Crack

[billy_budd_sailor]

Hi! I'm translating a song called "The Farmer's Curst Wife" to Spanish. It's about a farmer who gives his wife away to the Devil. The wife causes much trouble in Hell and the Devil returns her. In the following verses:

So the farmer woke up and he looked out the crack
And he saw that devil bringing her back

is the "crack" a crack on the wall, or is it, well, the crack left by a half-opened window?

Thanks!

 

[SoothingDave]

Context would tell.

 

[billy_budd_sailor]

Let me rephrase: is it correct to call "crack" the opening left by a half-opened window? (in the rest of the poem there's no reference to a crack on the wall).

 

[SoothingDave]

Let me rephrase: is it correct to call "crack" the opening left by a half-opened window? (in the rest of the poem there's no reference to a crack on the wall).

Yes. You can "crack" a window open.

 

[charliedeut]

Context would tell.

Heather Dale:The Farmer's Curst Wife Lyrics - Lyric Wiki - song lyrics, music lyrics. Ask and it will be given to you.

 

[SoothingDave]

Heather Dale:The Farmer's Curst Wife Lyrics - Lyric Wiki - song lyrics, music lyrics. Ask and it will be given to you.

Thanks. From the context we don't know what the "crack" is except that it rhymes with "back."

 

[Grumpy]

I think you would be quite safe to assume that, for the purposes of translating this song, "crack" means "window".

 

[billy_budd_sailor]

You have all been extremely helpful. Perhaps you can assist me with more question. There's a "chorus" that is repeated at the end of each stanza:

– fie fie diddle die
– fie fie diddl-ie day

Both "fie" and "diddle" have meanings, but are readers aware of them when they read these lines? Or are they just for "musical" effect (something fun to repeat over and over again)? My point is I have to decide whether to attempt a translation of these lines, or rather try to replicate the way they sound in Spanish, something like:

fai fai didel dai
fai fai didlai dei

 

[SoothingDave]

You have all been extremely helpful. Perhaps you can assist me with more question. There's a "chorus" that is repeated at the end of each stanza:

– fie fie diddle die
– fie fie diddl-ie day

Both "fie" and "diddle" have meanings, but are readers aware of them when they read these lines? Or are they just for "musical" effect (something fun to repeat over and over again)? My point is I have to decide whether to attempt a translation of these lines, or rather try to replicate the way they sound in Spanish, something like:

fai fai didel dai
fai fai didlai dei

No meaning. Just sounds.