Introduction
The main problems that were encountered in my translation of the poem "Ze Mag Hem Hebben" by Annie M.G. Schmidt were those that dealt with the frequent appearance of Dutch realia in the poem. These occurrences could not be literally translated into English because the audience would not catch the reference or meaning of the phrase. Alternative phrases or words that conveyed a similar message in English had to therefore be thought of. What follows in this short introduction are some examples of this phenomenon.
In stanza four a reference is made to a very popular Dutch football (soccer is the American equivalent) team from Rotterdam that the man in the poem is an avid supporter of. This reference would not be understood outside of Europe and an alternative had to be thought of. I considered using a footnote, or substituting a different team for the word. These solutions, in my opinion, would not have the same effect. In the Netherlands, the football team you support has great implications, much the same, or maybe greater, as the American football team that one cheers for. I therefore chose to take out completely the name of a specific team and simply use the words ‘the team’.
In stanza six the word Elsevier is used. After some research on the Internet, the only reference to it that I could find is a science and computer technology firm based in the Netherlands. I chose to use a footnote to denote the fact that the man in poem most likely worked for this firm. I made this assumption after noting that the words ‘status’ and ‘overtime’ are used in the same stanza, both of which are job related.
Some other problems, not directly related to translating realia, which I struggled with in this translation are as follows. The first was the irregular rhyme pattern in the original. Translating the rhyme proved to be very difficult, and I ended up using a sporadic rhyme pattern in the translation to maintain some of the pattern. Second, the language in the original poem is very informal, as is the structure of the poem. In some places it is almost in a conversation style of writing, such as stanza 3, line 2, "Dat was het ergste, o mijn god" and most of stanzas 12-14. I attempted to maintain this important aspect of style in the translation.
On the following pages the translation is given, with the original following afterwards.
She can have him
It’s over, he doesn’t mean anything anymore, I am free
It’s over, it doesn’t hurt anymore, and I am happy
To me he is only a gentleman
And all those situations, there’s no need anymore
That man that came home, late in the evening
So spiritless and irritable
None of that is my concern anymore
All of that is for her now
She can have him
The waiting in the large bed
That was the worst, o my god
The constant waiting for his treads
And his keys in the lock
She can have him
His lies and his moodiness
His inferiority complex
His sympathy for ‘his team’
His glasses, his socks and his sex
She can have him
His car and his photo album
His bad moods, his romance
His slides and his conscious
And also his whiskey-eroticism
She can have him
His politics, his Elzevier
His status and his overtime
His jokes about chaplains
His dress shirts and his religion
She can have him
And all those trips to Paris...
Then, long ago, it was fine
O well, back then we were still poor
Only frenchbread and some wine
Walking without worry and free
Sauntering down the Montparnasse
But later he went without me
Came home with lipstick on his collar
She can have him
He drinks too much – that’s her worry
Even if he drinks buckets full of rum
I will keep my mind off of it
He can have a nice delirium
She can have him
It’s not easy, pretty kitten
Girl, that you are going to need
Now you are living in a drunken haze
But in time that will be over
You must do what you can
It will be a very hard test
It’s not easy with that man
I am hoping that you will go wrong!
...Wait a minute. Why did I say that?
Do I want him back? Not for a million!
I don’t want anymore. She wanted so much!
Well, OK. Let her do it then!
She can have him
I give her little chance
I don’t know if she loves him
Maybe now, but in the long run?
What if he gets sick and old?
He is a vulnerable person
You don’t see many of those
Now I am giving like in my youth
My toys to another child
Here you go...
You can have it. It’s for you.
Take it. You can have it.
Because it no longer belongs to me
And lots of luck.
But I ask one thing of you
Don’t break it
Original version (in Dutch) Annie M. G. Schmidt
Translation by Marye de Jong
Ze Mag Hem Hebben
‘t Is over, hij zegt me niets meer, ik ben vrij
‘t Is over, het doet me niks meer, en ik ben blij
Hij is voor mijn zomaar een heer
En al die toestanden, dat hoeft niet meer
Die man die thuiskwam, ‘s avonds laat
Zo moedeloos and prikkelbaar
Dat alles is mijn zorg niet meer
Dat is nou allemaal voor haar
Ze mag hem hebben
Het wachten in het grote bed
Dat was het ergste, o mijn god
Het aldoor wachten op zijn tred
En op de sleutels in het slot
Ze mag hem hebben
Zijn leugens en zijn draaierij
Zijn minderwaardigheidscomplex
Zijn sympathie voor Feijenoord
Zijn bril, zijn sokken en zijn seks
Ze mag hem hebben
Zijn auto en zijn fotoboek
Zijn rothumeur, zijn romantiek
Zijn dia’s en zijn schuldgevoel
En ook zijn whiskey-erotiek
Ze mag hem hebben
Zijn politiek, zijn Elsevier
Zijn status en zijn overwerk
Zijn moppen over kapelaans
Zijn overhemden en zijn kerk
Ze mag hem hebben
En al die reisjes naar Parijs…
Toen, lang geleden, was het fijn
Maar ja, toen waren we nog arm
Alleen maar stokbrood en wat wijn
We liepen zorgeloos en vrij
Te slenteren op de Montparnasse
Maar later ging hij zonder mij
Kwam thuis met lipstick op zijn das
Ze mag hem hebben
Hij drinkt te veel – dat is haar zorg
Al drinkt hij emmers sum
Ik trek mijn handen ervan af
Dan maar een fijn delirium
Ze mag hem hebben
Het valt niet mee hoor, mooie poes
Je hebt er dát voor nodig, meid
Nu leef je in een roze roes
Maar dat gaat over in mettertijd
Dan moet je tonen wat je kan
Het wordt een hele zware test
Het is niet eenvoudig met die man
Ik hoop maar dat je het verpest
…Wacht even. Waarom zeg ik dat?
Wil ik hem terug? Voor geen miljoen!
Ik hoef niet meer. Ze wou zo graag?
Nou, goed dan. Laar ze het dan ook doen!
Ze mag hem hebben
Ik geef haar bitter weinig kans
Ik weet niet of ze van hem houdt
Nu wel, maar op de lange duur?
Ook als hij ziek zal zijn en oud?
Hij is een kwetsbaar figuur
Zoals je er maar weinig vindt
Nu geef ik net als in mijn jeugd
Mijn speelgoed aan een ander kind:
Hier is het…
Je mag het hebben. Het is voor jou.
Pak aan dan. Je mag het hebben
Want het is niet meer van mij
En veel geluk.
Maar een ding vraag ik je
Maak het niet stuk.
-Annie M.G. Schmidt