of me?
Then I'll sing a song for you
About 99 balloons
And something like this comes from something like that.
(i.e. and that X is caused by Y)

[Quizmonkey]

Don't bother with that link to the English version - it was NOT a translation.

[tell-me-more]

Yeah, thanks QM. I realise the English version of the song is quite different. I'm trying to understand the meaning of the German version.

[Quizmonkey]

This isn't bad:

Have you some time for me,
then I'll sing a song for you
about 99 balloons
on their way to the horizon.
If you're perhaps thinking about me right now
then I'll sing a song for you
about 99 balloons
and that such a thing comes from such a thing.

99 balloons
on their way to the horizon
People think they're UFO's from space
so a general sent up
a fighter squadron after them
Sound the alarm if it's so
but there on the horizon were
only 99 balloons.

99 fighter jets
Each one's a great warrior
Thought they were Captain Kirk
then came a lot of fireworks
the neighbors didn't understand anything
and felt like they were being provoked
so they shot at the horizon
at 99 balloons.

99 war ministers
matches and gasoline canisters
They thought they were clever people
already smelled a nice bounty
Called for war and wanted power.
Man, who would've thought
that things would someday go so far
because of 99 balloons.

99 years of war
left no room for victors.
There are no more war ministers
nor any jet fighters.
Today I'm making my rounds
see the world lying in ruins.
I found a balloon,
think of you and let it fly (away).

[echokilo]

Excellent Quizmonkey ..... have always wondered myself about the literal meaning - and now I understand it perfectly.

[Quizmonkey]

I won't take credit for it - I found it on a website. But i do have a degree in German and the translation, as I said, seems pretty good to me!

[tell-me-more]

and that such a thing comes from such a thing?

Does that just mean "in case something like this should happen"?

[kempie]

And something like this (escalating aggression) comes from something like that (balloons in the sky).

[Quizmonkey]

I agree the literal translation sounds clumsy but the same word (sowas) is used twice in the original German phrase. It's just expressing shock that something so big and evil can come from something so small and innocent, like Kempie says.

[tell-me-more]

OK, thanks.

[kempie]

Strictly speaking "sowas" is not one word; "so was" is a contraction or colloquialism of "so etwas".