# když tma škrtne o kalich



## Tagarela

Ahoj,

I'm trying to translate a song by Radůza called Celé noci. 
I didn't understand this line of the first strophe well

_Celé noci Tě volám 
* když tma škrtne o kalich* 
odpusť mi dřív, než mě zdolá 
to, o čem nevím, že je hřích _

Does it mean _when the darkness strikes the calyx_? It doesn't make much sense to me. 

Děkuji moc za pomoc!


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## winpoj

Ahoj, Tagarela,

well, it's sometimes hard to make sense of poetic texts - the meaning can be far from straightforward. The verse is not quite clear to me either. What I can say though is that she probably does not mean "calyx" (part of flower) but "chalice". She goes on to talk about a sin and a chalice is used in the Christian service - so there may be some association along those lines.


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## Enquiring Mind

I'm not a native so I feel as if I'm skating on thin ice here to some extent, but do you Czechs think "kalich" might be being used here in the figurative sense of the sufferings of life, the "cup" of my sorrows, my "lot" (osud, úděl) and therefore, by extension in this context, "my sad life" ?

If so, one possible translation might be something along the lines of: "when darkness *hits*/*strikes*/*casts its shadow over* the cup of my sorrow ..."

Just a thought.

Later verses of the song make it clear that she's having a bad time.

Místo spánku Tě prosím
uspi aspoň moje svědomí
odpusť mi této předlouhé noci
co si já odpustit neumím

 Celé noci čekám...
 Odpusť mi ještě na tomto světě
že pod tíhou těžkých chvil
v slzách ptávala jsem se Tě
proč´s mi tohle připravil


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## bibax

As my nickname is bibax I think that she has something spirituous in the chalice.


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## winpoj

Yes, EM, there is this biblical "kalich hořkosti" although it is not used terribly often. At the same time, she might just be having some wine as bibax suggests.

If I were Tagarela, I'd simply ask her. There is her e-mail address on her website and she might be actually pleased that someone from Brasil is interested.


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## werrr

My first idea was something along the line "when night interrupts me drinking".

But the meaning is obscure, I would suggest you to translate it literary and let the reader to interpret it.

 After all, any Czech, except of teachers of literature who like to torture their pupils, would say that it makes no sense to meditate upon "Co tím chtěl básník říci?".


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## Tagarela

werrr said:


> My first idea was something along the line "when night interrupts me drinking".
> 
> But the meaning is obscure, I would suggest you to translate it literary and let the reader to interpret it.
> 
> After all, any Czech, except of teachers of literature who like to torture their pupils, would say that it makes no sense to meditate upon "*Co tím chtěl básník říci?"*.



Hello, thank you all for the replies! 

I think that I should give up studying Czech by songs. Some time ago someone here told me that I always pick the non-sense songs. =P

Werr, does the part in bold mean "Whay the poet wanted to say with that?"

Winpoj, nice suggestion, I'll try. 

Bibax, I didn't understand what your nickname has to do with it.

Enquiring, you really look for the answers as your nickname suggest =)


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## werrr

Tagarela said:


> Werr, does the part in bold mean "What the poet wanted to say (with that)?"



Yes, the phrase is settled in this particular form as an idiom for interpreting obscure meanings.


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## Tagarela

Zdravím,

I followed Winpoj's suggestion and contacted Radůza on her website. There's a forum there where she answers her fans. 
She wrote me back  "_Pokud jde o výraz "když tma škrtne o kalich"- není to žádná ustálená  fráze, jde o básnickou metaforu, kterou si každý může vyložit podle  svého. já jsem tím myslela asi toto: "tma" symbolizuje pochyby a  "kalich" víru. Znamená to tedy pro mě pochyby o mé víře._". 


Děkuji vám pěkně za pomoc =) 


ps: now I'll think that I'll study Czech only by newspapers =P


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## bibax

> Bibax, I didn't understand what your nickname has to do with it.


In Latin bibax means bibacious, bibulous (someone who is fond of alcoholic beverages). So I thought that the authoress was addicted to drinking.


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