# Flemish/Dutch: Maar zeg het aan geen mens



## egitto78

I explain: this is spoken flemish written in a mail:
*hoe lief ik je had.

Maar zeg het aan geen mens.
Ze zouden je niet geloven.
Ze zouden niet willen geloven
dat alleen maar een man alleen maar een vrouw
dat een mens een mens zo liefhad
als ik jou.*
What it means? Please, answer, it's *extremely* important!!!!!!
thanks in advance.


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## elroy

My attempt: 

How much I loved you.

But don't tell anyone.
They would not believe you.
They would not want to believe 
That any man or any woman,
That any person ever loved a person
as I (loved) you.


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## jippie

I would suggest some small corrections:



elroy said:


> My attempt:
> 
> How much I loved you.
> 
> But don't tell anyone.
> They would not believe you.
> They would not want to believe
> That *just a* man or *just a* woman,
> That *a *person ever loved a person
> as *much as* I (loved) you.


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## elroy

Well, I realize that "alleen" literally means "just" or "only" but that doesn't sound good in the English translation.   I figured "any" is what it was really saying.

Same goes for "een mens" in the last part.  "Any person" or "anyone" sounds better than the more literal "a person."


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## jippie

So you went for the 'poetic' translation and I for the literal one.  It seems that the person who asked the question is very much in love and doesn't even care...  (sorry for the chat...)


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## optimistique

elroy said:


> Well, I realize that "alleen" literally means "just" or "only" but that doesn't sound good in the English translation.  I figured "any" is what it was really saying.
> 
> Same goes for "een mens" in the last part. "Any person" or "anyone" sounds better than the more literal "a person."


 
"_Alleen maar_" doesn't mean "_any_", it means "_only_": _that only a man or only a woman_...  That's not really the same.


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## elroy

optimistique said:


> "_Alleen maar_" doesn't mean "_any_", it means "_only_": _that only a man or only a woman_...  That's not really the same.


 Well, then I guess I don't get what that part is saying.  Could you explain?


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## Joannes

I think it suggests the love described is 'higher' than the love only a human being could feel, i.e. divine. This suggestion is strengthened by the use of *mens* in the line below, while otherwise *iemand* would probably have been used. Poetry...


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## Jeedade

Given the poetic context I'd agree with Joannes, maybe a translation like "that a mere man, a mere woman" would fit the phrase "*dat alleen maar een man alleen maar een vrouw"*


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## John-Paul

First off, the poet's name is Hans Andreus. I think this poem reflects on the coldheartedness of people in general and the Dutch specifically. It's just not a very passionate part of the universe. However, this poem is very often used in funerals because it so beautifully describes powerless we sometimes feel when it comes to losing someone we so much loved, nobody understands. His poems are available, but I will not say where because I fear the censor.


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