Seguir Bailando

In March (2021), Elena released an original version of "Danser Encore" of HK, with her own (non-literal) but faithful translation of the text and performing an adaptation of the music so that she could sing the text with homemade means (all with the keyboard). Elena's style when translating a song is—how it should be—to retain the meaning, spirit, beauty of the original by molding it to the new language which becomes the receptacle of the artistic expression. This precludes a literal translation that almost always spoils both the work and the meaning. The original meaning should be retained in this way even if the translator would feel an alternative version would be superior or more to their personal taste, either in form or sense. In this particular instance, le "Nous, on veut" which is the most recognizable part of the song, cannot be translated as "No-sotros" (without changing the song) due to the accent (which is on "so", not on "tros" where the song would put it). So the Spanish unfortunately doesn't fit, especially as a Castillan would say "Nosotros, lo que queremos es seguir bailando" if opening with the emphasis, that sounds South-American otherwise (maybe a Paisa). Possibilities are "Tu y yo" ("you and I") but this is replacing a collective "us" by a two-people version, weakening the "Everybody's aspect", turning a song for the People into one merely for a couple. Another possibility explored was "De-janos" with a correct accentuation (on "de" and a possible one on "nos") but the original doesn't make a request or asks for permission, let alone to a singular entity ("dejadnos", addressing a plural entity, would be better in meaning but weaker for the song). Instead, the original states a will, a fact: "we want to keep on dancing". The best compromise and most faithful rendition that Elena found was "La intención". It may not be as powerful as the French, which allows a very strong emphasis on the opening "Nous", which is really moving when exacerbated by a soloist in a crowd, but this is often the case that one loses something in translation. And with other melodies, such as the one by Pablo Peregalli, it becomes perfect again.

Here is a line-to-line comparison of her with the original lyrics:

Nous on veut
continuer à danser encore
Voir nos pensées enlacer nos corps
Passer nos vies sur une grille d'accords
Oh, non non non non non non

Nous sommes des oiseaux de passage
Jamais dociles ni vraiment sages
Nous ne faisons pas allégeance
À l'aube en toutes circonstances
Nous venons briser le silence

Et quand le soir à la télé
Monsieur le bon roi a parlé
Venu annoncer la sentence
Nous faisons preuve d'irrévérence
Mais toujours avec élégance

Auto-métro-boulot-conso
Auto attestation qu'on signe
Absurdité sur ordonnance
Et malheur à celui qui pense
Et malheur à celui qui danse

Chaque mesure autoritaire
Chaque relent sécuritaire
Voit s'envoler notre confiance
Ils font preuve de tant d'insistance
Pour confiner notre conscience

Ne soyons pas impressionnables
Par tous ces gens déraisonnables
Vendeurs de peur en abondance
Angoissants, jusqu'à l'indécence
Sachons les tenir à distance

Pour notre santé mentale
Sociale et environnementale
Nos sourires, notre intelligence
Ne soyons pas sans résistance
Les instruments de leur démence.

—HK, «Danser Encore»

La intención
es que sigamos con nuestra canción,
que cuerpo y alma se unan con razón,
que no paremos nuestra danza al sol.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no

Nosotros, pájaros de paso,
libres y en paz pero no mansos,
nunca comemos de la mano.
En vista de lo que hoy es cierto
queremos romper el silencio.

Y cuando escuchamos en la tele
al señorito que defiende
la bondad de la sentencia,
mostramos nuestra irreverencia
pero siempre con elegancia.

Casa, trabajo y a lo sumo
una terraza con consumo.
El absurdo hecho ordenanza.
Y atención a aquél que piensa!
Y atención a aquél que baila!

Cada medida autoritaria
o libertad arrebatada
va agotando la confianza.
Tales niveles de insistencia
en confinar nuestra conciencia.

Mejor no dejarse impresionar
por toda esa gente irracional,
vendiendo miedo en abundancia.
Mejor tenerlos a distancia,
ser la decencia en la desgracia.

Salvemos la salud mental,
del medio ambiente y social,
nuestro reír e inteligencia.
No caigamos sin resistencia
en las garras de su demencia.

—Elena, "Seguir Bailando"

Our interpretations

We made a video-clip to publish it on YouTube with symbolic passages of iconic movies from the universal and collective memory, which tell the tale of people's urge for freedom as expressed through dancing: